Tracy's Bio
I'm intentionally disclosing parts of my journey because you never know what will resonate with others who are searching for the best healing approach for them.
I was born sensitive; I could walk into a room and immediately feel others' joy or tension. When I was told my perceptions were wrong time and again, I lost trust in my senses and intuition. Most of the grown-ups around me had a tough time handling emotions (theirs and mine) so they guided me to tamp down big emotions unless they were of paramount importance. Kids don't have to look far to find shame and reinforcement that will guide them toward being labeled as a "good girl" or "good boy" and I wasn't much different.
My home life had a lot of tension and my dad was diagnosed with a fatal form of dementia that I was likely to inherit. My Irish Catholic heritage made it important to keep this as a family secret and keep up appearances that everything was fine. This was a heavy load to carry, so I developed tools to distract or diffuse– a sharp tongue, sense of humor, and sometimes a smile.
Without knowing what to do with my emotions, my body reacted. When viruses came my way, they escalated in my body and hung around. As a student-athlete, I was trained to ignore physical signs and override my own limits to achieve a goal, whether perfecting a term paper or returning to play too soon after an injury. I was prescribed yoga at age seventeen for ailments common to mid-life; my symptoms were exacerbated by binge drinking that numbed strong emotions, then gave me an excuse to release them.
I struggled for years with big decisions and regulating my emotions. The skills I had did not leave me ready to learn my genetic results. So I started a journey of de-programming, authentic emotional expression, and physical/ spiritual health that led me to many practitioners and modalities. Transpersonal body-centered therapy was a cornerstone that helped me back to who I am at my core. It helped me trust my own signals and move past choosing between verbal aggression or putting my own needs aside to be a people-pleaser. I built myself up until I could confidently handle my genetic results.
I was so grateful to be clear of the disease. I found myself bewildered that my life didn't feel perfect, but after decades of hypervigilance while I looked out for symptoms of dementia, I had trained myself in general to search for signs that something bad was coming my way. To further control things and try to quell my anxiety, I made my demeanor and reactions fit in a very small box of what others deemed acceptable. It turned out I was ready for another level of healing. I've done a lot of work to find paths to mend the body and mind break that many of us have, and I'm still learning every day.
I've worked in mental health since 2005 and believe it's my calling. Deep and authentic work with clients is my calling card. My style is warm and supportive, with humor and nudges when you're ready.
A quick professional history: I was licensed as a social worker in 2007, first working in special education in Baltimore schools (High Road Dundalk and New Hope Academy, both under the SESI company). I completed an internship at University of Maryland Hospital, gaining experience in end-of-life issues. I spent time working with clients in the community from 2012-2015 at Key Point Health's in-home program, then transitioned to a community clinic with Villa Maria. I've been facilitating supervision toward advanced licensure since 2012.
I'm intentionally disclosing parts of my journey because you never know what will resonate with others who are searching for the best healing approach for them.
I was born sensitive; I could walk into a room and immediately feel others' joy or tension. When I was told my perceptions were wrong time and again, I lost trust in my senses and intuition. Most of the grown-ups around me had a tough time handling emotions (theirs and mine) so they guided me to tamp down big emotions unless they were of paramount importance. Kids don't have to look far to find shame and reinforcement that will guide them toward being labeled as a "good girl" or "good boy" and I wasn't much different.
My home life had a lot of tension and my dad was diagnosed with a fatal form of dementia that I was likely to inherit. My Irish Catholic heritage made it important to keep this as a family secret and keep up appearances that everything was fine. This was a heavy load to carry, so I developed tools to distract or diffuse– a sharp tongue, sense of humor, and sometimes a smile.
Without knowing what to do with my emotions, my body reacted. When viruses came my way, they escalated in my body and hung around. As a student-athlete, I was trained to ignore physical signs and override my own limits to achieve a goal, whether perfecting a term paper or returning to play too soon after an injury. I was prescribed yoga at age seventeen for ailments common to mid-life; my symptoms were exacerbated by binge drinking that numbed strong emotions, then gave me an excuse to release them.
I struggled for years with big decisions and regulating my emotions. The skills I had did not leave me ready to learn my genetic results. So I started a journey of de-programming, authentic emotional expression, and physical/ spiritual health that led me to many practitioners and modalities. Transpersonal body-centered therapy was a cornerstone that helped me back to who I am at my core. It helped me trust my own signals and move past choosing between verbal aggression or putting my own needs aside to be a people-pleaser. I built myself up until I could confidently handle my genetic results.
I was so grateful to be clear of the disease. I found myself bewildered that my life didn't feel perfect, but after decades of hypervigilance while I looked out for symptoms of dementia, I had trained myself in general to search for signs that something bad was coming my way. To further control things and try to quell my anxiety, I made my demeanor and reactions fit in a very small box of what others deemed acceptable. It turned out I was ready for another level of healing. I've done a lot of work to find paths to mend the body and mind break that many of us have, and I'm still learning every day.
I've worked in mental health since 2005 and believe it's my calling. Deep and authentic work with clients is my calling card. My style is warm and supportive, with humor and nudges when you're ready.
A quick professional history: I was licensed as a social worker in 2007, first working in special education in Baltimore schools (High Road Dundalk and New Hope Academy, both under the SESI company). I completed an internship at University of Maryland Hospital, gaining experience in end-of-life issues. I spent time working with clients in the community from 2012-2015 at Key Point Health's in-home program, then transitioned to a community clinic with Villa Maria. I've been facilitating supervision toward advanced licensure since 2012.