Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Najor, LMFT.
Mia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It took me a long time to finish my undergrad schooling. I had failed out of school multiple times and I think it was because I was lacking direction. I never saw myself as someone who would ultimately end up with a professional career. The moment I reminded myself that I wanted to spend my life working intimately with people was when things changed for the better.
I decided to go to graduate school in 2011. I had always wanted to do something like social work but eventually realized that I specifically wanted to do marriage and family therapy for a living. It had taken until I was 30 years old to begin grad school.
By the time I had graduated in 2013, I had already landed a job as a counselor in a residential eating disorder treatment center for adolescents. I found it to be very challenging but I also think it shaped me in so many ways. I continued on in the eating disorder field treating people at all levels of care including intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization.
In 2018, I had finally passed my exams to become a licensed marriage and family therapist and I started my private practice. I have also been extremely fortunate to join Dr. Angela Klein at Centered Ground which is a DBT Program in Carlsbad, California.
In conjunction with being a therapist, I also started a band with my talented close friends this past year. I decided to start learning how to play synthesizer/keys and am doing back up vocals in the band. We are a dreamy shoegaze band and we are called Rosa Rossa. We will be playing our first live show in early 2020. This project has boosted my confidence and has given me the opportunity to practice mindfulness doing something I absolutely love. I really feel that it is so important to have multiple outlets in life and especially if you are going to do therapy for a living.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have to acknowledge my privilege as a cisgendered, white woman. I can’t help but think that this road has been somewhat paved for a person of my privilege. At the same time, I did not find the road to becoming a therapist easy. I did not imagine the obstacles that would be coming my way when I started graduate school. I learned on my first day of class that I would be required to complete 3,000 hours before I would be able to apply to take the licensing exams. I had set a trajectory of 2 years post-graduation to start my practice. Little did I know that it would actually take me five years to license after graduating. There was a significant block out of multiple months that clinicians would not be allowed to take the exams by the time I finished my hours. I then failed my licensing exam which set me back significantly. I learned that I had severe test anxiety. I actually did some EMDR for the test anxiety and I passed in early 2018. That day continues to be probably the best day of my life because it was a testament to my perseverance. Becoming a therapist is definitely not an easy road, but my experience with the exams actually helps me to appreciate my career so much more every single day.
I would tell any young woman who might be starting their journey to become a therapist that they must be gentle with themselves along the way. I would remind them that the internship process can be a long one, but that it is pivotal in helping them to become a confident and successful clinician. It can be quite humbling so the self-care piece will need to be of the utmost priority. I believe it is probably one of the best jobs in the world so I’d just remind any young woman that the journey is worth the time and energy. To be able to sit and have intimate glimpses into the life of another human on a daily basis has been an absolute honor.
Tell us about your work – what should we know?
I specialize in using Dialectical Behavior Therapy to treat borderline personality disorder, self-harm, suicidality, emotion dysregulation and binge eating disorder. I am passionate about working with the trans population as well.
My main job is working in Carlsbad at Centered Ground with Dr. Angela Klein and I am extremely proud to be on the team. We are an adherent DBT program and we provide DBT groups weekly. Dr. Angela and I are also both intensively trained in Radically Open DBT and we co-instruct a 30-week class. We utilize the RO-DBT modality individually with Clients who may struggle with emotional loneliness and overcontrol.
I think as a DBT therapist, I am set apart because I am dedicated to supporting Clients with phone coaching should they need support outside of the therapy office. I believe the phone coaching component really deepens the trust within the relationship between the Client and Therapist. I also think I can bring a playfulness and warmth and I very much believe in using truth without judgment in my sessions. I have been told many times that it doesn’t feel “clinical” in the room with me. I’m stoked to be there and I think it’s apparent to my Clients.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Edie Stark, LCSW and I started a podcast together in 2018 called Breaking Down. We have special guests on to tell their stories and to discuss many issues of interest around mental health.
It’s A Shame podcast is a local podcast created by Danielle Nelson, LCSW and Lily Rogers. It’s a fascinating show where they discuss different topics around shame. They are hilarious!
The book Health At Every Size is an incredibly useful and important book. Dr. Linda Bacon has done many scientific studies on the negative side effects of yo-yo dieting. I find it to be so helpful to use in my practice with folks that struggle with disordered eating and particularly binge eating.
The book Mindful Eating from the Dialectical Perspective by Dr. Angela Klein has been incredibly useful for me as a clinician treating disordered eating and specifically binge eating. Dr. Angela is a DBT expert and she’s also my supervisor!
I really love the book The F*ck It Diet. The author, Caroline Dooner, provides humor and useful information about stopping the dieting cycle and body acceptance.
Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen Bays, MD is a really great book about the seven hungers that each of us experience. It can really deepen the understanding of why we choose to eat at different times.
Pricing:
- $165 per individual session- 60 minutes
Contact Info:
- Address: Wellspace: 3344 4th avenue suite 200
San Diego, CA 92102
Centered Ground: 2683 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008 - Website: mianajor.com
- Phone: 858-412-0597
- Email: mianajormft@gmail,com
- Instagram: @rosarossamusic
- Other: @breakingdownpodcast
Image Credit:
Brandy Bell
Chris Wodjak
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