Local Living
Diana Rice: Navigating Mental Health with Faith and Therapy at Through the Valley
Embark on a heartfelt exploration with Diana Rice, who navigates the intricate dance of mental health counseling. As the founder of Through the Valley Therapy, she shares her own transformative journey to licensed mental health counselor. We traverse the landscape of self-care, resilience, and tapping into the divine, discovering how faith and therapy intertwine to offer solace and strength for the soul. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and unwavering dedication to one's calling, no matter where you are in life's journey.
https://www.throughthevalleytherapy.com
Local Living is a community podcast for Palm Beach to Parkland. Are You A Local Business, Resident, Leader or Non-Profit? If so, we would love to have you on the podcast!
Go to www.locallivingpodcast.com for all of the info.
Embark on a heartfelt exploration with Diana Rice, who navigates the intricate dance of mental health counseling. As the founder of Through the Valley Therapy, she shares her own transformative journey to licensed mental health counselor. We traverse the landscape of self-care, resilience, and tapping into the divine, discovering how faith and therapy intertwine to offer solace and strength for the soul. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and unwavering dedication to one's calling, no matter where you are in life's journey.
https://www.throughthevalleytherapy.com
Local Living is a community podcast for Palm Beach to Parkland. Are You A Local Business, Resident, Leader or Non-Profit? If so, we would love to have you on the podcast!
Go to www.locallivingpodcast.com for all of the info.
Welcome, welcome everyone, to Local Living, a community podcast for Palm Beach to Parkland. I'm David Conway. I am your host for today's episode. We have a special guest, local resident and founder of Through the Valley Therapy. It's Diana Rice. Diana, Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2:Hi. Thank you for having me, david.
Speaker 1:My pleasure. I was excited about this one. I know you have a lot of insight to share with our listeners and I could probably learn a thing or two. Also, why don't you start out by telling us about your business? Tell us a little bit more about Through the Valley Therapy.
Speaker 2:Sure, I'm going to tell you about myself a little bit, that I'm a licensed mental health counselor and a certified integrative mental health professional. I work throughout the state of Florida. I'm the founder, of course, of Through the Valley Therapy, which is a faith-based mental health and wellness practice dedicated to providing compassionate care and innovative solutions to individuals.
Speaker 1:When you say faith-based, do you need to be a particular faith to benefit from what you're offering and your service?
Speaker 2:No, I do have clients that come to me and they just want the science and the modalities. I just do the CBT, the cognitive behavioral therapy. I'm like, yeah, sure it's not. But most people will come to me knowing that I'm a counselor who happens to be a Christian. But I will never push that on anybody because I've worked in the school system of Broward County for a couple of decades now and I know that that's a big no. I've learned how to just it's my faith on how I stay sane doing this kind of work.
Speaker 1:I'm guessing, no matter what your faith, a lot of the principals are the same, aren't?
Speaker 2:they they are. We have people that come in with different backgrounds and some of them have had hurt from their faith community and I try to work that out and disentangle those things, for them to understand where they stand in their belief system and that's something that I've worked through with many different clients from different backgrounds and then also to encourage them in their faith because I want them to understand how important it is to have that because we're mind, body and a spirit together.
Speaker 1:That's how I see the human and Diana, tell us a little bit more about your journey, if you will. How did you get into this? How did you get into the industry? Was there a epiphany? What happened?
Speaker 2:So I moved down here from New York in 1982 and I went to Crystal Lake Middle School in Broward County and in seventh grade we had a tragedy of a student who swam across Crystal Lake and drowned. And at that time I was taking a class called pure counseling and I always took things seriously. My brain never worked I hate to say normal, but because that's a myth normals a myth anyway, but it never worked. I was always serious about things, even though I was really goofy anyway. So that happened and my Teacher at the time, mr Tillman, said hey, everything We've taught you in pure counseling you're now going to have to take it seriously. And I did and I became a council I mean, I was a peer counselor in that class and I really took it seriously.
Speaker 2:And in high school we had another and I went to Deerfield high school and so we had another tragedy. That happened during the years I was there and I was a peer counseling then too. And then you know my senior year. I was like I'm gonna be a psychologist when I grow up and Did you say it in that voice or how did that work?
