Masters Degree in Marriage & Family Therapy
Donation protected
I am a 32 year old female entrepreneur who never thought I would be going back to school.
From the ages of 13-19, I struggled with suicidal thoughts and self-mutilation. In addition to receiving therapy, I began to read books and educate myself. One of the most pivotal books I read, at age 19, was "Positivity" by Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D. (HIGHLY recommend you check it out!) The focus of the book is positive psychology, whose basic premise is that it takes 3 positive experiences to outweigh 1 negative experience. It explores 10 different forms of positivity in-depth, and this has formed the basis for what I believe to be the most helpful counter-agent to depression and suicide. I believe negativity causes a significant amount of the mental illness we see today. The second ingredient is human connection, which I've been fostering internationally with 4 years straight of daily live-streaming. I have live-streamed positive content since January 5, 2017.
As our community has grown, many have come to me with a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder and substance abuse. I am not currently equipped to help these people to the level I would like to. In Florida, to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), you have to have a Master's Degree. So, that's why we're here!
I can’t thank you enough for taking your precious time to read my statement and consider helping out. It means everything to me - and to my community.
As a 32 year old, I'm over the maximum age to receive certain scholarships, and I'm trying to prevent going into massive debt just to pursue my education. I am applying for (and receiving) grants and aid as much as possible, but this is the amount I've paid out of pocket so far.
Organizer
Taylor Nexjuice
Organizer
Palm Harbor, FL