Welcome to Curious Therapist, a virtual playground for inquisitive minds in the field of therapy.
We're building a virtual learning playground where curiosity reigns.
Curious Therapist is a collective endeavor. It's about leveraging the wisdom of the best books, podcasts and peer-reviewed articles out there, and translating it into high-quality CEU-earning courses that help you integrate what you learn into your own practice. It’s about sharing our expertise so we may lift each other up, both professionally and financially. Not least of all, it’s about building a community that thrives on continuous learning.
Our Values
Curiosity
We embrace curiosity to unlock new insights that enhance learning, to bring a sense of wonder and discovery to our practice, and most importantly, to make a habit of challenging our assumptions and prejudices.
Inclusivity
We prioritize inclusivity, knowing that the easy path is rarely the most inclusive path, nor the path that offers the most valuable lessons. We also appreciate that the sum of a collection of diverse voices is much, much greater than the sum of a collection of homogeneous ones.
Growth
We are dedicated to continuous growth, both personally and professionally, because in our work, even with adherence to the strongest ethics, the personal and professional are inextricably linked. Having a growth mindset benefits not only our clients, but everyone in our lives, including ourselves.
Excellence
We strive for excellence in all we do. At the same time, we recognize we are not superhuman, nor do we wish to spend our time trying to prove we can be. We view the pursuit of perfectionism as harmful to all people, and most of all to people with marginalized identities.
Accountability
We hold ourselves accountable for our actions and decisions, relying foremost on ourselves to stay true to our commitments and values. We welcome and carefully consider feedback from our community.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to empower a community of mental health professionals through high-quality, affordable and convenient CEU-earning professional development courses, to satisfy our thirst for knowledge and sharpen our skills, all while elevating our practice of psychotherapy. A secondary purpose is to provide a mechanism for qualified mental health professionals to share our expertise with a broader audience, supplementing our incomes while doing so.
Our Mission
Our mission is to foster a community of curious mental health professionals who know they are learning from and supporting fellow therapists with the shared values of inclusivity, a growth mindset, accountability, and excellence in clinical work.
Giving Commitment
Curious Therapist is committed to setting aside a portion of our profits, currently up to 10%, to provide unrestricted financial support to provisionally-licensed therapists actively working toward their full licenses. Full transparency: We’re just starting out, and likely won’t be profitable for a couple of years or more. We’re putting this here because we mean it. We remember the struggle of not earning a livable wage while working toward full licensure, and we want to be part of the solution so it’s less of a barrier to entry for others starting out in the field.
Hi there! I’m Melissa.
I’m a social worker, an LCSW, a reader, writer, listener, and self-professed neuro-nerd based in Austin, Texas. In past lives, I’ve spent time as an educator for English Language Learners, and for many years sported a job description that included designing and delivering training to colleagues.
Some of my fondest memories growing up involved being curled up with a book nestled in the crook of my arm. That love of reading – particularly of spending time immersed in other worlds – blossomed into a love of exploring and seeking to understand perspectives and experiences different from my own.
I’ve been fortunate to live in four countries on three continents, giving me the chance to satisfy some of my bottomless curiosity. I’m especially fortunate to practice psychotherapy, a career that lets me honor my inner explorer in connection with others.
Like you, I want to stay informed on the most up-to-date research and insights to continue to feed my curiosity, and more importantly, to sharpen my skills as a clinician.
I created Curious Therapist to help curious minds like mine access a virtual playground of content to inform our practices and update our knowledge.
Another hope is to create an additional income stream for other curious therapists to share their expertise with others by contributing content for our CEU offerings.
Are you a curious therapist? Of course you are! I’m so glad you’re here. I invite you to join me and other curious therapists by exploring our courses (coming soon!) and potentially becoming one of our contributors.
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Like many of us, my path to becoming a psychotherapist was a meandering one. Before coming into my true calling as a psychotherapist, I spent time as an educator, a market researcher, a recruiter, a grant writer and administrator, and a communications consultant. I’ve worked and volunteered in settings as varied as Integral Care, Austin State Hospital, Austin Community College, the United Nations and the U.S. State Department, with populations ranging from former prisoners to people with intellectual disabilities to immigrants and refugees. Currently, I work with the vast majority of my clients on healing developmental and relational trauma. I’ve learned so much in all chapters of my life and career, and I’m thrilled to be able to apply so much of it to Curious Therapist!
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LCSW in the state of Texas: 55820
Senior Counselor at a large group practice in Austin, TX
EMDR-trained
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Texas at Austin (1994)
Master of Science, Social Work, Columbia University (2006)
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My wonderful Brand Specialist, Katie Mont, insisted I complete this section, and I found myself struggling with what to include. Rather than take a more traditional approach, I thought it would be more meaningful to include a list of some of the things I’m most proud of:
Embarking on (and continuing) my own healing journey, now decades in
Practicing self-compassion (again and again and again) when I don’t achieve all that I set out to do
Surviving many years in the corporate world, where my style and insights were frequently not valued
Completing the Via de la Plata, one of the Camino de Santiago routes
Living in NYC for seven years, and knowing when it was time to come home
Living and working in Sri Lanka, Turkey and the UAE and then, too, knowing when it was time to come home
Letting my curiosity lead me to explore hobbies that enrich my life, such as hiking and backpacking, singing, playing various instruments, and even writing a novel (it may never see the light of day, but I did it!)
Moving past all the reasons why not, and starting Curious Therapist anyway
Photography Credits - Unsplash @hannahbusing, @77hn, Melissa Bordeau Photography @bordeauphoto