My name is Olivia but I go by whatever people want to call me. Most of my free time is spent drawing or sculpting, going to coffee shops, reading books (mainly psychology journals), and hanging out with my cat, Willow, who hates literally everyone that breathes.

I am a psych major at UGA, which has been my passion for the last 4 years or so. After the Covid-19 lockdown, my mental health began to decline rapidly as I felt so alone in the world. I would later be diagnosed with major depressive disorder as well as generalized anxiety and panic disorder. This diagnosis was devastating to me because I learned there is no real “cure” for depression, I would have to learn to cope and adapt to it myself.

Through my own journey in mental health I came to realize how poor the mental health care of adolescents and young adults really was. I saw my peers being sent to psychiatric facilities that would “help” them and see them come out worse than when they entered. I myself learned how hard it can be as a young person with a mental health disorder as there are still many stigmas and biases in society. Seeing this made me so angry as people with these issues shouldn't be looked down upon and only need a little more help than some others. This is what inspired me to go into the field of psychology so I could become a psychotherapist. I want to be able to help people who are at their breaking point in order to find ways of coping and living with their illness. My main goal is to help people like me who were scared to seek treatment and teach them that it is okay to not be ok, and that the hardest part of dealing with these issues is admitting and accepting that you have them.

I began therapy when I was 16 years old and it changed my life completely, I still struggle from time to time but being able to talk to someone who understands me always makes my issues feel much lighter. I want to be able to give that feeling to my future patients just as my therapist did for me. I began this journey by volunteering all throughout high school as a special needs camp counselor. I absolutely loved this job as I not only got to spend time with some of the most amazing kids I have ever met, but I also got to learn and experience how to take care of, and best treat people with mental health as well as psychological disorders. I cannot wait to start my career in the future.