You don't need a doctorate to be successful | with Alpana Choudhury, LMHC

Alpana Choudhury, LMHC, founded Wove Therapy in 2018 as a response to the constant request for counseling that takes intersectionality and systems into account. Having worked with clients from all kinds of backgrounds and life experience, Alpana recognizes the need to have an informed and open perspective in order to truly be present. Her approach is eclectic, caring, and incredibly honest.

Alpana completed her BA in Psychology from Barnard College and her MA in Counseling Psychology from New York University. She has a background in applied psychology research, having presented at the Association for Psychological Sciences and managed projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation. She is an active member of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association.

Topics we cover:

What were your early introductions & orientations to career possibilities?Why did you move away from medicine and towards psychology?Does a psychology major equip you to go into the profession in mental health?What aspects of your experiences in research made you want to pursue a clinical path?What advice do you have for students right now in undergrad who perhaps are doing something that isn't directly related to what they want to do, and how they can make the most of it?When and how did you decide that you wanted your masters instead of matriculating into a doctorate?Is a master’s enough to be a good clinician?How does privilege play out in who gets included and excluded in this field?Can you break down the path through an MA in counseling to licensure?Dealing with loans and debtWhy did opening a private practice appeal to you?What sparked your desire to open a private practice with an intersectional lens?What does your day to day life look like as the founder of your private practice?What is burnout and compassion fatigue, and how do you cope with it?Why is self-care important?Do you still seek supervision?What are some real practices that you use to approach therapy from an intersectional perspective? How do you use an intersectional perspective in therapy without accidentally generalizing the experiences of marginalized groups onto the client?What is one skill, quality, or general factor that has served you no matter where you went?

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Music by: Adam Fine