I don’t always know when to ask for help and how to accept help. For a long time, I thought that being a quality clinician meant either knowing everything needed to support my clients, or knowing where to find that information in behavior analytic journal articles. I thought I had to do it on my own and I wasn’t a good clinician if I didn’t do that. I learned this lesson thanks to a few mentors who recognized things in myself that I didn’t see and generously shared their time with me to support my growth. They taught me that mentorship is invaluable – it’s not a shortcut and it’s what truly forms the best clinicians.
Why I Chose Centria: Our Organizational Commitment to Learning
When I came to Centria, one of the things that drew me here was that mentorship is embedded into our model at each level in the organization. Having learned the most valuable lessons in my career through mentorship, working somewhere that supports that learning for everyone is exactly the kind of organization I want to stand behind. If you’d like to learn more about our mentorship program, take a look at this blog post.
Beyond Clinical Skills: Diverse Perspectives and Values Alignment
I’ve had mentors that were as phenomenal as those I previously mentioned and I’ve had mentors who have supported me whether they realized it or not. My mentors haven’t had the same experiences, and sometimes they have had polar perspectives. Seeking out mentors for various parts of your role or aspirational role can be so useful. Beyond clinical quality, mentorship for leadership, public speaking, and research may fit well with ways that you wish to grow as a practitioner.
I learned to listen, reflect, and be curious. Not every mentor that I have had in my career has been a great example.I’ve had to ‘break up with mentors’. It’s uncomfortable to do, but is one of those actions that truly tests your commitment to your values. The more I grew from quality relationships with mentors, the easier it became for me to recognize when values weren’t aligned and seeking out a different mentor was necessary. In cases like these, I took away a clearer picture of the type of clinician I wanted to be and what I did not want to become.
My Advice: Seek a Mentor
I had to learn how to become a good mentee. As I mentioned, I didn’t initially see mentorship to be as valuable and important as it truly is. It took time – and reflection – to lean in and recognize how I needed to show up to get the most out of mentorship. I eventually learned that I needed to be prepared. I needed to bring questions and examples of situations I’d found myself in recently. I also needed to bring my humility, my willingness to be vulnerable, accept and recognize the mistakes that I’d made, too.
I think a lot about my history with mentors now, because my role at Centria is to be a mentor. I currently support directors and clinicians in improving their clinical skills with foundations of care and skill-based treatment.
I am so privileged and grateful to be able to synthesize what I’ve learned to support others in their career. Every day, I think about the experiences that shaped me the most, the ways my thinking had been challenged, the times someone supported me to find my voice and I do my best to create that experience for others. I still reflect. I still make changes. I still improve how I approach supporting people. And, most importantly, I still have mentors.
My advice: A mentor doesn’t need to be a formal role or set up. Seek people you want to emulate and learn from them, ask questions, be humble and open to learn, and seek out diverse perspectives.
About the Author:
This blog was written by Heather MacDhubhain BCBA, LBA. Heather is a director of functional assessment and treatment implementation at Centria. Her professional experience expands across a wide range of settings, including public school, residential, community, home, and center-based environments. She is an alumna of Grand Valley State University and Capella University.