Speaker 1:Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
Speaker 2:Love it, I love it. I might have said it in that voice, I'm not sure. I Was a tiny little thing at that time, um, and that was so long ago, yeah. And then life happens, I went off and did other things and then finally I went back to college and here I am now. I'm a mental health counselor and so, honestly, it was 2001 I went into to receive my masters, and by 2000, I would say four, because it took took me a long time, because I was trying to pay one class at a time. I didn't have the, the means you know, or A scholarship or anything like that, and I didn't want to get into hardcore debt and you were working at the time.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was a preschool teacher at the time during the day, and then in the evenings I would take my classes.
Speaker 2:Okay so I just this is why, you know, when I tell my story, I want to encourage people, no matter where you're from and no matter what you're thinking like you didn't do it this way, like Right out of high school. You had to go do this, you had to do that. It's like no, like if there's a passion inside your heart, then go for it. And you know, I was in my 30s when I ended up getting my, you know, full-on masters and everything like that.
Speaker 1:And how long was your educational journey? So, doing it one class at a time, it takes a while and it takes a lot of commitment and grit to stick with it. How long was that process from start to finish?
Speaker 2:For my master's degree. It took five years. Five years Instead of the.
Speaker 1:It took five and your master's was in clinical therapy right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mental health counseling, and I graduated from Nova Southeastern University.
Speaker 1:And did you start working for yourself right out of college or what happened?
Speaker 2:No, usually those that come out of you know we have to do our time, you have to do your internship. So I, because I did my internship while I was in college at Cross Creek School, so I worked there for a year and so I was able to kind of be like a guidance counselor and a Therapist because of that background, so I ended up working to a nonprofit after when I graduated. I worked at a nonprofit for a couple of years.
Speaker 1:In Cross Creek School. I've never heard of that. What's Cross Creek School?
Speaker 2:It is. I don't know if it's still doing what it did back then, because that's almost what 10 years ago, but it was, oh no, actually 20 years ago. Oh my gosh, sorry, Wow.
Speaker 1:It's only missed by 10, Diana.
Speaker 2:That's crazy. A whole decade where'd that go? Anyway, it was back then. It was a cognitive behavioral therapy school and any student that went to that school had to be seen by a psychiatrist and you would go there and then by the time you would have to work your way out of there to get back into a regular public school.
Speaker 1:Well, but for your industry, what I mean? Talk about working on your chops, I mean, I would imagine, daily, right, Every day.
Speaker 2:I was there for a whole entire year. I was the only intern at that time. My supervisor was amazing. I think I drove him crazy because I'm that person, that curious observer, who is always asking the question why? Even my professors back in the day were just like because they got you know, and that's how I was kind of raised too, like I would be like why and it's like because I said so. But I wanna know and I think that's what helps me be a really great therapist, because I know how to sit back and ask the question and really learn from my client, because my clients are teaching me constantly.
Speaker 1:And what made you decide, or when did you decide to start through the Valley Therapy?
Speaker 2:Okay, so in 2012, my son had a traumatic brain injury and that's when I started learning about neuroscience and behavior and neuroplasticity and just about the brain more because of his accident. But I ended up having to home school him and that was my youngest son and then, at the same time, I changed careers. After he got better he's better now, guys I changed careers and I was in the South Florida film industry for a little bit doing, you know, like local work and stuff like that, but I never let go of my license and I kept it up and I was also subbing at high schools at the time because in that industry you're not getting gigs every day. You know you're working hard to try to find your next gig to pay the bills, and so and I was just starting, so it's not like I was, you know, and it's not glamorous like many people think so.
Speaker 2:Anyway, and then in 2018, after the Parkland shooting, I had two families from Parkland who remembered that I was a therapist asked me and I was a therapist with teenagers and I worked in the school system and they asked me can I help their kid? And I was like I'm not in that industry anymore and little by little. That was February of 2018, and I stopped getting gigs altogether and I'm a woman of faith, so I'm going all right. God, what are you trying to tell me? And by September of 2018, I landed a job as a therapist at an alternative school in Broward.
Speaker 1:But you didn't work with those kids after the shooting. You didn't work with them personally.
