Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Cloostermans.
Hi Sara, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I wanted to become a therapist after I healed from postpartum depression and anxiety after the birth of my son in 1998 – it was when I saw a therapist myself for the first time back then that I thought to myself, “I want her job.” I started my studies when my son was 1 year old in 1999 at ASU in Tempe, AZ, and graduated with my master’s in counseling in 2002. In 2002, my family and I moved from AZ to San Diego, CA. It took me until 2010 to finally become licensed as a marriage and family therapist (collected 3000 licensing hours between 2005 and 2010 as an associate therapist + licensing exam to become board certified) because I also adopted a baby girl through open adoption in 2004 (full-time stay-at-home mom between 2002 and 2005) and always only worked part-time, so I could also be with my children as much as possible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, not a smooth road; being a mom of 2, with a husband who traveled the world for business for 17 years, then got his law degree at USD for another 4 years (at night and he worked FT during the day), a lot of the daily household management fell on me, so also wanting a career was complicated. My friend, Melly, who is an FT physician and mom of 2 daughters, calls it “the struggle of the juggle.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about A Therapist’s Advice?
I am in private practice and do telehealth only; I specialize in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, grief and loss, and trauma and abuse. The mental health disorders I see the most of in my practice (by far) is depression and anxiety. I work with women, parents, couples, and young adults.
http://www.cloostermansmft.com/
I also offer free therapy resources (many helpful blogs!) on the following website: atherapistsadvice.com.
https://atherapistsadvice.com/
I also have a social media presence with my mental health account @yield2yin
https://www.instagram.com/yield2yin/
I created a 55-card healing deck that is for sale on Amazon
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Telehealth + hopefully no longer just state licensure, but nationwide (which makes sense if we no longer see clients in person)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atherapistsadvice.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yield2yin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yield2Yin/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Yield2Yin-Therapists-Mindfulness-Universal-Challenges/dp/B0BQD2NJKH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=129O4K6LLGJJD&keywords=yield2yin+healing+cards+a+therapist%27s+advice&qid=1695507699&sprefix=yield2yin%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1
Image Credits
Jennifer Dergunov
