Gilon Marts - Clinical Therapist, Children's Home Society of Florida
Gilon's passion lies in helping others live full, skillful lives, and her hustles embody that passion. First and foremost, Gilon is a clinical therapist at Children’s Home Society, where she works with children in or from foster care and helps support their families. In addition, Gilon founded the Walking Well Podcast where she helps women find and harness all that they were created to be. Somehow in-between both hustles, she finds time to write and create content for Buzzsprout and Truth Republic, too. Gilon is genuine in her desire to impact the lives of those she encounters, and we can certainly use more of that.
The Basics:
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Current city: Jacksonville, FL
Alma mater: University of Florida; University of North Florida
Degree: B.S., Family, Youth, and Community Sciences; M.S., Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Very first job: Cinotti’s Bakery
Hustle: Clinical Therapist, Children’s Home Society; Content Creation, Buzzsprout
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
My Mom! That woman is fierce and diligent and tender. She is amazing at knowing when to be what and to whom. I’ve watched her grow and evolve over my lifetime and it’s helped me accept that I am forever in the process of becoming.
What book(s) have you’ve gifted the most and why?
I have gifted “Boundaries” by Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend to a number of people. I’m not a person that struggles with saying no, but I've found that a lot of people do. Boundaries is the perfect mud clarifier when it comes to what kinds of access and giving are appropriate, and what kinds are detrimental.
What’s your favorite app, website, or blog?
I love Pinterest! If I have a vision or ambition, it's a great way to collect inspiration or thoughts to help me execute.
What’s your favorite self-care ritual?
I purpose to have ‘quiet time’ at the start of every day. I have a patio that I sit on that overlooks a pond because nature helps me feel clear and ready to talk to God. Praying, reading my Bible and setting intentions for the day help me start on “full.”
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle.
So, I do a number of things. My day job is being a therapist to kiddos in and from foster care as well as supporting their families. It’s tough, but amazing and so necessary. I also have a podcast, the Walking Well Podcast, that I’m constantly developing; I'm either in the middle of a season, recording for a season, or planning the next season. I’m also a part of the Buzzsprout Content Team. We have a podcast dedicated to helping anyone launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts. I also write for Truth Republic from time-to-time as well.
What led you to pursue a career in mental health counseling? Where do you think this passion stems from for you?
I love seeing people live full, skillful lives. I’m an enneagram 1, so if there’s a ‘right way’ to do life, I want to find it, and help people maximize their lives. I’m fascinated by how people, family systems, and communities work for the better or worse, so social work really became an avenue to help people heal and live fully.
We imagine that working with children can, at times, be both stressful and emotional. What are your strategies for remaining calm and focused when working with parents and kids?
I have to remind myself that I cannot “fix” or “heal” anyone—I'm merely a facilitator in a process that kiddos and parents have to be willing and ready to engage in. I also have to remind myself of boundaries—their life is not mine, and I am only responsible for and have control over my choices and decisions. That helps keep me out of the savior mentality or taking on fixing everyone’s life.
Tell us about the process of launching The Walking Well podcast. What inspired the endeavor, and what advice would you give to a fellow babe looking to dabble in the world of podcasting?
Launching the Walking Well podcast came from a place of believing so intensely in the inherent power and worth of women, but not seeing that same value placed on women in faith circles. Oftentimes women are developed in church exclusively for the roles that they will play in the lives of others (such as wife and mother) but rarely for themselves. I created Walking Well to help women launch into their God-given destinies for themselves, to be all that they were created to be. My advice for someone interested in starting a podcast would be to start! Do your research—there are tons of tutorials and how-to videos, but the most important thing is to do it! Don’t allow not knowing everything to stop you from beginning. You’ll figure out the finesse as you go along.
Why is female empowerment important to you? How do you strive for this personally and professionally?
Female empowerment is so important to me because I believe wholeheartedly in the fierceness and brilliance of women. I’m convinced God made the universe and women out of the same material. Women are not an afterthought or a supporting role. They are the spark and the engine. The world was built off the backs of women, and I just feel they should get their due portion of love, respect, and support because of it. I strive to live empowered by never shrinking. I aim to speak up, take up space, and advocate. Professionally, if I can create a safe space for women and girls to be seen and heard, I'm offering the space to embody the power they all inherently possess.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
My academic experiences prepared me to not be reckless or a liability in the field, but they did not actually prepare me to do the work—that came only by way of doing. So my various experiences with youth from all different backgrounds, histories, and cultures really helped shape me into an observant clinician who believes in and aims to serve the full humanity of her clients. It was my interactions with other amazing professionals, the families we worked with, and the situations I encountered that prepared me and continue to prepare me for the parts of the journey that lay up ahead.
What has been the most rewarding thing about working in counseling?
I love seeing broken things heal! In my work in the child welfare system, there can often be painful cycles within generations that lead to poverty, abuse, and neglect. My work as a therapist allows me to help clients choose new, healthier ways of being that hopefully they will continue and pass along to the generations after them, turning the tide not just in their life but in the lives that will undoubtedly come from them as well.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
Thus far, I’ve worked in female-majority fields. What I have loved about that is seeing women work well together. There are so many narratives as well as lived experiences of women not coexisting or working peaceably together. My experience has been that when women come together to enhance the lives of anyone, amazing things take place. The momentum and commitment are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
To be completely honest, being in the field is something I'm deeply proud of and grateful for. There was a time when I did not think reaching this ambition would happen for me but to be here and serving my families is the greatest gift thus far.
Are you involved with any other careers, side projects or organizations? If so, how do you balance this alongside your day-to-day responsibilities?
As I mentioned before, I have a number of other ventures along with my job as a therapist. My planner and calendar app have been two of my biggest assets in time management and project execution. Setting aside specific times for specific tasks, including rest, has been a necessary skill in meeting the demands of all my hustles.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
I’ve been privileged to work with so many amazing women, but the work that the women at the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center really set the tone for continuing to see people despite all that life has written on them. I carry the example that I witnessed and experienced firsthand from so many of the women I interned under with me in the work I do now.
How do you rest, recharge and find inspiration?
This has shifted for me over the past year or so. It used to be thrifting, baking, and reading poetry. But I haven't felt like reading in all the stillness that 2020 brought, and baking and thrifting feel more like chores. Being present with the people I love, being creative in connecting with them, and getting some sunlight has done so much to keep me full. Oh, and working out!
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Continue to do your self-work. This includes self-care—both physical and emotional. Resting. Reading and learning to be a better you. Spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, quiet time. Therapy (shameless plug). Having fun. Connecting with people as much as it fills you up- especially in a pandemic. There is no way to do anything you aspire to do without a healthy, full you.
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