EP# 60: Navigating Mental Wellness Together: Susan Gagnon's Compassionate Guide Through the World of Psychotherapy

What makes Susan Gagnon with Adolescent, Adult & Family Behavioral Health a good neighbor?

Struggling with mental health can often feel like a lonely journey, but Susan Gagnon of Adolescent, Adult, and Family Behavioral Health reminds us that it's a path we don't have to walk alone. With the warmth and expertise of a seasoned social worker who has been in the trenches since 1991, Susan joins me to unravel the often misunderstood messages behind psychiatric symptoms. Her career, rich with experience from the early days of working with teens in psychiatric hospitals to the innovative strides in trauma therapy, brings a comforting perspective to those who may be hesitant about seeking help.

Throughout our conversation, Susan shares not only professional insights but also the personal passions that fuel her dedication – from her writing to her spirited home life with four children and two German shepherds. Perhaps most inspiring is her adaptability during the pandemic, a time when many faced uncertainty, yet she swiftly transitioned to telehealth, ensuring no client was left unsupported. She champions the effectiveness of therapy and encourages a courageous step towards healing, offering a beacon of hope for anyone contemplating the journey. To connect with Susan and learn more about her approach to mental health care, a visit to her profile on PsychologyToday.com is just a click away.

To learn more about Adolescent, Adult & Family Behavioral Health go to:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

Adolescent, Adult & Family Behavioral Health
(860) 384-9104

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Liz Lemon.

Speaker 2: 0:11

Welcome to Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of family behavioral health? Surprisingly, it might be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your neighbor, Susan Gagnon, with Adolescent, Adult and Family Behavioral Health. How are you today, Susan?

Speaker 3: 0:26

I am great, liz, thank you.

Speaker 2: 0:28

We're excited to learn all about you and your business, so please tell us about Adolescent, adult and Family Behavioral Health.

Speaker 3: 0:34

Sure, sure. Well, I was licensed as a social worker in 1991 and worked in a lot of places and then for the past 30 years have been in private practice with adolescent, adult and family behavioral health.

Speaker 2: 0:50

How did you get into the business?

Speaker 3: 0:52

Well, I originally started out when I got licensed, working with teenagers in residentials psychiatric hospitals. Outpatient went on to develop programming for teenagers in places that didn't treat them, and so I created the programming and the policies and that kind of thing. I was involved with the juvenile review board, helping to funnel kids into therapy and services as opposed to the legal system, and then then at one point decided to expand my trauma therapy expertise and jumped into opening my own business, and that was, I'm thinking it was like 1997 that I went full time.

Speaker 2: 1:36

Wow, that's amazing. What are the myths and misconceptions within the industry as well.

Speaker 3: 1:42

Misconceptions in the industry are that you know why people have psychiatric symptoms. It's not a weakness, it's the energies we grow up with, what we attach to, the way we perceive our power in the world, our coping skills, the resources that we have and that, if you can bring yourself to therapy, you can figure out what's creating the symptoms, which creates the cure.

Speaker 2: 2:10

Absolutely. Deal with it and, you know, move forward for sure. Outside of work, what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3: 2:19

Well, I'm also. I'm also an author, so I spend a lot of time on my book, which is called If Trauma Spoke, but for pure fun. I have four children on their 20s. I have two German shepherds One is nine and one is 10 weeks old now, so we are very, very, very busy family Sounds like at a house full.

Speaker 2: 2:43

Let's change gears just for a moment. Can you describe one hardship or life challenges that you rose above and can now say because of it you're better and stronger? What comes to mind?

Speaker 3: 2:52

Absolutely, I would say the pandemic. When that hit, I had to figure out how to care for my caseload of clients within one day, to do it through telehealth and to do it over the phone. I had to learn laws, ethics, get consent signed through email and learn technology. I am so grateful to my four 20 something year old kids because they are experts in technology and I feel like I got a graduate degree in learning how to navigate technology. What needed to happen at that time? But now I feel like it's a source of strength because I'm myself and other therapists are reaching so many more clients because it takes less time to do therapy. It takes an hour of your day instead of the extra hour driving. More people are taking advantage of the telehealth system and loving it.

Speaker 2: 3:47

Right, the evolution has been amazing and navigating, like you said, through all of those different avenues and channels to get to where you need to be. That's important. What is the one thing that you wish our listeners knew about? The adolescent, adult and family behavioral health?

Speaker 3: 4:04

Well about therapy in general, that your symptoms are not a problem, that they're messages and no one needs to suffer, and there is there's really good treatment for any of the issues that could bring you in right now, and I would just encourage anyone to ask questions of the therapist that they call, to research what their expertise are, to find a good match, to trust yourself and to be brave. It takes a lot of bravery to be vulnerable enough to go into therapy, but it works. I want them to know that it really does work.

Speaker 2: 4:41

Absolutely Be brave. Be brave. How can our listeners learn more about the adolescent, adult and family behavioral health and more about the adolescent, adult and family behavioral health.

Speaker 3: 4:50

Well, I am on psychologytodaycom. If they want to look at my profile, look at my business, you would go to psychologytodaycom. I'm in Southington, connecticut. My zip code is 06489. So you just type in my zip code, type in my name, susan Gagnon, and my whole profile will come up and there's a button to call me, there's a button to email me and pretty soon my website will be out, which is going to be if traumaspokecom.

Speaker 2: 5:20

Wow, that's fantastic, susan. I really appreciate you being on the show today and we wish you and your business the best moving forward and thank you for all of the tips. Thank you.

Speaker 3: 5:28

Liz for the time.

Speaker 1: 5:36

I appreciate it. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnppalmercom. That's gnppalmercom, or call 413-414-5940. Music.