In this episode, Kelly Hart interviews Madison Cooke, a soon-to-be licensed clinical mental health clinician and play therapist. Madison shares her personal journey of overcoming mental health struggles and finding healing through therapy, which inspired her to pursue a career in the field. She discusses the process of becoming a play therapist and the next steps after graduation. Madison also highlights the challenges of balancing personal and professional life during the internship phase and emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries. She shares her definition of mental wellness as the ability to bounce back from stress and not letting issues define or bring one down. Madison encourages new students and graduates to embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning. She concludes by emphasizing the continuous learning journey in the field of mental health.

Takeaways

• Personal experiences with mental health struggles can inspire individuals to pursue a career in the mental health field.
• Becoming a play therapist requires obtaining a graduate certificate or continuing education in play therapy.
• The internship phase can be challenging, but having a supportive community and setting boundaries is crucial for self-care.
• Mental wellness involves the ability to bounce back from stress and not letting issues define or bring one down.
• Mistakes and failures are opportunities for growth and learning in the mental health field.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Background

03:39
Becoming a Play Therapist

06:23
Next Steps After Graduation

09:01
Challenges in the Field

12:31
The Importance of Boundaries

17:46
Defining Mental Wellness

22:23
Overcoming Failures and Mistakes

25:58
Advice for New Students and Graduates

28:27
The Continuous Learning Journey

30:32
Closing Remarks