Today we’d like to introduce you to Tricia Youngs.
Hi Tricia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Before being a therapist, I had a career in Hotel Sales and Marketing and was literally called into the field during a meditation in church one day. I was ten years sober and had already been in therapy for years to address my own trauma and alcoholism. The minister led us in a meditation to find what God’s purpose was for our lives. At that moment, I was literally called out of sales and marketing into the mental health profession. Not long after, I got my Master’s in Human Relations. My internship and first job in the field were at the Sexual Assault Treatment Center in Ft Lauderdale, and I fell in love with helping others who were impacted by trauma. From there, I went on to work in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitals, residential and outpatient substance abuse facilities, residential and outpatient mental health, and community mental health programs.
I started my private practice journey in 2004 with one client and really did not know where the clients would come from. I took the Field of Dreams approach, “if you build it, they will come”. The clients did come, but I was responsible for the building part. I knew that in order for me to be equipped to help people, I needed a big tool kit, so I travelled around the country to train with the leaders in trauma recovery.
I was blessed to spend years training with my mentor Pia Mellody, who I credit with giving me the depth of skill I have today. She was committed to treating the core issues that contribute to dysfunctional relationships and behaviors. Pia taught us how to resolve relational trauma, not simply talk about it, but resolve it. I carry her voice and inspiration with me daily. The trauma recovery workshops I run are based mainly on her model of treatment. I, of course, add my own personality and perspective to the work. One of the things Pia was adamant about is that all therapists “Do their own work,” and I share that perspective. Therapy is tough and sacred work. When a therapist has not resolved their own issues, they end up getting triggered, carrying the client’s pain, and inevitably cross boundaries and cause harm.
At this stage of my career, in addition to seeing individual clients, I love running workshops and speaking about the hope of recovery from trauma, grief, and substance use disorders. I actually authored a book this year, RESCUED: Hope for the Shattered Heart and Soul, which is about trauma and recovery. RESCUED is in two parts. The first part is my trauma and recovery story, and the second part of the book is the Nuts and Bolts of trauma psychology. Since I’m a trauma survivor and therapist, I wrote it for three groups of people;
*For therapists to have an inside view of what their clients may be experiencing
*For trauma survivors to know they are not crazy, they are wounded, and wounds can heal
*For loved ones of trauma survivors, to understand what their loved ones are experiencing
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been bumps in the road, but with each bump, it moved me forward. Working at Sexual Assault was amazing but they only paid me $17,500 a year so that was not sustainable. I worked for a PHP that was shut down for medicare fraud, which was interesting. Several of the administrators and psychiatrists of that facility went to jail. As a therapist, I knew nothing about the billing and fortunately was not impacted beyond losing my job.
In 2012 or 2013, I was running a private practice in Rhode Island when BCBS cut its reimbursements by 38% and withheld disbursments for over 90 days for all mental health providers in the state. It was insane. They would not pay us but told us we were contracted to provide services to their insured, and they would not confirm that we would ever be paid. Many therapists left the field because you can’t run a business and pay your bills that way. I chose to pivot, closed my practice, and moved back to Florida, and worked in substance abuse treatment while I relaunched my private practice. To this day, I am grateful to BCBS for being the catalyst for my move.
In 2020, during the pandemic, I was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent treatment. That was quite a hurdle. I transferred my highest risk clients and scaled back my practice. My colleagues were amazing, many of whom offered to see my clients and give me the money they earned from them. I did not accept the money, but the offer was humbling and amazing. The strong professional community we have here in South Florida is unlike anywhere in the country.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I actually have two businesses. The Path to Healing is my private practice where I treat individuals and run trauma recovery workshops. In 2023, I started InStill Hope Consulting. It’s my consulting business where I do training, speaking and promote my book, RESCUED: Hope for the Shattered Heart and Soul. Through InStill Hope, I have a few virtual coaching and training groups as well.
My business background and my extensive training in trauma recovery sets me apart from most other therapists. I spent over 13 years in management in the corporate world, which uniquely qualifies me to help employers and employees with workplace issues. In terms of training, I am trained in Brainspotting, EMDR, Psychodrama, and Developmental Trauma Recovery. I have personally trained with Pia Mellody, Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine, Gabor Mate, Tian Dayton, and Patrick Carnes, as well as multiple other professionals.
I am passionate about healing and spreading hope. To accomplish this, I run 3-day trauma recovery programs, virtual coaching groups, and train therapists in trauma recovery methodology. InStill Hope Consulting hosts an InStill Hope Awards Breakfast where an award is given to a member of the clinical community who has spread hope to others throughout the year.
The things I am most proud of professionally are The Path 3-day workshop and RESCUED: Hope for the Shattered Heart, both of which have been so well received by the participants and the readers. My goal is to leave a positive, transformative impact on people’s lives. The Path and RESCUED do that.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am licensed in Florida and Georgia and run a hybrid private practice, splitting my time between virtual and in-person appointments in the Delray office. A few times a year, I run The Path Workshop and virtual coaching groups. I am also available to train teams of therapists and support staff on best practices in trauma treatment or train corporate teams to face interpersonal and mental health challenges in the workplace. I’m happy to speak at community or organizational gatherings about all things trauma, recovery, and most of all hope.
People can buy a copy of RESCUED on Amazon at https://a.co/d/0q99XSt.
I can be reached at pathtohealing1@gmail.com or (561)886-7985.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.triciayoungs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triciayoungs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tricia.youngs
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-youngs-lmhc-15391213/
- Other: https://a.co/d/bGgcB3g
Image Credits
I own all the images
