Cookies, Learning and Counselor Conversation
Introduction
In meeting with Counselor and Dietitian, Angela Pham, there is a sense that she works to be true to herself in both following her passion and what feels right for her. She shared also about learning from what her children mirror to her as a mother.
There was something about Angela that stood out the first time we interacted. I think we met each other through social media. It was evident that she is hard working and the ultimate professional based on the offerings she had and how she presented herself. Through the process of writing this blog, she has exhibited grace patience and an easy going nature with my timeline. I value this in her way of being in the world.
I drew Angela’s name as the last counselor in this series to deliver cookies. I was excited to finally get to meet her and mostly to begin getting to know her. Soon after I arrived at her office, she and her suite colleagues welcomed me. They would walk by her office and peak in or would come in to sit a bit. I enjoyed the visits and it was apparent that there was an ease and warmth of being in this space together.
Angela’s office looks like an office out of a style or decorating magazine. I could not give justice in describing it. I would say that it is warm, comfy (yet professional) with natural and colorful tones. She shared with me that her mother decorated this as a gift to her while she was on maternity leave. I was in awe of what she created.
Angela’s Path
When I asked Angela about how she came to be both a counselor and nutritionist, she said, “I went to medical school first. I wanted to work with women’s health.” She realized that she didn’t want to talk to people just about their medical stuff. She started to explore what else she might do and found a program that allowed her to earn a dual masters program from Bastyr. “It felt so right.” She went on to earn her degree both as a Dietician and Counselor.
Personal Learning
When asked about her greatest learning, Angela said that this came from “being a Mom”. I asked, what have you learned? “Everything. Let it go. Surrender I have learned way more from being a mom than from Grad school. It is a mirror back at you when you have kids. I have definitely learned to slow down. I am a pretty busy person. I like to stay busy.“
Professional Learning
Angela shared that the primary modality she uses as a counselor is Lifespan Integration. Her greatest life lesson as a counselor came when she was went to a training for this and she was so impressed by the presenter and what they had to say. She knew she had to learn more. “I love the somatic approach, using the feelings that someone holds in their body is a huge indicator about where to go in therapy. I found an approach that works for me personally. Lifespan is like a guided meditation of their [client’s] life story. It has given me more passion and structure.” For counselors, she said, “Find the modality that you love. I am pretty honest about what I use. This is what I do, I use it with all of my clients. When I don’t use it, I don’t feel like myself so it feels like the right modality. I do that as a dietician too. I am pretty up front with people. If they are looking for weight loss or diets, that is not what as I do as a dietitian.” Her primary focus is with body image.
My Takeaway
Angela’s point that her children serve as a mirror for her to take a look at herself and the way she walks through the world is a reminder that we have so much to learn from each other in relationships. Additionally, this reminded me that as counselors, the counseling relationship is also a mirror for us through our own counter-transference. I value that being a Mom has taught Angela to surrender, let go and to slow down.
With Angela’s deep commitment to the modality that she chooses to work from, she serves as an example to follow what feels most natural to us in the work that we do. For some this is called following your intuition. For others, trusting the inner knowing. Whatever one chooses to call this, it is a reminder to follow what we most believe in and this will never steer us wrong.
The Cookies (Recipe below)
When I reached out to Angela, she said that there were no parameters for ingredients for the cookies I baked. I had wanted to bake a cookie with Pumpkin and so I was excited that this allowed me an opportunity. I made 8 plates of cookies so that everyone in Angela’s suite could take some home.
I made the recipe exactly as it is and the cookies turned out better than I anticipated. The frosting made the cookie even better. The title fits what my experience was like as the cookies were called “Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies.” One of Angela’s colleagues reached out to me later for the recipe stating that she and her children loved them. My own sense of liking these along with this feedback was enough to save this recipe for later. I hope that you will enjoy them as well. Here is the recipe.
Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies:
https://www.recipenova.com/2018/08/melt-in-your-mouth-pumpkin-cookies.html
More about Angela Pham, MS, LMHC, RDN, CD
- BS in Biology/Human Physiology, Eastern Washington University
- MS in Clinical Health Psychology, Bastyr University
- MS in Nutrition, Bastyr University
- Dietetic Internship at Bastyr University
- Trained as a Level Two provider of Lifespan Integration
Angela is a licensed mental health counselor and registered dietitian/nutritionist, based in Spokane, Washington. She practices Lifespan Integration Therapy, which is a somatic-based therapy. As a nutritionist, Angela is trained in working with eating disorders and works with nutrition and body image. She considers the whole person when making behavior change around food and exercise. She has a commitment to come from a space of acceptance and thinking of your body into thinking that health=thinness.
Contact Information
The Jefferson Building
400 S. Jefferson st. Suite 451
Spokane, WA 99203
AngelaPhamRD@gmail.com
206-245-9543
