Building Grit as a Therapist (Without Losing Yourself)
Meet Taylor: An Omaha Therapist on Motherhood, Grit, and Building a Sustainable Therapy Career
Stefanie:
Today we’re welcoming a very special guest–Taylor Dibble-Townsend. Taylor has a unique journey with us. She was actually our very first intern here at The Cord ,and she’s now one of therapists at The Cord and one of our Gritty Mentors for the Gritty Academy.
What makes Taylor’s story even more remarkable is that she’s had two babies while being with us, and now balances motherhood, marriage, private practice, and mentorship with a grounded confidence that newer therapists often ask about.
Taylor, welcome.
Taylor:
Thank you so much for having me. I’ve been a licensed therapist for almost five years now–it’ll be five years this December–and I’ve been with The Cord since the very beginning.
I actually started with Cathy at ATCN during the peak of COVID… while pregnant.
Watching the practice grow, becoming part of it while navigating early motherhood and my career, it’s been a really cool journey.
Stefanie:
I actually forgot that you were with Cathy even before The Cord officially opened.
Taylor:
Yeah–I think it was May 2020. Peak COVID. Everything felt upside down.
Stefanie:
That’s right. We were tiny then. COVID hit, everything shut down… and then we opened anyway.
Taylor:
Yes, when you were very, very small. And honestly, it’s been really meaningful to watch it grow into what it is now.
Taylor’s Background: Grit Before Graduate School
Stefanie:
You also came in with some really important experience before becoming a therapist. Can you talk about that?
Taylor:
Before grad school, I worked in the child welfare system as a case manager. I was working with kids who had been removed from their homes, families navigating foster care, and the court system.
I did that for about five years. And honestly–that job gave me a lot of grit.
Stefanie:
I was going to ask you about that. You came in gritty already.
Taylor:
Yeah, every day was different. There were really beautiful moments–reunifications, adoptions–and really heartbreaking ones too.
I still have moments from that job that live in my body.
But the biggest thing I learned was how to separate work life and home life. I wouldn’t have survived five years in that field without that skill.
And that ended up being huge for me later as a therapist.
How Do You Leave Heavy Work at Work?
Stefanie:
That leads right into a question we get all the time: how do you do this work and still go home to kids, a partner, and a full life?
Taylor:
One thing I learned early on was having a ritual for transition.
As a caseworker, I had a separate work phone. Turning it off and taking off my badge was a physical signal: work is done.
Now as a therapist, it looks different, but the intention is the same.
I don’t check email when I get home. My clients know I’ll respond during business hours unless it’s an emergency.
I also give myself the drive home to think about one hard client, and then I contain it and move on with my night.
Not perfectly. Just intentionally.
Therapist Hat vs. Human Hat
Taylor:
I think about my roles as hats.
When I walk into my office, I put on my therapist hat. When I go home, I take it off.
I don’t parent like an attachment therapist.
I don’t therapize my family.
I let myself be human.
That distinction saved me.
Stefanie:
Yes. Being a therapist at home often doesn’t work.
When It’s Okay to Take the Therapist Hat Off in Session
Cathy:
This morning I actually did something unusual in session. I told my client, “I’m taking off my therapist hat and putting on my Cathy hat.”
It wasn’t about technique, it was about letting him know how concerned I genuinely was.
Taylor:
That can be such a gift sometimes. Sitting with someone without being clinical. Just being human with them in the ick.
Cathy:
It takes confidence to do that.
What was it like to be a clinical intern and new provisional therapist really like?
Taylor:
Well, I was very pregnant throughout my entire internship and very, very sick and still working full time and raising a toddler. It was a wild journey. Looking back, I really actually don't know how I did it, but somehow I did it. I mean, I have an extremely supportive husband who really picks up the slack. And if I'm at 5%, he can be at 95%.
Stefanie:
I was very open to being wrong. That is like another little goosebump moment for me because I think that that is so important as a therapist (regardless of your experience), but especially as a new therapist,–I want to be open to being wrong and that is absolutely okay.
Taylor:
And I think that there was space for that though. Like there was no judgment if I was wrong.
But I think I made the conscious decision of, ‘I'm going to show up confident yet humble and know that I don't know everything.’
