The heart of the Matter
At the beginning of each semester at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, it was pretty inevitable that at least one professor would ask each student to share why they wanted to get into the field. My answer changed each semester, but the answer I remember best went something like this, ‘I’ve been through so much pain in my life and there is so much pain in the world that I want to help people find the strength and find some hope to get through it.’
If you asked me today why I’m a counselor, I’d probably say something similar. I’ve been blessed with a good education, some great mentors, and some great experiences in various fields of social work, but because of my own journey I know that help needs to be ‘real and practical’ and that the helper needs to be ‘authentic and compassionate’ as well as knowledgeable.
The Specifics:
I’ve spent the last 23 years working in the substance use and mental health field all beginning with a volunteer year in beautiful Clevedon, North Somerset, England as seen above. In 2009, I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Master’s in Social Work and then became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2011. I’ve worked in nearly every setting: case management, inpatient, outpatient, and intensive outpatient.
I have been the clinical director of an agency that saw around 1000 people walk through its doors each year. I’ve supervised students of various levels in addition to individuals seeking to be licensed as professional counselors and social workers.
After some soul-searching in the summer of 2014, I realized that I needed to step away from the never ending piles of paperwork and unending phone calls that come with administration and leadership and focus on what I loved the most.
Thus in September of 2014, Paul J. Mahler LCSW LLC was born and today my work focuses on working directly with individuals, couples, and families, and providing clinical supervision to students and professional counselors seeking to grow their skills or gain licensure.
I also have a certificate in Christian Counseling through Spiritbuilders Ministries which was based out of Claremont, New Hampshire and led by Pastor Russell Leitch, who unfortunately passed away in the summer of 2015. I have served in various roles over the past 25 years including serving as an Associate Pastor of a small church and leading house church meetings. The major lesson I learned from Pastor Russ is that ‘No one cares what you have to say, until they know that you care.’ I currently attend NewOne Church in Farmington, Connecticut, and am involved in prayer ministry and help lead Bible Studies. My spiritual journey has taken me all over the world and has had many different expressions through the years, and therefore I welcome all clients wherever they may be on their personal journey and whether they want to make it part of their counseling experience or not.
I am married to a beautiful woman named Michele who has fought a courageous battle against Lyme Disease. She is an advocate and caregiver to our daughter who has struggled with chronic health issues for the past 10 years. She does billing and administrative work for the practice while also working as a full-time medical biller for a medical practice. Whenever possible, we are out walking and photographing birds throughout Connecticut. My daughter, Morgan, is my hero as she fights to get healthy. Although, she usually cannot come out with, she is quickly becoming a bird expert herself. If not with them I’m likely to be reading Sci-fi or post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction, watching English Premiership Football, or watching the Walking Dead. I also love to travel and have spent time living in England, Greece, as well as visiting Turkey, Egypt, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. I haven’t quite decided whether the Lake District in England or the White Mountains of New Hampshire are the closest representation of Heaven on Earth.