Meet Margaret Pendergrass

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Margaret Pendergrass. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Margaret, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I have suffered from anxiety since childhood and this is something that I am usually very upfront with my clients about. I don’t just tell them tools that I have read in a textbook- I’m giving them tools and techniques that have worked and continue to work for me to manage my own anxious thoughts. Anxiety, like so many mental health issues, is lifelong and never goes completely away. However, learning the tools that I now use in my practice around acceptance, identifying patterns and living by one’s values have made a world of difference in making daily life more manageable.

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?

Roswell Grief Counseling, located in Roswell, GA, specializes in grief, chronic illness and caregiver support. My clinical practice there is informed by 15 years in hospitals and medical facilities, as well as my own personal experiences with illness, caregiving and loss. These issues are something that I am truly passionate about and that shows in my work and experience. Due to my expertise on grief, elder care, caregiving and chronic illness, I have been quoted in publications such as Healthline, Verywell Mind, Yahoo and Everyday Health. In addition to seeing client’s individually, I have also offered grief support groups and prepared mental health toolkits for various non profit organizations. Currently, I am also an adjunct professor at the Tulane University School of Social Work- hopefully training the next generation of social workers to be more grief aware.

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?

For me, the most important skills have been empathy, advocacy and noticing patterns. Empathy or the ability to put yourself in another shoes is what led me into the helping professions initially and has kept me motivated despite obstacles. From understanding, advocacy gave me the strength to stand up for others, who may not have felt ready or safe to advocate for themselves. Particularly working in the medical system, this was essential to advocate for patients and their families, who often don’t know their rights and options. Noticing patterns in behavior and thoughts has been a crucial skill as a therapist. Clients come to therapy with all sorts of unconscious patterns and one of the most important jobs of the therapist is to help bring these patterns to light. The combination of all three of these skills, empathy, advocacy and pattern recognition, have been some of the most helpful in my career as a therapist and grief counselor.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I am feeling overwhelmed or anxious, I follow the Theory of 3 Whys. For example, if I feel overwhelmed about a particular situation at work or home, I ask myself why that situation is particularly stressful or overwhelming. Then, using that answer I ask myself why again and finally a third time.

This technique helps me get at the root cause of my overwhelm and stress, which is usually a totally different cause than what I initially think I am stressed about. Often, I’m worried about what others will think, worried about failure or worried about the unknown. These are completely reasonable fears and concerns! Once I have noticed and identified them, it’s much easier to be kind to myself about the overwhelm and stress without getting caught in anxiety thought spirals.

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://roswellgriefcounseling.com
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/roswell-grief-counseling-roswell