Speaker 2:Not Parkland, but because of that tragedy I would say, well, the whole country was shugging up. But because we're in Broward County and social media, a lot of kids knew each other from you know, being involved in different communities and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:And I did have a few students from Parkland that left, you know, stoneman Douglas and came over to the school I was at and I was their therapist. So and then in 2020, that's when I opened up through the Valley Therapy in, I would say, july of 2020. You know, not only did that tragedy happen, and then in the community I live in in Deerfield, we had quite a few suicides and shoot, you know people.
Speaker 1:I think I know one of the main ones you're referring to.
Speaker 2:Yeah and so a lot of stuff was happening with the teenagers again, and then, of course, the pandemic that was, you know, gave us all.
Speaker 1:PTSD happened and here, we are Still recovering.
Speaker 2:Yes, we are all still recovering. And then, in July of 2020, I opened up through the Valley Therapy in the evenings just to help other clients. And here I am today, like in 2021, of September of 2021, I left the high school I was working at and went into full time for myself.
Speaker 1:And so now you're doing online therapy. Is that correct? It's all online.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was. I had an open office, but, yeah, online. Because I'm trying to become like a known therapist for my niche throughout the state of Florida because I do. I have clients in Tampa and Jacksonville and Other places, like you know to. For them to come to my office is like what.
Speaker 1:So I'm thinking about advantages to Online therapy. I know it's, it's it's becoming more and more normalized. Obviously, access right people that might not have a therapist down the street it they now have access. Are there any other advantages you think to to Conducting the therapy sessions online? Advantages to the patient.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, definitely. For example, yesterday I had a client who's like, oh my gosh, I'm not gonna make it home and I'm like you can, actually we could do it online and and they forgot. They're like, oh yeah, you're right, and the whole drive home it was, it was the therapy session because it was an hour set. He was in an hour drive and so we did it and he's like, oh my gosh, this is wonderful. I have quite a few clients that are in, you know, high-powered, like Companies and stuff like that, so during their lunchtime they take that lunch and they're with me during lunch at 12 o'clock you know they're 12 o'clock, one slot or the one or two slot, or I have others that work for you know just different things that they're going through the state of Florida, for example, if they're traveling, so actually, and you save on gas, you don't have to go into this crazy South Florida traffic, I mean now being a therapist and taking on other people's challenges.
Speaker 1:It's, it's, it's gotta be a lot. What do you do for fun? Is there something that you do to center or to do the opposite of center, to expand? What do you do for fun?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I have to have a morning ritual rhythm and in evening, Okay so I well, I wake up and I go straight and get my big glass of 32 ounces of lemon water and my Probiotic, and then I go straight into my Bible and read and pray for my clients of that day.
Speaker 2:Everyday every day, every day, and that's a training that I had to do. It wasn't automatic and that's that's what I love about neuroplasticity and understanding the brain, because so many of us have a fixed mindset and, honestly, you can train your brain to have a growth mindset and understand things so much better, and that's what happens. A lot of people come to me. First of all, everyone needs a good listening to mm-hmm everybody in a non-judgmental Place where they feel safe.
Speaker 2:And and I'm not everybody's cup of tea, you know, and that's okay. But at the same time it's us Connecting and building that rapport and I give unconditional positive regard and we just work it out and I ask questions because that's the thing I know how to ask questions, to draw the answers that are already how I see the human has it inside. I mean, if we're all made in God's image and not saying that you're anybody's God because the second you think you're God, then you're a narcissist. But it is understanding that you know we have this connection and and the ability to get you settled in a place with with me or a therapist that you build rapport with, to be able to really dig deep, because Anxiety and depression in my book are symptoms. So many people are managing symptoms and not getting to the root cause.
Speaker 1:And do you find yourself? We've all had challenges. You find yourself drawing upon maybe your own challenges and things that you've worked through, and then supplying your patients with the tools maybe that you've gained personally.
