We are thrilled to welcome Scotlyn Manson to the Embrace Strength Counseling team as a Master’s-level counseling intern. Scotlyn earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, majoring in sociology and minoring in business. Following that, she worked at a non-profit for three years, providing trauma-informed yoga to veterans free of cost. In 2022, she began her Master’s counseling program at the University of Colorado Denver and is now completing the final stages of her program before graduating at the end of this year. Scotlyn currently offers individual counseling both in person and virtually. To learn more about Scotlyn, read our Q&A below.
What made you want to become a therapist?
I’ve been in therapy since I was 15, and I feel a pull to be supportive of other people and care for other people in the same way. I’ve always taken on that therapist role in friendships and I didn’t even realize it until I started my graduate program. I realized, “Oh, this is what I’ve been doing for people all along, and joked that I might as well get paid for it.”
I’ve always wanted to help. That’s why I went into the nonprofit sector. I realized that being a therapist allows you to be even more hands-on with helping people than being in a nonprofit. I just have a lot of passion and care for those struggling with their mental health.
How would you describe your approach to therapy?
My approach is mostly based around what the client needs. There are things I gravitate towards, like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I did a lot of research on DBT throughout my education and I love that it’s so client-based. I would describe my approach as very integrative, because I also like to bring in experiential pieces and utilize some Gestalt.
I find it important to incorporate a lot of different approaches because no client is the same, no approach is the same, and no session is the same. Having the flexibility to meet the client where they are at is so important.
What kinds of clients and presenting problems are you most interested in working with?
My biggest passion is trauma work and it’s something I’ve studied closely in my graduate program. I am currently in the process of getting my Field Traumatology Certification and I just gravitate towards that work. I know it can be really intense and impactful but it provides space for big change and improvement in a person’s mental health.
I also really enjoy working with eating disorders. I struggled with my own eating disorder so this issue hits very close to home. I feel confident in my ability to support other people through eating disorders, especially with the support of [my supervisor] Catherine.
What strengths do you have as a therapist?
I am always willing to listen and hear more. I’d rather hear your full story, even if it takes more time. Another strength is that I love doing research and learning more. So when a client brings a certain issue to the table, I will always dive into the research and figure out how I can support them best. One thing I am most excited about in this career is that there are constant opportunities to learn and understand new things.
If your clients could leave working with you knowing one thing, what would it be?
I want my clients to leave our work together knowing who they are and who they want to be. I know that’s a big ask to come out of counseling with that knowledge, but even just knowing which actions they want to take or which things they want to change in order to live a better life is a huge accomplishment. It goes back to that idea of increasing your awareness so that you can act in alignment with your values.
What drew you to Embrace Strength?
Catherine was my professor for one of my classes in graduate school. We pretty much immediately clicked, and then I learned what her practice was and knew right away I wanted to be a part of it. Working at Embrace Strength combines my passion for working with trauma and my passion for working with eating disorders.
Catherine is just so willing to have the conversations I wanted to have about eating disorders and trauma. I was really craving that, and then I met [Eada] in the interview and it felt like such an open and welcoming space. I was just really excited to start.
What do you do outside of work and school that helps you to live a healthy, balanced life?
My cat requires me to take space away from work, so it’s really helpful to spend time with her. Other than that, I really like to read. I tend to read in the morning and at night to round out my day. I also love to work out- it provides me with a release and it’s super helpful with my mood. I like to hike and garden as well. I just bought a house so I am planning to start a garden and get my house together in the next couple months.
If you were not training to be a therapist, what do you think you would be doing?
That’s a really good question because I thought I knew. I thought I was going to start a non-profit and do all of these things, but then I did that and I hated it. So I’m not really sure that there is necessarily anything else for me. I already tried the other thing. If I weren’t pursuing counseling, I would still be doing something to help others.
If you are interested in scheduling a free consultation with Scotlyn, please reach out to us at info@embracestrengthcounseling.com.