Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Costabile, LPC, LCPC.
Hi Cheryl, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The earliest influence in my life that I can recall leading me to this career path was my grandmother. She struggled with her mental health my whole life and I saw the pain and suffering she experienced as well as the rest of our family. I can remember as a child not understanding what was happening. I saw our family helping her, but I couldn’t comprehend the situation. I think that is where my compassion for people who are hurting and their families first began to grow. As I got older, I wanted to learn and understand more about mental health and how I could help people. While in my learning journey, I found that my heart always gravitated to children and families who were suffering from the effects of trauma.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Working in the mental health field has been a very enjoyable experience for me. I started my career in business entrepreneurial work and then 14 years ago, I chose to follow my passion and transition to mental health. By the time I made this transition, I was more tenured in my professional and life experiences and I think that gave me broader outlooks on life that have really guided me in this work. I think that is a big reason why this profession has been so smooth for me.
I find my work to be incredibly fulfilling. It is the most gratifying experience to walk alongside the children and families I serve to help them learn and grow to live healthier and happier lives. I also really enjoy teaching our employees to watch them flourish in their careers and become the best treatment providers possible for our clients.
The most challenging part for me though is seeing children who are suffering and hurting and trying to stay patient with them as they work to heal from trauma at their own pace. Healing cannot be rushed and it looks different for every child. You want so badly to see them thriving and feeling well but you really have to be patient and allow that to happen at the pace that is most therapeutic for them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
KVC Niles has a 135-year legacy of providing compassionate psychiatric care for youth ages 6 to 17 who are struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, the impacts of trauma, and other behavioral and mental health needs. We use neuroscience-based treatment resources regarding how stress and trauma impact a child’s brain development and translate this science into hands-on tools that each child can use to regulate their emotions and develop resilience. Our goal is for each of our clients to safely return home with the resources and supports in place to live a healthy and happy life in their community.
We recently expanded into KVC Missouri to provide a broader continuum of care for children and families in our community, including a range of new community-based services for children and families such as pre-service training for adults to become foster and adoptive parents, training on trauma-informed caregiving to support youth with higher needs, mental health treatment, and education. We are now starting to recruit treatment-level foster families to provide caring homes for our clients at Niles and other children so that they can continue treatment in the community.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Personally, it is important to me that I am constantly learning and growing. I want to always be part of the solution for the communities we serve and continue finding new and better ways we can provide families with the resources and supports they deserve. Whether that means improving the outcomes for one child, one family, or an entire community—no impact is too small. I want to continue being an advocate and educator for mental health and a force in removing the stigma that still exists today. Everyone deserves access to healthcare and we need to normalize people seeking out mental health treatment before a crisis occurs.
In my role at Niles, I am very focused on ensuring we are continuously enhancing our programs, providing safe and effective treatment for our clients, and supporting every child in need of a compassionate supporter. Our work can impact the rest of a child’s life and can help them change their trajectory to achieve wellness and be resilient against whatever life throws their way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kvcniles.org
- Instagram: @kvckids
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kvcniles
- Twitter: @kvckids
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/KVCkids
Image Credits
Bo Tunberg
