Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Raymond, Lmft, Ceds-c
Hi Mia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I walked into a psychoanalytic institute open house last year and was asked this question. I jokingly said, “Oh you know, I’ve been a therapist since I could talk.” The reality is, there’s very little funny about that and the depths of that statement definitely don’t fit on an instagram reel. My life and career have been deeply informed by my story, and I stay open to all the possibilities in and for this.
I have been very blessed in my life to have been gifted with a combination of courage, tenacity and buoyant optimism. I have too met some incredible mentors along the way, who continue to inspire, challenge and encourage me.
I can’t separate myself from my work in an authentic way. It lives inside of me, and informs every interaction I have. Our work together, and my “brand,” is a feeling. I always say, you can’t actually brand authenticity; you experience it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I believe the process is endless and in order to provide the most excellent clinical care, it requires ongoing self-discovery. I strive to learn from the potholes. Stay close to people that set your heart on fire, and challenge you to dig more deeply. When we stop growing, we stop fully living. I’m grateful I learned how to swim before I could walk; ingenuity goes far in this life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I try to hold onto my humanity. I always say, if I can be a safe space in an unsafe world, I’ve done my job. This work is messy, nuanced and full of possibilities. This can feel daunting.
If we are fortunate enough to meet one another, I hope you feel genuinely and fully cared for. I combine this with a lifetime commitment to ongoing learning and training.
I am formally trained as an eating disorder and trauma specialist. However, the work is so much more layered than the simplicity and overuse of these words. I work with the richness of the human experience, and am very familiar with issues of identity and dissociation. Because the ocean has no limits, I’m currently back in school doing four-year, formal psychoanalytic training at a contemporary institute.
I’m most proud of the people I work with and their courage to show up for themselves. We will go beyond the labels you’ve been prescribed, and treat the fullness of the human experience, together. May in the work, we feel more alive.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
A mentor once told me that I’m a magnet for light. I count my lucky stars and my deep intuition for the mentors in my life, who have guided me from both near and far. The shine continues to find its way to me, and I to it. After 16 years directly in the field, and a lifetime prior, I aspire to be even half as brilliant and humble as my analyst is today. The analytic world nourishes me from the inside out, in all the ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Unchartedhealingwithmia.com
