Kristen Blake
Therapist, Adult Mental Health
How did you get started in the field?
I was a youth leader at a local church who wanted to become a therapist to help people on a bigger scale. I was at TCC for counseling when a licensed social worker came in to talk about micro, mezzo, and macro social work. I have never in my life connected with something more than the values of social work.
Why did you go into social work?
I became a social worker to simply help and work toward making changes that benefit populations that are constantly in need as well as overlooked. I wanted to empower people to advocate for themselves and to help them realize they do have a voice, they do matter in this world.
What do you love about your job?
The number one thing I love about my job is the clients! Seeing the progress clients make is inspiring because it’s not about me whatsoever, it’s about collaborating with the client to empower them to make the change for themselves. Some clients don’t realize they have a voice but then they do, it is incredible. The clients are putting in the work, engaging and working toward the goals themselves. They are the ones that are making the changes and progress. I am extremely grateful they trust me to be on the journey with them.