Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Casabe.
Megan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It wasn’t in the cards to be a therapist. Or an entrepreneur. Even typing those words seem foreign. I was always going to be that hardcore doctor that didn’t take crap from anyone and did her thing. My goal was to save every child from cancer that I could. Life happened, that changed. What didn’t change was my passion for healthcare and after graduate school, I found myself working in healthcare but from the mental health side. The people that I worked with suffered from chronic and life-limiting diseases.
As they say, you are a different person than you were five years ago, you are different than you were five minutes ago and you will be a different person than you are now. Life has taken me on a journey to learn who I was, who I am and who I strive to be.
I found therapy by accident. I was in college ready to go to nursing school and decided to pick up Social Work as a second major. I thought that by taking classes in both disciplines, I would be well rounded and be able to help people battling illnesses to the best of my ability. For as long as I can remember, my sole goal has been to help people. Five-year-old Megan wanted to cure childhood cancer, eighteen-year-old Megan wanted to hold the hands of kids battling cancer and use personal experiences to help them, and here I am, looking at thirty-year-old Megan, realizing that there is so much more out there and my desires and interests to fundamentally help people have grown into a lifelong passion.
I find myself in the midst of two worlds. The world of healthcare, providing vital mental health support to a group of people who otherwise might not have accessibility and the world of private practice. Private practice in the mental health world is an opportunity to pursue passions. To truly do what fuels passion every day.
Fueling my passion has led me to open “Buena Vida Wellness, Inc.” This is a combination of all of my passions, my years of experience and my future goals for my life coming together. Buena Vida Wellness is in its infancy and will be a comprehensive wellness center. In the meantime, it is a therapy practice that offers accessible mental health support to individuals with all different psychosocial, emotional and mental health needs.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Obstacles and I are on a first-name basis. Intrinsically, I have had a mental shift in how I view an obstacle, challenge or barrier. My childhood was nothing but a challenge. I had a wonderful supportive family, a scary cancer diagnosis at the age of five and then years of recovery, additional medical challenges and confusion as to who I was. I personally suffer from anxiety that requires me to constantly consider self-care as a necessity and I always have this need to do more and challenge myself.
Learning these things about myself has been an obstacle in and of itself, I’ve pushed myself to physical and mental limits and suffered the consequences as well as experienced the benefits. My view of an obstacle isn’t negative, it is simply neutral. I used to think I was at a disadvantage until I realized that the only disadvantage I had was what I allowed myself to think or feel. So, I do not think that anything worth fighting for will ever been a smooth road. My road has taught me that obstacles and challenges help us to grow as individuals, professionals and human beings.
Please tell us about Buena Vida Wellness.
Buena Vida Wellness, Inc is a passion. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I am uniquely trained to provide psychotherapy to help resolve mental and emotional distress. I specialize in working with individuals who have experienced medically related trauma, suffer from chronic and/or life-limiting illnesses and healthcare providers that experience emotional distress related to the job they provide.
As a therapist, I spend a lot of time talking to people. Over time, a pattern evolved. People became open and vulnerable when talking about difficult topics when the environment changed. I would go from talking to people in their hospital room to sitting outside in the courtyard under the sun, or from my office providing therapy to walking around the building and letting the sunshine and wind be a calming agent. Some of our most intimate conversations are on walks, at the beach, while jogging with a friend.
This concept is something that I have chosen to focus on with Buena Vida Wellness. Clients would have the option of meeting for therapy sessions in an outdoor setting such as the beach, a park or a nice pathway. Traditional therapy in an office isn’t for everyone. Buena Vida Wellness aims to provide accessibility to mental health services in the Palm Beach County area and privacy for clients with respect to their lives, careers and schedules.
I believe that therapy can have a time and place in people’s lives. Some people find it helpful to talk about challenges in life while others may need emotional support while going through something especially difficult. When meeting with clients, they can expect a warm, authentic individual who shows up to every session and interaction with passion and intention. I have trained in multiple therapeutic techniques that can aid clients through any difficult situation. This helps me to see each client as an individual and tailor my treatments.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
They say that it takes a village. Well, that is exactly the case here. There are so many individuals in my personal and professional life who have helped me become the woman, therapist and human being that I am today. I am incredibly grateful to every person who comes into my life and teaches me something.
I always saw generosity, gratitude and kind humans firsthand growing up. My mother always taught me to give thanks, to help others and to stay true to my word regardless of the struggles we would personally be going through. My husband has taught me about unconditional love and kindness and bravery throughout all of the challenges in our ten years together. My aunt has shown me the importance of family and connection to family.
I have this tribe of girlfriends, most of which are from my childhood years that we continue to maintain a close relationship. They have taught me the meaning of lifelong friendships, leaning on each other through the good times and the bad times and how people can change and evolve, but we do so together.
Family friends that are family. Family friends that taught me responsibility, discipline, how to drive and have been cheerleaders in all that I do. Mentors that I can call at any moment and they help me to see that I can expand and grow beyond what my original goals were for myself. They help me think critically and openly.
Lastly, an abundance of thanks to the medical team and my doctor who treated my cancer. If you would have asked five-year-old Megan what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer would have required no thought and would have been quick and confident. five-year-old Megan was going to be “Dr. Gowda.” Dr. Gowda was a Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist that practiced in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was a doctor that took care of kids that had cancer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.buenavidafl.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @buenavidaFL
- Facebook: Buena Vida Wellness, Inc
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