Imagine you’re standing in a school auditorium, and a young student tells you that they’re cutting to relieve the pain in their life, and that they are being abused by their step mom. Imagine that student tells you they’re thinking about suicide.
Now…imagine you’re sitting in an executive office 2 years earlier working on the Harry Potter DVD for Warner Brothers. You have absolutely none of the skills you’ll one day need to stand in front of that theater and handle that conversation.
But as you’re staring at your computer, you realize you have a choice: Make movies about people who make a difference in an imagined world, or actually go make a difference.
You leave Hollywood, quit your job working with Warner Brothers, and apply to graduate school to study counseling. You can’t stand the idea of being one of these “motivational speakers” with no real background. You need tools in your tool belt to help that student someday. So you grind it out. You study hard. You work around the clock to make things work, and when things get hard and you don’t know if you can make it, there’s that little voice in the back of your head whispering, “Be the difference.”
There are a lot of people who have heard that little whisper. If you’re reading this, then you’re one of the few that listened to it.
The story you just read is my story, but I know you’ve felt the same calling. I know the people who come visit this blog made the same decision I did. Some of you fought hard battles to make a difference, and I want you to know that the value of what you have decided to do with your life cannot be measured. You inspire me daily.
After nearly 5 years of studying, counseling others, and working around the clock, I am proud to announce that I am an officially Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate in the state of Texas. This experience has given me the background needed to build programming and services focused on social and emotional development for teens. It’s also given TEEN TRUTH the credentials needed to take our company’s mission to the next level.
Many of you have supported me along the way. Some are new friends who I’ve met through my work with school counselors and school culture development, and some of you I’ve known for a very long time. But all of you are people who I respect and admire.
I hope to use my work as an LMFT to build stronger students, develop cohesive families, and create amazing school culture.
Thanks so much for all that you do, and thanks so much for all your support along the way. I am excited for the next steps that we will be taking with TEEN TRUTH!
Thanks for your continued support,
JC Pohl
President & CEO, TEEN TRUTH
Do You Hear that Whisper?
