Conversations with Erika Garibay Malanowski

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Garibay Malanowski.

Hi Erika, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a licensed clinical social worker. I am a first-generation Mexican American. As the oldest child in a household with Spanish-speaking parents, I was often tasked with helping Mom and Dad figure out life in an English-dominated country. I learned to be resourceful from a very young age– if I didn’t know the answer, I’d research and make calls to find out! “Figure it out” was the theme of my life; especially as the first US-born child, the first to attend college, and the first to attend graduate school. As I got older, the circle of people I helped grew to include my extended family, friends, and mentees. I really liked helping people and I was good at it. It led me to become highly organized, structured, timely, curious, and assertive. I grew more and more passionate about this type of work and it ultimately led me to the social work field.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Exploring the social work field is an adventure! There are so many areas of specialization, so the biggest struggle for me was figuring out what path to take. After deciding on becoming a mental health therapist I had to take the state law and ethics exam, complete 3,000 hours of supervised psychotherapy, take board-required courses, and pass the clinical licensing exam. Then, I took more continuing education courses in order to be trained and/ or certified in evidence-based practices. Some of the things that I had to do to master therapy techniques included submitting session transcripts, audio recordings and sometimes video recordings to clinical supervisors (with client consent of course).

As I became more comfortable providing therapy, the next hurdle was figuring out my niche. This consisted of identifying the therapy modalities that best align with me, the population I enjoy working with the most, and the symptoms and conditions I prefer treating.

It’s been a process!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been in private practice for a little over a year and I specialize in working with people who identify as rigid, rule-governed, high achieving and/ or workaholics. I gained interest in this population after experiencing a mini-crisis that led to the realization that I was living my life solely conforming to societal expectations; I did not really have a sense of identity outside of my role as a helper. As I worked to build my social support, I realized that I was not alone. Many of us overidentify with our work-related identities.

Work takes up a lot of our waking day. By the time we are off the clock, our energy is depleted and all we want to do is rest. But, doing nothing more than working puts us at risk for burnout. I think it is important to note that when I refer to work, I am not only referring to paid employment. Other examples of work can include family engagements, household obligations, educational commitments, and social responsibilities.

I believe that the antidote to burnout includes a sustainable self-care practice and a robust sense of identity. It seems that the more you know about yourself, the better the work-life balance becomes.

My therapy process includes curious investigation to build introspection and self-awareness. I explore motivations, values, attitudes, and the root of all of these. It is very common to see that people take on the motivations, values and attitudes that are modeled in their environment. We identify whether or not these need adjustment in order to help clients live a life that is more aligned with their long-term goals.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Be curious! If there is something that interests you reach out to people that know more about that topic. Learn as much as you can and ask questions. You never know who will take you under their wing. There is a chance they may say no, but there is an equal chance they may say yes!

Pricing:

• $145/ session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.egmpsychotherapy.com/
• Instagram: livingradicallyopen