WHY EUSTRESSIN'?: CHRISTOPHER MINER
Chris and I connected via social media and really started to learn more about one another on Locker Room Talk. He diligently serves the community and enjoys working with young black boys. I had the honor to chop it up with him to discuss how he adds Eustress to his life. Check it out!
HEY CHRISTOPHER, WHY EUSTRESSIN’?
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING/ HOW LONG?
Licensed therapist (LPC)
6 years.
DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUR PROFESSION?
Absolutely! I believe that every therapist should have their own therapist. You need a space to replenish in order to present your best self as a mental health practitioner .
WHAT UNIQUE CHALLENGES DO YOU ENCOUNTER SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR JOB THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH THAT OTHERS MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT?
Unrecognized traumas within the black community that have been passed on as “normal” within a family unit. .
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WHEN TAKING ON DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES?
When I began displacing my frustrations with my job on people close to me. When I began dreaming of my clients and their challenges and when I would almost dose off driving from one school site to another. .
HOW DO YOU MANAGE THOSE STRESSORS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS?
Being vegan, drinking a lot of water, boxing several times a week, photography, and spending time mentoring my little guy.
HOW DOES BEING MENTALLY HEALTHY HELP IN YOUR FIELD OF WORK OR ON THE JOB?
It changes the game for me because for years I wouldn’t go on vacation because I felt too guilty that crisis would occur in my absence. Last year I made a vow to leave town at least once a month and it’s helped me thrive in my personal life and in other professional industries that I am engaged in.
WHAT DOES EUSTRESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU AT WORK? AT HOME/AWAY FROM WORK?
Good stress would be worrying about not evolving and pushing myself to be a better and more innovative therapist in terms cultural competency .
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD TELL SOMEONE JUST STARTING IN YOUR PROFESSION OR A YOUNG PERSON WHO ASPIRES TO BE THE PROFESSIONAL THAT YOU ARE?
1. Never work harder than your clients.
2. Understand that you can only work with the information you’ve been given so if your client still has challenges understand that their transparency is the key to unlocking their challenges.
3. Your job is to heal, not to fix so don’t pressure yourself when treatment goals haven’t been achieved in a short time.
ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND WHAT YOU’RE UP TO?
Someone said, if you’re a successful black man and you don’t have a young black boy under your wing, you’re not successful.
I realized that in working with kids especially, it’s easy to get attached. As a black male therapist working with black boys without fathers, its easy to blur the lines. Mentoring a young black preteen boy who I love like my own has helped me become more impactful beyond the limitations that therapy has in a client-therapist relationship dynamic.
HOW CAN PEOPLE CONTACT YOU FOR MORE INFORMATION?
Instagram:
chriskminer
Email:
