Reflecting on 2025: My Professional Journey
2025 - A Year of Growth, Challenges, and Achievements
Let’s take a moment to look back on 2025, shall we? Now that 2026 is here, I can’t help but think about all the ups and downs, achievements, and learning experiences that shaped my professional path last year. It’s been a whirlwind of transitions, new doors opening, and plenty of moments that reminded me why I’m passionate about what I do. Here’s my recap of a year that truly made an impact.
Embracing New Opportunities
The year kicked off with a healthy dose of anticipation. I found myself stepping into new roles and taking on responsibilities that stretched my skills in exciting ways. Whether I was diving into ways to expand business through Broken Gold Counseling, taking on new trainings, making new connections, or saying goodbye to previous ones these experiences pushed me to grow and adapt. Honestly, getting out of my comfort zone was challenging—but it made all the difference.
Key Projects and Achievements
· Bringing Stephanie onto the team: This year, I decided to branch out after meeting and working with Stephanie. We felt that the working relationship would be a good fit for us, and I was excited for the new challenges and opportunities this change presented for both of us and for BGC. In particular, this change brought along a lot of changes to operational systems. Going from a solo-practitioner to operating as a duo meant a lot of changes for how we operate the business side.
· Joining a new team and Lihtan Therapy Collective: I was presented with a unique opportunity to join another clinic part-time in 2025. I know, it seems weird to have your own private practice and then be joining another clinic, however, this clinic is run by two amazing female clinicians, one of whom I knew from previous work in the public sector, and after hearing about the work that they were doing in their clinic, I was very keen to be a part of this dynamic group of therapists. I am so glad that this opportunity came across my path, and I absolutely love working at Lihtan. It has been so lovely to have the chance to consult and get regular feedback and support from other therapists who intimately know the type of work you are doing and the types of clients that you are supporting, as they are also doing the same work and supporting clients with similar presentations. There are many more unique opportunities in store for me as part of this team in 2026, and I am excited for them all.
· Becoming a Bringing Baby Home Educator: This year, I completed the Bringing Baby Home training through the Gottman Institute. This unique training teaches clinicians to teach new families about the transition to parenthood through a combination of scientific research and specific exercises. This program can be offered as a workshop and it can also be part of couples therapy treatment that is intended for expectant couples or those with newborns.
· Completing my Advanced Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) training: last month, I was finally able to complete this training after completing the Basic ART training in 2019. I am so excited to be able to offer new techniques to clients with this trauma therapy.
· Taking on social work supervision clients: 2025 also saw the first social work supervision clients at BGC. Providing supervision to social workers completing their registration requirements was a huge step in a different direction, and I am looking forward to continuing my growth and learning in this area.
Navigating Challenges
Of course, not everything went smoothly. There were plenty of hurdles, a few unexpected roadblocks, and some things that did not go as planned. The biggest one that is important to mention is that I had to say good-bye to Stephanie as part of BGC. Unfortunately, working at BGC was not the best fit for what she was looking for, but she has moved on to another exciting career opportunity, and her departure from BGC was amicable. Additionally, after a decade of service in the public sector, I decided to leave my part-time position for other opportunities. This was an exciting, and also scary step forward. Each obstacle taught me something valuable. Resilience and flexibility were my watchwords, and by keeping an open mind, I turned those setbacks into steppingstones. Growth mindset thinking is always the model I choose to follow, and challenges, roadblocks, and disappointments are also opportunities to create something else.
Fostering Connections
If there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s the relationships I built and strengthened over the year. Networking with peers, working with cross-functional teams, and sharing ideas brought new inspiration and support. To everyone who challenged me and celebrated with me, thank you for being part of this journey.
Looking Ahead
Now, I’m heading into 2026 with all these lessons in my back pocket, and my eyes on new projects and things to focus on this year. My plan? Keep growing, chase new opportunities, and be there for others on their own paths forward. Thanks for reading and sharing this reflection with me. Here’s to another year of learning, achievement, and collaboration!
