Dear clients and colleagues:
As many of you know, my time at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates is rapidly coming to a close; Sunday, July 26th, 2020 will mark my final day as a psychotherapist at the practice. During the four lovely years that I have spent here, I simultaneously pursued a doctoral degree. This past spring semester, I successfully defended my dissertation and graduated from the program and am pleased to say that I have secured my dream job as clinical faculty in the Georgetown University/MedStar Georgetown system.
In the time since I announced my departure in May, I have engaged in conversations with all of you about the impending transition. Some discussions were extensive and others were relatively brief, but across the board, each of you conveyed the same mixture of emotions to the news: happiness that I am taking an important next step in my career, mixed with sadness that this means we must say goodbye. While I have provided many verbal reassurances that I will make the transition as smooth and seamless as possible, this letter serves as a final space in which I can share my personal reflections on the past four years, express gratitude and appreciation for you, and reiterate my commitment to ensuring that my clients land well if they decide to continue therapy and the pursuit of self-knowledge and awareness.
A word to my colleagues:
I have so enjoyed collaborating with and getting to know each of you on staff at Lindsey Hoskins & Associates. As the longest-standing associate at the practice, I can definitively say that so much has changed since I joined the team in 2016. From major office renovations in the Bethesda location, to the opening of the Sterling, VA, location, evolutions in our client poral platform-of-choice, and office décor makeovers, each transition was an improvement upon what existed before it. I am so glad and grateful to have borne witness to the transformation. Today, there is a familial feel amongst all of the staff members which is bolstered by our frequent collaboration on cases. This is a true benefit to working in a private practice where the skill levels and expertise are vast. I so appreciate having the opportunity to work with such a committed team.
I give extra thanks and appreciation to Lindsey Hoskins who, in addition to being a close friend, is also a fantastic colleague, mentor, and practice owner. Lindsey, thank you for creating a collaborative, warm, and welcoming space for the team and clients, alike. I can unequivocally say that my journey over the past four years would not have been the same without you.
A word to my clients:
I have had the great privilege of working with individuals, couples, and families on a wide range of issues during my time at the practice. No matter the permutation of the “treatment unit,” it has been such an incredible honor to walk your therapy journey alongside you. Whether we worked together for the past month or the past four years, you have made an indelible impact on my life; I can only hope that I have done the same for you.
I am pleased that the overwhelming majority of you have grown tremendously in the therapy process. Regardless of the length of time that we worked together, I am so proud of the work that we’ve done and the strides that you have made. I have had the distinct pleasure of witnessing you gain insights, learn to identify, name, and appropriately express your emotions, and alter behavioral patterns so that your actions align with your intentions. The result is a pervasive feeling that you are living true to yourself and can engage with the people in your life more authentically and genuinely than you could before you embarked upon this journey. Thank you for engaging in that deep work with me.
Although the news of my departure was initially shocking and unexpected for most of you, I have been impressed by your ability to accommodate the information and gradually integrate it into your own reality throughout the past couple of months. This is a testament to your tenacity and a manifestation of your growth and capacity for change. As a good friend likes to say, “no news is ever as good or as bad as it first seems.” I hope that this has proven true for you.
If you plan to continue therapy, I will do everything that I can to ensure that you land well with someone who feels like a good fit. Regardless of your next steps, I wish you all the best, will miss you dearly, and shall always think of you fondly. You are just as much a part of my story as I am a part of yours. Have faith in the hard work that you have already done and remember that you are stronger than you may think. I am so very proud of you.
My final reflections:
As I reflect upon the past few years, I am thankful for all of those whose paths intersected with mine. I appreciate my staff colleagues as well as the psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in the broader DMV community with whom I collaborated, referred clients to, and received referrals from all in our commitment to provide the highest level of care to the people who sought our help. And I am grateful for my clients, who were brave enough to show up for themselves and receive the support that they needed and deserved.
Being a therapist is my favorite part of my life. In my time here, therapy sessions offered welcome respite from the rigors of a PhD program and left me feeling recharged, refreshed, and rejuvenated. They also granted the opportunity to deeply know a diverse, dynamic, and beautiful array of people. It is such a privilege and honor to sit with so many through their pain, laughter, sorrows, and celebrations. I will never take it for granted.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey and for being a critical part of mine.
Be well.
Shy