I have this unique experience of being a caseworker and working with families with trauma. So I feel like I have carried that throughout my journey as a therapist. I am still very confident in my ability to be a good therapist, but I also know that I don't know everything and that actually is okay and good.
I want to be wrong sometimes, because that is where I build grit, that is where I learn the best. So yes, my mantra for internship was, ‘this is temporary. All of this is temporary. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.’ And so coming in, I was on maternity leave for a little bit after I graduated for like a couple of months and then coming back.
If you’re early in your therapy career and feeling the growing pains (the second-guessing, the overthinking, the quiet confidence wobble), we put together a free resource just for you. It’s a collection of lessons we learned through years in the room, and what we truly wish we’d known sooner. Get the Free Resource on 7 Ways to Get Gritty.
When Did You Feel Like a “Real” Therapist?
Stefanie:
So pause for a second. I remember when you were an intern, and then you finished your internship, and then you came back to officially be a therapist with us.
What stood out to me was that, instead of hearing you say, “I don’t know if I’m real yet” or “I feel like an imposter”–which we hear from so many new therapists as they wrestle with imposter syndrome (a completely normal experience by the way), you didn’t really do that.
And that’s actually one of the things we love about you. There was this quiet confidence of, “No, I am real. I am legit.”
Not in a know-everything way–just in a grounded way. You really believed that. And like you came as a younger clinician and already had that.
Taylor:
Yeah, the younger thing is interesting because I was the youngest one by far for a long time at our practice, and that was intimidating sometimes. And that's not to say that I don't get intimidated still today, but I choose to show up in my best self, my most confident self as much as possible, even if my body is not feeling that all of the time.
And coming from a field where I was surrounded by other young professionals, into a practice where I was suddenly the youngest person in the room was a big growth and grit moment for me. It sparked this quiet sense of “I have something to prove,” which I think was actually good for me and motivated me.
Over time, it helped me build confidence and learn how to hold my own. It was a challenging dynamic, but one that shaped me in really important ways.
Life Outside the Therapy Room
Stefanie:
So Taylor, tell us a little bit about how, like even today, you manage your personal life and your professional life? And anything that maybe you do outside of being a mental health therapist that actually helps you be a stronger, grittier mental health therapist.
Taylor:
I’ve always known I’m an intense person, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but for a long time I lived at one extreme or the other. Over the last few years, I’ve really learned how to soften and find my stride, especially outside of being a therapist.
After I had my last baby about a year ago, I was very sick again, and it forced me to realize I couldn’t take my body for granted anymore. That’s when daily movement became non-negotiable for me.
Sometimes it’s a walk, sometimes a run, sometimes lifting heavy weights, but it’s something every day.
I’ve also learned how important it is, especially for moms, to intentionally create space for ourselves. If we don’t, life just keeps moving and we’re left holding everything. Learning to do that without guilt has been a game-changer.
I know this about myself: if I don’t move my body, I’m not a very good therapist, mom, or partner. I don’t always want to do it, but it’s non-negotiable.
A Gritty Mistake You Never Forget
Okay–switching gears a little–do you have a funny story from early in your career? One of those moments where something went sideways or unexpectedly right, and other therapists would read it and think, “Oh my gosh, that happened to me too.”
Taylor:
Yes, absolutely.
I remember being a wee baby therapist sitting in consultation with you, Stef. And at that point in my career, I had SO many teenagers. I don’t know why I did that to myself.
Stefanie:
You really did. You had mostly teenagers.
Taylor:
And a lot of teen boys. And if you’ve ever worked with teen boys, you know they are very good at hooking you into arguments.
I kept staffing this one case over and over again. And one day, Stef looked at me and said, “Do you realize you’re arguing with him every session?”
And I just remember thinking–my God.
I was like, that is exactly what I’m doing. Every single session, I was getting pulled in. He was so good at hooking my own teenage part, and suddenly I was arguing with him instead of doing therapy.
And honestly–I still think about that moment. I still get hooked sometimes. But now I have that little nugget of awareness.
There are so many funny stories working with teens–they really are a riot–but that one stuck with me. I just remember realizing, I am a professional therapist actually arguing with this kid every single session.
