We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Sandy Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Sandy, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
This is such a loaded question, and an important one. I come from Puerto Rican parents, and while I was born in New York, where the Puerto Rican population is abundant, my family moved to Texas when I was young and this is where I grew up. Especially at that time, I knew no other Puerto Rican families, not to mention my physical appearance isn’t necessarily “obviously” Latin. This was a double-edged sword, as it meant that although I didn’t feel as though I entirely fit in with any peer group in particular, I could also be fairly effective in being a chameleon and finding a space for myself across lots of different groups. That absolutely became an asset, though it still felt isolating. Having grown up in this way forced me to find my voice and advocate for myself at a young age, which serves me well in adulthood, and I’ve developed the talent of finding strong, effective ways of getting my point across.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve been a practicing clinical psychologist for more than 10 years and I could never imagine doing anything else. My career is incredible and I am constantly in awe of my patients’ vulnerability and resilience. During my several years of practice; however, I noticed that mental healthcare is ridiculously inaccessible for a large portion of the population. Whether it be true lack of access to services, poor insurance benefits, or the sheer cost of therapy being abundant, it is unacceptable. Mental healthcare is not a luxury, though it is often treated as one. So the next question is usually “why don’t providers make their services more affordable?” In truth, industry standard is to do around 10% pro bono work, and those of us in helping professions would do only low cost or no cost services if we could. But this is our profession, the way we support ourselves and our families, in addition to the fact that education is incredibly expensive and most of us who have completed graduate programs are saddled with student loan debt. (But that’s an issue for another day).
So I founded The Willow Field Foundation to address both of these issues. Recipients of our “therapy scholarships” are able to seek any provider of their choice, and we pay those clinicians directly – typically at their full rate – so both the patient and the clinician can get exactly what they need.
Our biggest event is our annual online auction, which takes place every March. Readers should follow our social media pages for updates on this. We are always accepting donations, but especially appreciate service and good donations for that event.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Like many people, I’m sure, I began experiencing loss and intense personal challenges from a fairly young age. While this helped me build essential resiliency, more importantly, it helped me develop empathy and the ability to see and identify with the struggles of other people. As I mentioned previously, the ability to speak up and advocate for myself helps me to not only advocate for others but help teach people to advocate for themselves. Additionally, understanding how difficult it has been to overcome my personal challenges, gives me patience when working with people who are stuck in their own challenges.
I would encourage anyone working in the mental health field, especially in terms of the nonprofit realm, to set realistic goals and to accept the fact that making big change in these areas will take incredible time and effort. Patience, resiliency, and strong advocacy skills will be essential, as well as self-care and self-awareness.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
As a nonprofit, we are always looking for help, support, and collaboration. Of course, the primary arm of the foundation is fundraising, which can be daunting. Ideally, corporate donor partners are ideal in terms of making sustainable and meaningful change. Other businesses who believe in our mission and are able and willing to partner on an ongoing basis for fundraising and advertising is incredibly helpful. That said, we also will always benefit from outreach to get the word out about what we do at Willow Field. The more community members who know about our foundation, the better our fundraising efforts will be, but also the more individuals in need will learn of our services and hopefully benefit from them.
Contact Info:
- Website: Thewillowfieldfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowfieldfoundation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewillowfieldfoundation
Image Credits
London Layne Photography
