Meet Samantha Norris– A CCD Intern
· Team Spotlight · By The CCD Clinical Team · Clinically reviewed by Lisa R. Savage, LCSW
Today, we’re featuring another of our rockstar graduate interns with life experience, compassion, and a keen desire to help others. What Motivated You to Work in Mental Health? Since childhood, I have been passionate about justice and helping others. My grandfather once told me I would “die fighting for mine or others’ rights,” and I have carried that with […]
Graduate Intern
Today, we’re featuring another of our rockstar graduate interns with life experience, compassion, and a keen desire to help others.
What Motivated You to Work in Mental Health?
Since childhood, I have been passionate about justice and helping others. My grandfather once told me I would “die fighting for mine or others’ rights,” and I have carried that with me. I learned early on that life can be full of fires, and having grown up among challenges, I know how to navigate them with resilience. My own experience with mental illness has constantly illuminated this path for me and drives my commitment to an area of service that desperately needs gentleness and empathy.
One area in which I sense a deep calling is working with teens. Adolescence was a formative time in my life, and there were many times that I wished someone would look me in the eye and say, “I’ve been in your shoes, and it really does get better.”
Skills That Shape My Approach
Two foundational components that have significantly shaped my approach to counseling have been authenticity and the trauma-informed lens. Well into my training, I found myself fixated on saying “the right things,” shaped by the pressures of judgment that come with being evaluated. However, when I started to be true to myself, I found the strength of real relationships.
A trauma-informed perspective has been equally transformative. Asking clients, “What happened to you?” instead of “What is wrong with you?” affirms their experiences and restores any broken trust. It helps foster healing and allows me to see people for who they are, not just what they’ve gone through.
The Journey of Mending in Mental Health
The part I love most about studying mental health is being a beacon of hope/safety for others. The most rewarding part is being someone’s safe space and place of hope. To see a person grow, expand, heal, and evolve from human interaction and compassion. It has started healing parts of myself through giving back and doing the work myself.
Responding to the Needs of Diverse Communities
My education and training have taught me that cultural competence is critical in counseling. My work at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital has given me valuable experience working with various people.
At CCD, we are honored to support interns like Samantha, who bring passion, wisdom, and commitment to mental health work. Her story encourages us to continue creating a community centered on compassion, connection, and a resolve to uplift one another.
Watch this space for more intern highlights as we showcase the amazing work at the Center for Child Development.