Welcome to my SPN Page! Like many people my age (late 40’s), I am seeking a more altruistic career shift. I was invited to mentor the Coursera Social Psychology MOOC and am delighted to learn common principles I never previously considered. I’ll take you on a short story about my background before I delve into my psychological journey.

Part 1 where to go after high school?
My first choice in career path in high school was a cross roads of Fashion Designer or Pharmacist. I loved science, math and creativity. I chose Fashion and the bubble broke quickly as this field did not lend itself to lucrative opportunities. Fashion was relegated to a hobby.

Part 2 finding a new career path – Insurance?
Fashion is a no go – now what? I enhanced my education and worked in Insurance. Over time, I became an IT Business Analyst.
Fashion and IT are actually quite similar. Fashion requires a sections to be broken into shapes to fit correctly.When something ‘fits’ right, style is inevitable. Ill-fitting garments cannot be stylish and ultimately fail in function rendering an outfit useless.
Well-designed systems are similar. Incorporating business needs into systems allow focus on processing rather than "work arounds" I have a natural ability to grasp the big picture, prioritize the system architecture needs into easily digestible parts. I love to “untangle spaghetti” problem solve.
My role evolved and I became heavily involved in complex processes with ease although trying to work with others was not always easy. I rounded out my technical skills with understanding people. I became interested in psychology in 2016 and had a Psyche Ed assessment completed and joined online MOOCs. I was promoted to a manager at work and now I was penalized where previously rewarded. There was a new set of rules and I didn’t have the book. What a wake-up call! Every new course I completed left me eager to learn more.

Part 3 – rethinking mental health – Segway; light bulb… and start of a journey
So here I am, an ‘expert’ in Business Analysis. All I can think of is – I want to understand human behavior.
I’ve found myself thinking a lot about mental illness impacts; including my own. Like most, I avoided treatment due to social stigma fears. I’m saddened by the perception to take a pill for the symptom and ignore the cause. I feel a lot of this is because people are fearful of facing the cause through counselling. I had an idea in 2012: create an online game where the player is in real life settings known for triggering anxiety – for example. The game requires the player to choose their reaction and share their feelings. There is a lot more behind this however I don’t have enough room to share! My theory is this can help people to generate real life coping skills. Perhaps the SPN is a great opportunity to work together!
Please contact me if you are interested.

Part 4 – Turning point – I fell off a cliff – A crisis? Or new journey?
At the end of 2016, I was impacted by company downsizing along with 700 staff. I compare the experience to feeling like I was standing on the side of a cliff, scared to jump and pushed off – and I flew! I felt this was an opportunity.
I sought out psychological therapy for the first time in my life. I was given support, tools and perspective.
It was an interesting experience to be involved in a mass layoff and observe reactions, well beyond the impacted staff. There was a greater impact to the remaining staff who were worried about their job security, friends and corporate memory loss. Stress leaves skyrocketed.

Part 5 – rethinking my life – what do I want to be when I grow up?
This transition forced me to rethink my life. I used to dedicate my energy to work. I now balance my life with dedicated time with my husband and exercise daily. Additionally, we travel some placed new each year for cultural enrichment.
My goal of 2016 and 2017 – Happiness! My personal opinion is happiness is truly appreciated when we recognize that all emotions have a purpose. Even anger which is a very powerful and important emotion. Anger can encourage action very quickly. I seek out countless books, movies and discussions around this theme.
I started external contracting in 2017 and this is a perfect evolution for me. My last contract ended in August 2018 and I am taking a break to upgrade my skills and recharge. My focus is on psychology. I had the pleasure of experiencing Coaching with Compassion and this has led me into a new company idea with my husband. He would specialize in diet, exercise and spiritual wellness. My focus on life and career coaching. Together, our clients can find their Ideal Self.

Part 6 – Until the dream becomes a reality – now what?
I’ve realized that my new set of leadership tools equip me to be an effective manager. And by “thinking like a contractor" I will be able to properly manage anxiety and stress.
This is my journey now – thanks for stopping by!