At Kenosis, we value meeting people where they’re at in their lives. We understand that each person comes with a different perspective regarding a need for change. Today, we’re highlighting Kenosis Therapist Richard Paul. Rich is known for his ability to work well with people from diverse backgrounds through establishing rapport, keeping a sense of humor, and making therapy relatable.
He places a high priority on not only recognizing challenges that clients face but also highlighting and harnessing positive support through a strengths perspective. We sat down to chat with Rich about what led him to work at Kenosis, different aspects of the job, and his beliefs around therapy.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Rich has been in the field for about ten years. When he came out of grad school, Rich had two populations he knew he didn’t want to work with: young kids and addictions. He finds it ironic because now, in his full-time job at Damar, he works with kids and teenagers, and addiction is his area of focus.
Here at Kenosis, Rich works with individuals living with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder (and other mood disorders), self-esteem issues, and addiction. He says, “It’s such a wide range, but I prefer that. I like that.”
In your therapy practice, what do you specialize in?
Something unique about Rich is that he doesn’t really have a specialty – he does a little bit of everything. He fell into doing addictions work at Kenosis. He sees clients with all kinds of diagnoses, but he’s one of the only staff members who regularly does work with clients facing addiction.
Before Damar, he spent three and a half years with Larue Carter in the psychiatric hospital where he worked with chronic schizophrenia and high-risk borderline personality disorders. He doesn’t have an exact specialty, and that’s how he likes it because he sees it as a challenge and opportunity for growth.
How did you come to work for Kenosis Counseling Center?
Rich comments, “I was very blessed. I lucked out, basically. At the time, I was going to grad school. I just got lucky, and it was really because I didn’t have a specialty that I was going towards. I wanted to focus on the clinical aspect.”
When the time came to graduate, Richard was hired as an associate, and he’s still here today. Rich is currently accepting new clients, but only virtually.
What made you decide to become a therapist?
“My brain is naturally hardwired that way. Even from the time I was a kid, I was very interested in human behavior and trying to recognize patterns in human behavior. I was always very curious as to why people did the things they did, whether it was good or bad,” he recalls.
Once Richard got the clinical training and experience, he fine-tuned that curious nature to focus on therapy services. He’s always had a passion to help people and give them hope.
He adds, “I jokingly say that we sell hope to people, and I mean that in a way that’s not disingenuous. That’s what we do.” One session with a client can completely change the trajectory of their lives. Sometimes they don’t have people to listen to them or validate their feelings. Rich finds that one of the most rewarding parts of the job. He’s giving somebody the boost they need.
What makes Kenosis a unique place to work?
Rich’s favorite part of working at Kenosis is that everyone meets you where you’re at. He’s not religious, but Kenosis encourages therapists to connect where they can on a spiritual level. It’s an open environment for conversation in a non-pushy or judgemental way.
Religion is actually a great harness and tool for therapy. Even if spiritual views differ, it’s a safe environment to talk through it all. Rich says, “They use the client’s faith as a building block, as a conduit for improvement.”
What’s your favorite part of your job?
“Just helping facilitate hope. People who are broken and people who are discouraged – just being able to kind of be a vessel for that and providing some sort of hope and restoration,” Richard says. We love that Rich describes his work as “facilitating hope” in a world that so desperately needs it.
What’s the hardest part about your job?
Being a therapist is an emotionally and mentally exhausting job: “There was a time where I was working full-time at the psych hospital and then coming to Kenosis and doing five sessions back-to-back in the evenings. That took its toll. You have nothing to give at the end of the day,” explains Rich.
As a therapist, he takes on the weight of carrying people’s trauma and trying to solve the problem on the fly. It’s difficult to find balance in the helping professions, but it’s something Rich has been working on for years.
What’s one thing you think people should know about getting therapy?
Rich believes, “Everyone can benefit from therapy, regardless of where you’re at in your life. Regardless of your level of acuity, whether you’re high need, low need, whether things are going perfectly fine in your life, just to have somebody to bounce ideas off of.” It’s a safe environment to process feelings and get a clinical, third-party perspective on anything that’s going on in their lives.