Stefanie:
I think that’s why consultation and supervision matter so much. I really see them as therapy for the therapist.
They’re the places where we can hold mirrors up for each other. And here at The Cord, and especially in The Gritty Academy –we want people to know that this goes both ways.
If you see me as your supervisor doing something and you notice it, I want that mirror too. I need someone to say, “Hey–what are you doing right there?”
Taylor:
Yes, absolutely.
Stefanie:
Because we don’t always know until someone tells us, right?
The “I’m Not Good Enough” Voice
Stefanie:
One of the things we really want our listeners to understand is that all of us–therapists and humans–carry negative thoughts about ourselves, about others, about the world.
So Taylor, can you share a thought you’ve had about yourself that has changed over time? We want newer therapists to hear this and think, “Maybe the story I’m telling myself right now isn’t permanent.”
Taylor:
Yeah. Definitely.
The one that comes up for me–and I think for a lot of people–is I’m not good enough.
As a new therapist, especially with the unique experience of sitting with Cathy and then working with clients she had previously seen, that thought showed up a lot. It sounded like: I’m not good enough. I’m not Cathy.
But over time, as I kept seeing clients and started finding my own rhythm, my own style, something shifted.
The moment I stopped trying to be Cathy Schweitzer or Stefanie Armstrong–and stepped into my most authentic self, as both a therapist and a human–that voice started to quiet.
That doesn’t mean it never shows up. I still have moments where I feel nervous or intimidated by a certain case or client. But I’m no longer trying to show up as someone else.
I show up as Therapist Taylor.
You’re going to get some humor, a little sarcasm, a lot of teaching, and a therapist who will push you and help you stretch.
And honestly, the more I leaned into that, the quieter the I’m not good enough voice became.
Parting Wisdom
Stefanie:
As we start to wrap up, Taylor, is there anything you’d want our listeners to really walk away with? Any parting wisdom for therapists who are earlier in their journey?
Taylor:
I think the biggest thing is remembering that you can show up humble and confident at the same time.
You can hold humility and still trust that you’re a good therapist.
There’s such a fine line–between confidence that can come off as arrogance, and humility that can slide into self-doubt or fear. And part of the work is figuring out how you walk that line.
One of the things I tell my mentees all the time is that those two things can coexist. You don’t have to choose between being grounded and being confident.
And what that balance looks like for me isn’t going to look the same for you — and that’s okay. The work is discovering what it looks like in your body, your practice, and your season.
Stefanie:
Yes, they really can coexist.
And I love that word humble. Showing up humble doesn’t mean you aren’t real or capable. You went to graduate school. You learned the theory. You did the internships. You earned your seat at the table.
But part of the gritty growth journey is being willing to stay humble–to keep learning, reflecting, and growing.
If you can ride that wave of humility instead of constantly competing with yourself or others, it will serve you in the long run.
Taylor, thank you for coming on the podcast. This was such a rich conversation, and we’re so grateful for you.
A Note Before You Go
If this conversation resonated–if you recognized yourself somewhere in it or caught yourself thinking, I needed that reminder–we want you to know this isn’t just a one-off conversation.
The themes Taylor shared here–learning to hold confidence and humility at the same time, finding your own rhythm as a therapist, setting boundaries without losing heart–are the same kinds of lessons we work through every day inside The Gritty Academy here in Omaha, where Taylor now serves as a mentor to other therapists.
Those real, lived conversations are also what shaped our newest class, The Grit Shift.
The Grit Shift was created for therapists who feel the quiet weight of this work and want a steadier way to hold it–not by doing more or trying harder, but by noticing sooner, grounding more fully, and reconnecting with what matters most in this profession.
If you’re in a season where you’re craving clarity, steadiness, and a way to stay human in the work, this class was built with you in mind.
Taylor Dibble-Townsend, LIMHP, is a therapist at The Cord and a P360 Mentor who brings a grounded, human approach to trauma and attachment work. Before becoming a clinician, she spent years in the child welfare system, giving her an in-depth understanding of how foster care and court involvement impact kids, teens, and families in Nebraska and Iowa. Taylor works with children, teens, adults, and families, and you can expect a mix of transparency, empathy, genuine care — and a little humor — in session.
