Meet Ruth, Clinical Supervisor with RevCore’s Mental Health Program. In this conversation, Ruth shares her thoughtful approach to helping clients navigate mental health diagnoses while addressing their needs as whole human beings.
Q: Thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights with us, Ruth! What inspired you to work in mental health?
I’m a clinical mental health counselor, and I really love the whole process of being able to help others who are experiencing challenges with mental health. At RevCore, we often get clients who may have been recently diagnosed with a mental health condition. Maybe they’ve been in the hospital, and they’re trying to figure out: “What do I do with this? How do I deal with treatment? How do I go through life with this?”
One of the really great things that RevCore does well is helping people get the treatment they need and get connected with the resources they need. We take what could have been a crisis and help them start to gain some stability in their everyday life. They start to see hope. Like, “Okay, I’ve received this diagnosis, or this thing has happened to me, but it doesn’t define me.” They begin to create this life and future for themselves.
Q: You mentioned clients who’ve been recently diagnosed and are trying to figure out what to do with that information. How do you help them navigate that experience? Does having a label or diagnosis make things feel more manageable or more overwhelming?
It really depends on the person. For some people, getting a diagnosis can actually be almost relieving—finally, there’s a name for what they’re experiencing. They think, “Finally, I know what this is.” That can sometimes be very helpful.
Other times, a diagnosis doesn’t feel that way. People’s cultural, familial, or previous ideas about mental health come into play. Maybe they have assumptions about what that diagnosis means, and the meaning they make around it can be off-putting and create challenges.
They’re trying to understand what that means for their identity. That’s why when I’m working with clients we focus more on what’s going on in their life: what are the symptoms they’re feeling, and how can we help with that?
For example, if somebody is dealing with negative thoughts, rather than focusing on “you’re diagnosed with depression,” we can talk about how it feels that it’s really hard to get out of bed every day, or that they’re not enjoying things they used to enjoy. That’s how we connect with clients. The goal is to help improve their lives. It’s not about convincing them that their experience has to be called something specific.
Q: That’s such a thoughtful approach to meeting people where they are with their diagnosis. But I imagine some clients come in feeling skeptical or shut down, maybe from previous experiences. How do you build trust with someone who might be feeling that way?
One of the things I think is really important is that I try to listen to clients and really hear what’s going on for them—and believe them. Often, people have had previous experiences where they reached out for help and were told, “That’s not a problem,” or they weren’t really believed in some way. That can cause people to be skeptical and shut down.
I try to focus on the fact that their experience of their life is what it is. They’re the experts in their experience of their life, and I honor that.
Another thing that I personally, and RevCore as a whole, do well, is providing trauma-informed care. I’ve been trained in EMDR, which is a trauma therapy, but trauma-informed care is different from just trauma-focused care. We understand that any client who walks through our door, we don’t know what experiences they’ve had with trauma.
Our goal is that from the moment they walk in, they can feel safe enough at RevCore to be comfortable engaging in treatment. This happens with our front desk staff, it happens in all sorts of ways. We really try to instill that sense of safety.
Q: You mentioned trauma-informed care and creating safety from the moment someone walks in. It sounds like RevCore takes a really comprehensive approach. Can you tell us more about what that looks like in practice?
Absolutely. We look at clients as whole people. Yes, they have a mental health need that’s bringing them here, but they often have other needs too. Maybe they need help with housing, food, employment, or a host of other things. As a program, we really try to address those needs as well.
We have peer services, and if RevCore doesn’t provide certain direct services, we can at least connect clients with somebody who does. We’re really addressing them as whole human beings, not just their mental health symptoms.
Q: It’s clear you’re passionate about this holistic approach. What drew you specifically to RevCore, and what keeps you here?
It’s a really class-A team. Every therapist here is so skilled as clinicians, and they really care about the clients they’re working with. One thing that matters to me a lot—and this is why I’m here at RevCore—is that I believe therapy and mental health care should be available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
I don’t think good mental health care should just be for people who can pay $300 an hour to a therapist. Good quality care should be a given. I’ve heard stories from other places where this isn’t always the case, and I’m sometimes surprised when I hear about other treatment experiences from clients. But one thing I feel so good about being here at RevCore is that this is really good quality care. Clients who come to this program are going to receive excellent mental health care.
Q: For someone who might be comparing options or wondering what to expect, what specifically makes RevCore’s approach different?
It’s this attention to addressing their mental health needs comprehensively. Sometimes the gold standard for treating certain conditions is both medication and therapy, and we have a really good team for providing that. Plus, we address any other needs clients have coming in. We have a really good system for connecting clients to those additional resources.
Q: That comprehensive approach sounds really impactful. When clients experience this kind of care, what tends to surprise them most about the therapy process?
What often surprises clients is when progress is happening. They’re so used to being in the thick of it—maybe they’ve been dealing with trauma or crisis situations in their lives—that it can be difficult for them to recognize the progress they’ve made.
As a therapist, I have that outside perspective. I’m not in the thick of it with them, so I’m able to catch things and say, “Whoa, did you hear what you just said?” When I’m able to call that out, it’s sometimes surprising to them. They didn’t realize how far they’d come.
That’s one of the big benefits of therapy. The joy for me isn’t just that I see the progress—it’s when I see the client recognize it in themselves. Their whole demeanor changes, and they embody that feeling of progress. It’s just wonderful. The joy for me as a therapist is that I got to witness it and be alongside them during that moment.
Q: Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us, Ruth! If there’s someone reading this who is struggling with their mental health—or knows someone who is—what message would you want them to hear?
To anyone who’s recently received a mental health diagnosis: that diagnosis doesn’t define who you are. You’re still the same person you were before you had that label, and you have every ability to create the life and future you want for yourself. Whether the diagnosis feels helpful to you or feels overwhelming, we’re here to meet you exactly where you are.
To family and friends of someone struggling with mental health: your support means everything, but remember that healing isn’t linear. There will be good days and difficult days. Be patient with your loved one’s journey, and don’t be afraid to seek support for yourself too.
And to anyone who’s thinking about reaching out for help but feels hesitant: you deserve quality mental health care, regardless of your financial situation or what you’ve been through before. You’re the expert on your own experience, and we believe you. That first step—just walking through our doors—is often the hardest, but it’s also the most important. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Help is available, and all it takes is a phone call to us at (212) 966-9537. We’re here, and we’re ready to listen.
If you or someone you know could benefit from mental health support, RevCore’s Mental Health Program offers comprehensive, compassionate care. Contact us at (212) 966-9537 to learn more about our services.
Our services are available in clinics, at home, or in community settings, and we accept Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care, and most Aetna plans (excluding Aetna Medicare). Don’t see your insurance? We also offer sliding scale fees to keep care affordable.
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