Get-to-know-you: Emma Martinez, LCSW
A fun Q&A with Emma Martinez!
Q: What’s something you remember vividly from your own clinical supervision as a new therapist?
Emma: Supervision was tough at times! I recall feeling intimidated and vulnerable, while also being inspired. I knew these were perfectly normal feelings, but that didn’t change how hard it was to navigate over the years. It always felt like a lot… especially while juggling a hectic work and life schedule…which I’m sure many can relate to. During supervision, I had to push myself to show up with curiosity, muster up confidence, and maintain a healthy growth mindset. I learned a lot about myself through that process and my experience with supervision directly informs the spaces I create with and for people I supervise now.
Q: What are you most passionate about helping supervisees discover or unlearn?
Emma: I feel strongly that being a practitioner can (and should!) look different for everyone. We don’t all have to use the same fancy language, or know complicated acronyms, or be an expert in specific modalities, etc. to effectively serve people in need and have an impact. I believe that when we lean into our authentic selves and bring our passions to the surface, we create space for true connections and cultivate our own unique roadmaps and styles as practitioners.
Q: What’s one topic you secretly love geeking out about in supervision?
Emma: As someone who works in school settings, it’s fun to compare notes with others to keep up with current social trends influencing children and adolescents…it’s wild what you hear in a school building! I also love a passionate conversation about fixing broken social and organizational structures and systems…because why not, right?
Q: What kind of clients or clinical material light you up the most?
Emma: As someone who is biracial and bicultural- identity work guides and defines me. I enjoy exploring the complexity and depth of our variety of identities and how this shapes our lived and perceived experiences. I’m often drawn to working with people navigating life transitions- it’s really powerful to help someone find or rediscover their own agency and identity and help them make meaning of it. Further, I find myself drawn to trauma work with adolescents because I feel developmentally this is a critical time to build awareness and understanding. I’m particularly drawn to and currently learning about more alternative interventions such as play, art, somatic, and animal-assisted therapies.
Q: What’s your go-to mood-lifter when you’ve had a hard therapy day?
Emma: Getting outside for a hike or adventure with my dogs, putzing around in the garden…and eating crunchy salty snacks…that usually does the trick! I also love getting sucked into a TV series or movie when I need to take my mind off things.
Q: Fill in the blank: “If you’re a new therapist who ____, we’ll probably get along great.”
Emma: Someone who is interested in exploring clinical work on both micro and macro levels. My background has been based in examining and helping people navigate complicated medical and school systems through clinical case management, leadership, and supervisory roles. I often pull from models that look at individuals as part of larger systems and influenced by interconnected factors including family dynamics, social networks, community, and broader societal structures.
Bonus Prompt:
Complete the sentence: “Supervision with me feels like…”
A safe and friendly place to regularly land for support, collaborative learning, exploration, and growth…with some laughs and an occasional curse word peppered in! We’re expected to carry a lot as professionals in this field and I believe an important aspect of supervision is being able to unwind and release in an intentional way, which looks different for everyone.
