Rising Stars: Meet Penelope Hatter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Penelope Hatter.

Hi Penelope, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Growing up, I never thought I would be a therapist. I originally was going to take the journalism track but found out quickly in college it was not for me. I started taking different classes during the undergraduate to try and figure out what I wanted to do. I found myself drawn to family and human development and psychology classes. I graduated from ASU with my Bachelor’s in Family and Human Development. I still wasn’t certain I was going to be a therapist, but I knew I wanted to do something with children. I worked at a preschool and had various nanny jobs. It was during my time as a preschool teacher when I felt the urge to do more, help more, and have a bigger impact with families in need. My adventure took me to Utah next where I explored different options for my master’s degree. I explored different programs and fell in love instantly with the Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s Program at Argosy University. I spent the next couple years in school and doing practicums. I knew I was in the right place and loved every minute of graduate school. After graduating with my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, I started working in an inpatient facility on their military units. I was part of an amazing team that treated active-duty men and women for PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use, etc. I was privileged and honored to work with this special population and walk with them on their healing journey. My next adventure brought me to Colorado where I continued to work in inpatient settings. During this time, I worked mostly with adolescents seeking treatment and stabilization. This experience really opened my eyes to the challenges adolescents face in today’s society and the support that is needed for this population. This is another special population I was honored to work with. My next adventure brought me back home to Arizona in 2020. I began working with adults in an outpatient setting and ran IOP/PHP groups. I found I enjoyed the outpatient setting a lot and knew I wanted to continue to pursue work in this type of setting. Next, I began working as a therapist with Love Story Therapy in 2022 and found this is where I belong! I am now working with adults and couples. I work with a variety of presenting issues that include depression, anxiety, PTSD, relational conflict, infidelity, and more. I feel honored to be part of the healing journey of my clients and have found my passion. I recently attended trainings for perinatal mood disorders and plan to become certified in that specialty in early 2024. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely a lot of bumps on the road. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do and where I felt I belonged. Becoming a therapist has a lot of challenges. As you start working with clients, you notice some of your own issues coming up, and it can be triggering and catch you off guard. I think a hard lesson to learn is as a therapist “you can’t fix everything, and you can’t help everyone.” My passion is helping others, and I have struggled with accepting I can’t help everyone. Acceptance has been a daily journey for me as a therapist. Another challenge is burnout. As a therapist, you hold space for your clients, and it can be easy to experience burnout if you aren’t engaging in enough self-care. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with Love Story Therapy. I specialize in adults and couples. I see adults experiencing challenges with depression, anxiety, bipolar, trauma, substance abuse, etc. I see couples experiencing challenges with infidelity, communication, disconnection, stressors relating to blended families and parenting. I am working toward my certification in perinatal mental health and can’t wait to work with that population more. I am most proud of my decision to enter the private practice setting. For numerous reasons, this was a scary journey for me, and I am proud I was able to trust myself to make the leap. I believe I am genuine when with my clients, and I am extremely comfortable with silence! I am not that therapist that will break the silence during an emotional moment in session. I hold space for people to feel their emotions and help them become comfortable in discomfort. And of course, I have a great sense of humor and enjoy laughs with my clients as well. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My values. Without my values, I don’t have my foundation. I believe we all need to look at our values regularly and reflect on our actions. The big question we need to ask ourselves is: “Do my actions and words reflect my values or do they not?” I think it can be easy to get disconnected from ourselves in the chaos of life, and we need to remember our values to help find our way back to ourselves. 

Pricing:

• $155 per 50-60 minute session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lovestorytherapy.com/