Dallas Therapist Helps Clients Break Through Barriers
Pamela Bolen's expertise is working with children, teenagers and adults in crisis. She treats clients that are battling addictions like alcohol, drugs, pornography and sex. She gets to the root of phobias and other issues by utilizing her skill as a board certified clinical hypnotherapist.
Bolen went to school on a drama scholarship. When she changed her major to psychology, her scholarship went away, and her friends' parents and members of her church told her that she was making a big mistake. They told her that she couldn't make any money with a psychology degree and that she wouldn't be able to support herself. She didn't care.
"I felt so strongly that I wanted to pursue this that the financial end wasn't a concern," said Bolen, who finished her bachelor's degree in psychology from Texas Wesleyan University in two and a half years by taking extra courses.
When she applied for graduate school at the age of 20, she was told she was too young and possibly too immature for the program. Blessed with some professors who fought for her, Bolen was accepted into a program. She earned her master's in Psychology from Texas Woman's University.
As a single woman at the tender age of 21, she opened her private practice in counseling. Bolen loves working with teenagers because they are the most direct and honest.
For a few years, Bolen worked at the John Peter Smith Hospital in the emergency room evaluating patients with mental health issues. She also was a psychology instructor at Tarrant County College; counseled patients at Millwood Hospital and Charter Hospital, and a writer for "Cross Talk" Magazine.
Bolen has been married for 29 years, has three children and proudly survived their teenage years.
Currently, in her private practice another one of Bolen's specialties is hypnotherapy for sports enhancement. From professional golfers, to cheerleaders, to children, Bolen helps them overcome blocks so that they can perform their best.
"I knew that I had to get a master's degree in order to be able to do what I wanted to do," said Bolen. "It is very important to do internships. They will give you experience in the field you want to be in and possibly a job."
In regards to working and returning to school, Bolen said, "Just stick with it. Make a commitment to fit your lifestyle. Even if it is one class a semester, just do it because it is one class that you didn't have before. You can go back to school for five years and have a degree, or you can let those five years pass and not have a degree."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com
