Meet Tracie Herold: Strengths-based Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracie Herold and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracie, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
• Be clear about the value behind the goal or task. What does it mean to you? • Think about the way you are talking to yourself. Ask yourself “I can do X-Y-Z” vs saying “I should do X-Y-Z”. “Should”-ing is a common way of thinking about how to start or get things done but it can also be shaming.  “I should” focuses on probability. “Can I” focuses on action. Always choose action.
• Anticipate and build awareness about obstacles. It is one, if not a combination of the following problem areas: self-efficacy; distractions or impulsivity; the value or reward; and how much time you have to get it done. When you have more insight, you can focus on ways to overcome specific obstacles.
• Be flexible, give yourself grace, and breathe through it as needed.
• “Remember failure is not a person; it’s an event”. Learn from mistakes. Sometimes things turn out as you want. Other times, you get a lesson in something completely different. Either way, look at it as a win.

What should our readers know about your business?
Change is hard and often uncomfortable but doable. Usually, the biggest obstacle is ourselves. My practice focuses on achieving the possible while utilizing our strengths. Character strengths are the positive parts of our personality that impact how we think, feel and behave. Strengths are not based on our talents or abilities. They come from our experiences and values. How they line up are unique to us and they are constantly shifting. I use three frameworks: mindfulness, or being in the present; cognitive behavioral therapy (distorted thinking patterns that influence our feelings and behaviors), and how our character strengths help us toward greater well-being. We look at where the shift needs to occur – with the situation, the way we are thinking about it, or how we are going about things. I am a therapist by profession but also a human being and I too use these frameworks to navigate life, transitions, and relationships. I continue to learn from each of my clients while teaching them to better understand how much control we have over our thoughts.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my top strengths is appreciation of beauty and excellence. Because of that I would make sure my friend was able to experience the fun urban parts of Atlanta ( the Beltline, Inman Park restaurants, Krog Street Market) as well as the verdant beauty of the area (from the Chattahoochee River area to the North Georgia Mountains). I am an avid Civil Rights history buff and so our visit would include a trip through the areas of MLK National Historic Park and into Oakwood Cemetary. And I LOVE Atlanta United (MLS Cup winners in 2018). The visit would definitely be planned around a home game at the amazing Mercedes Benz Stadium.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am a social worker at heart, and it took much time and experience to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My career has veered through the areas of child welfare, homelessness, hospitals, and mental health. While developing the foundation of my clinical practice, I worked with a great group of people at an agency who were integral to my growth as a clinician, parent, and someone just trying to make it in this world. We handled tough situations together with respect, humor, and unconditional support. Although we have all moved onto different paths, we continue to provide each other with friendship and professional collaboration.

Website: https://www.tracieheroldlcsw.com/