Speaker 2:Yes, I would say yes because I'm not a robot. I know that in this industry, where we, a lot of us were trained, especially back in the day, you need to be this blank slate Don't ever share anything about yourself, and I'm not. I'm providing a service, so I'm not gonna sit there and take up any time about me, but I do know that's the intuition and the experience I'm a seasoned professional Of when to say, oh okay, here, he has a little bit of what I've gone through and I'm. I'm in therapy Myself, I have complex PTSD from just having a high ACE score, adverse childhood experience score, and I've worked through it and I that's the thing it's like now. I'm trying to help others understand that they're not stuck.
Speaker 1:So a high a score means you went through a whole bunch as a kid, right Am I?
Speaker 2:Is that the yeah, adverse childhood experience is. It's a ten question test that I think all health professionals I don't care if you're a doctor, a chiropractor, anybody in with a license to help others, especially in the medical field should Give their patient or client that test, just to see where they are and be familiar with that, because someone with a score of eight is going to behave in a certain way. And then they get labeled and disabled Right and the no, no, the nose, what is it called the nocebo effect? And then you're given this and then now here you are, stuck with this kind of label, thinking there's no hope, and now here you are, managing symptoms and I'm not saying like the traditional hat to throw that out. That's why I'm integrative, like I want to understand the whole person. That's is another reason I don't take insurance. I'm self-pay only.
Speaker 1:So any myths I mean that sounds like one what you just shared but any myths regarding your industry you find that people may have about therapy in general or maybe even more specifically, what you do yes, um, the the most common misconception that I Hear a lot is that it's only for people with severe mental health issues.
Speaker 2:Honestly, or the second, you know the stigma. That's the something I'm trying to, not only isn't that going away, though, aren't?
Speaker 1:Isn't therapy becoming more normalized, or are we still lagging?
Speaker 2:I think, or it depends which generation you're talking to.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:You see what I'm saying. So to me I noticed, like the older generation and that's including in mine is is that the second you say you're a therapist All of a sudden? Or you invite them to some kid, like this Saturday there's an event at the church with the mental wellness ministry for relationships. I've asked quite a few people over the age of 50, you know, are you coming? And they're like well, I'm not crazy, I have no problems.
Speaker 1:Well, the suit don't need to be mutually exclusive. I mean, you could not be crazy, but we all have problems, don't we?
Speaker 2:Well, and many people don't wanna face it. So that's the thing, understanding that therapy. If you get the right therapist because it's like finding a doctor right, you're not gonna go to here's your first doctor and then you're not, you don't feel. Think about us females if we go to a gynecologist right, you need to feel comfortable, right. Or the man going to a proctologist, you have to feel comfortable to get into those places with the human that you're trusting. And so it's the same for us therapists. And there are really really good therapists out there and there are really really horrible ones, just like every business.
Speaker 1:But I think you really put it best when you said we all need a good listening to, don't we?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, I mean. Listen, I have clients that come in and there's nothing. There's no mental illness whatsoever. What they need is just a safe place to seek personal growth, have learned new coping strategies and help support during life transitions. That's another thing. I have a lot of. I have a lot of young women who just got married and they feel like they're so, like they're not. You know imposter syndrome and I'm going that. You know, especially when you understand your background and the narratives that were put into your brain from the village that raised you. You know it's like understanding, like let's work that out if you want to, and most I would say I haven't had a complaint yet. There's some clients that you get to a place and if you challenge them too much, they shut down. But I know when and when not to, just because I've had a lot of experience doing this.
Speaker 1:So for our listeners, if someone wants to reach out to you and start a dialogue and learn more, what's the best way to do that?
Speaker 2:Oh, just please come visit my website through the valleytherapycom. I also have a blog. They can learn. I try to put some tools there because I really just want to help the masses as much as I can. Like the community, especially the community I came from, you know, because the more you understand yourself and become that curious observer, the more healing that will happen, and the more healing that will happen, the less intergenerational trauma will be passing along.
Speaker 1:Well, Diana, I think I'll be typing in through the valleytherapycom after this podcast. This has been great. It's been very interesting. You've been a great guest. Thanks for joining us on the podcast today.
Speaker 2:Sure thank you. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:And once again, folks, this was Diana Rice. She is the founder of Through the Valley Therapy. You can reach her through the valleytherapycom. I'm David Conway, your host for Local Living, and I look forward to having you back. Have a great day.