Miranda Moses - Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern

Hello!

My name is Miranda Moses. I’m a RMHCI (Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern) here at Coastal Wellness. I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself and tell you a little about who I am

.While I’ve always been a driven and self-motivated person, choosing a career was much more difficult than I originally expected. As an adolescent, when family and friends asked that dreaded question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” my mind would draw a blank. How was I supposed to know at 18 what I would do for the rest of my life? All I knew to answer was, “I want to help people.” It was daunting at the time, but I love looking back and seeing how that statement still rings true in my life.

 My career journey began in 2014 as an elementary school teacher. I taught roughly 120 ten to twelve year olds over 6 years. I grew a lot during those six years and learned about myself during that time. Teachers have a lot on their plate, to say the least. Sometimes I wondered if I was doing enough…if I was able to get it all into one school year. But one thing I knew when I left for the day was my students knew I cared for and wanted the best for them. That was enough. And there it was again–wanting to help people.

 It was during my teaching journey that I was made aware how important mental health was–My own, my students, my fellow teachers, administration, parents, etc. The list could go on forever. It was then that I started to learn about my own anxiety and I was given tools from a counselor to help me manage that in my own life. I began seeing the struggle with mental health with some of my students as well. I was given a workbook recommendation to use in my class to help kids with anxiety. My students knew that Friday afternoons, we would be learning a new calming tool together. I also started taking any mental health training the school board had available. I was learning and they were learning- but now about emotions, and focusing on their breath, and how to deal when things got tough! And one day, I found myself asking “How do I teach a class on this?”

 The next year I was accepted into UCF’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.

 Now, my clientele has extended beyond 10-12 year olds. As a counselor, I’ve worked with people into their 80s. One thing seems to be a constant no matter the age, mental health is real and everyone could use support. I’ve worked with people with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, grief, interpersonal violence, and trauma.  Each person is unique. And each person deserves care and support.

 Why am I telling you all of this? Because reaching out for help is hard. It can be scary to admit you need support. Searching for mental health resources can be daunting. I want you to know– counselors are real people. We have our own life experiences, many of which may have led us to this field. We’re not immune to mental health struggles. Many of us know what it’s like to take that first brave step and ask for support. You can too.

 I may not have known at 18 what I wanted to do, but one thing I do know is “I just want to help people” still rings true

If you would like to book an appointment - please call us at 321-757-4015