We recently connected with Maggie Reid and have shared our conversation below.
Maggie, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I remember when I had my first internship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as an Art Therapist Intern I was so nervous. I was told to knock on the hospital room door, and through the crack say “hi! I’m Maggie the Art Therapist, can I come in?” This moment terrified me. I wasn’t an Art Therapist! I was just a grad student. It was all a lie. This was Imposter Syndrome at it’s finest! My supervisor was constantly reminding me that I was well educated, and had lots of experience and was good at leading an Art Therapy Session. But every time, without fail, I had a moment of doubt before being invited into the room. It’s now been four years, I finished 3,000 supervised hours of work as a therapist post-grad school, I passed one of the most difficult licensing exams, and still imposter syndrome loomed over me. A few weeks ago I decided to work on the app Better Help, so I could make some income while I was trying to build my own private practice. I appreciate that there are apps like Better Help, offering accessibility to low-cost therapy. My first day I saw three clients. I tried my best to put into practice all the knowledge I had learned from that past six years of working under supervisors. But I once again, felt like an imposter. And suddenly I heard those magic words from my client… “I hadn’t thought of it that way before.” Before I knew it I was hearing this phrase a lot. Before I knew it I had a fully booked week, and so many people wanted to have second or third sessions with me that I didn’t have enough hours in the day to see everyone. It was in this moment that I realized all the work, all the hours, all the sessions of supervision, all the practice I had done, all the knocks on all the hospital doors, had been preparation for these moments. I had absorbed so much and now I was able to put that into practice and help people. And this was a magical moment, the moment I overcame imposter syndrome.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hi! I’m Maggie and ’m an Expressive Arts Therapist. So, what IS an Expressive Arts Therapist? I work in the same way a typical therapist would work, exploring relationships, expressing emotions, working on social skills, discovering healthy coping skills, really any roadblock to being your very best self. But in my practice, I also use the arts in our therapeutic journey. This can include music, visual art, movement, magic, writing, and beyond. My practice is truly client-centered. Everyone has their own unique situation, and my goal is to tailor our work to your very personal needs. My biggest passion is working with kids. Using the expressive arts I am able to help kids with coping or with social or emotional situations. My unique, arts-based, approach offers new tools to navigate these challenges. I also love working with parents! Being a parent can be super overwhelming. Lots of parents just want to find new ways to get organized or they need help navigating their relationship with their child or spouse. Using Expressive arts therapy I can help clients enhance their parenting skills, strengthen their relationships, and help them focus on the self-care that you need. And finally, I’ve had the unique experience of being a parent to a baby who began his life at 26 weeks gestation and spent 111 days in the NICU. I was surprised to find that there wasn’t more mental health care centered around helping new parents navigate such a delicate and trying time. Because of my own lived experience, it’s my goal to work with the parents of NICU babies to help them manage the stress and anxiety of their hospital stay and subsequent period of adjustment at home.
I truly believe that Expressive Arts therapy is an incredible tool. I am hoping to continue to build my practice and help people navigate their world! I am now available for new clients!
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?
When I was 29 years old I got into therapy for the first time. I went into it unsure of what to expect, but I had an open mind. Curiosity and self-reflection were some of the qualities that I think benefited me in my therapeutic journey. After a few years I found that I was discovering myself in a way I never had before. I had less anxiety and more zest for life. I was happier and healthier, mentally and physically. I had such an amazing and life altering experience in therapy that I decided to pursue it as a career. I loved the arts and working with children, so when I found a program that included bringing mental health care to children using the arts, I knew I had found a career that I would be happy in. In 2019 I got my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University. I feel that my openness to self-exploration and self-reflection helped prepare me for my journey to become an Expressive Arts Therapist.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My dad grew up in a low-income family with a single mom. They struggled some, but my dad realized very young the power of education. He worked in the school cafeteria in High School to earn money. He studied hard and got a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He went on to get a law degree. My mom also valued education. She got her Masters degree from UNC in English. Later in life she went on to get a masters in theology. Both my siblings have a Master degree, and my paternal grandfather had his Doctorate. My maternal grandmother also had a college degree, which was uncommon for women in the 1930s. I grew up in a family that valued education. My parents helped me pay for under-gradaute and graduate school. I could not have accomplished that without their help. Besides a love of education, my parents instilled in me a love of philanthropy. My dad went on to help many young people afford college that may not have otherwise had the opportunity to go to college. During my work earning my license as a therapist I worked for several low-cost and free therapy organizations. I hope that as I grow my own private practice I can continue to help people access low-cost therapy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TherapyIsMagic.org
- Instagram: Magical Mags Therapy
