Meet Mara Gold | Mental Health Coach/Case Manager

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

Hi Mara, how do you think about risk?
When I think back to my relationship with risk after college, at the very beginning of my career, I was eager to get “to the top” right away. I saw what I believed to be THEE path to go on and took it. I love my enthusiasm for that early me and at that age, that’s what fit. As I grew in my career, I felt some discomfort but couldn’t define it and didn’t have a vision of what to do, so stayed in the position I was at. I guess I’d say I was scared of change. It took going through my personal journey with mental health to find that my own experiences can become a driving factor in my career path. It took a lot of retraining my brain to not have shame about my own experiences and take a risk in embracing them to help others. As a Coach/Case Manager for Insight Enrichment Group, I take a risk each time I meet with a client by sharing a part of my personal life to create a very “human” relationship. That’s not to say I don’t frequently fear the judgment, but the sense of purpose I gain from being vulnerable, and then seeing others feel safety in that and trust in people, is well worth the risk. I used to think that being loyal to solely my employer was the only path to success, but listening to my needs (personally and professionally), has allowed me to feel loyal to myself and thus allowing me to be even more loyal to the work I do. My definition of risk has changed over time and while I used to see this as not having a clear goal, I now recognize the the goals I have been able to meet. My current relationship with risk is ever-changing and I want to embrace that to ironically find comfort in my career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I feel so lucky to be able to have a job where professionalism comes from telling personal stories. I have the privilege of working with people to find their place in the world while working hard to come back from some tough times in life. Sharing my own experience of living with a mental health condition and what has worked in my recovery journey can provide hope and allow people to feel heard. Getting to this place has been far from easy. I’ve had to push myself out of my comfort zone and trust that my experience is something to be proud of rather than feel shame. To get to that point, I became willing to let others in because I was desperate to feel better and more comfortable in life. I want people to know that everyone deserves to find purpose, in whatever that looks like to them and being vulnerable is a strength.

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?
The absolute first place we would go is the ocean. One day could be spent at the famous Venice or Santa Monica beaches, but then sneak away to my favorite, Zuma Beach. Everyday would be filled with a big focus on food to show the amazing variations this area has to offer in just one region. From food trucks to sushi and everything in between, keeping bellies full is a must! Along with having our feet literally in the water, taking some of the gorgeous hikes that look over it would be our next course of action. At night, especially in the summers, we would go to Street Food Cinema to watch an outdoor movie while sitting on a blanket surrounded by food trucks. Even while living here, it sounds like a perfect vacation for myself too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Without a doubt my parents deserve this recognition! They have supported me in the many directions I have taken in finding what fits best for me. While many times it probably looked like I was jumping from one thing to the next, they encouraged me to continue my journey to find what I love and I can’t love them enough for that!

Website: https://www.insightenrichment.com