Peace Through Courage
Taking the first step into counseling can feel daunting and overwhelming. A lot of people confuse strength for “you should be able to just handle this and if you can’t, you’re the problem”. The reality is…. life is hard. Being human means feeling a continuum of emotions that at times can be overwhelming and terrifying. Peace through courage is a simple statement that in practice can feel like moving mountains. It takes courage to face ourselves, our history, and our trauma. It takes courage to find our peace. Clarity Point is about that journey of finding Peace Through Courage.
Deanna Petrilli
LMHC, SUDP, CCPT
Hello, My name is Deanna Petrilli founder of Clarity Point. My interest in behavioral health has been a calling since I was young. I was always “that person” people went to for advice because I had a higher level of understanding and empathy. It was that quality and my interest in human behavior that propelled me into the field of Psychology.
I grew up in Spokane where I started college through the Running Start program when I was in high school. I knew I wanted my degree in psychology and my path never wavered. Once I graduated high school, I moved to Tri-cites WA and completed my Bachelors of Science in Psychology. It was in this timeframe that I was able to obtain my first job working in community mental health. I worked full time while I continued my education to obtain my Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Walla Walla University. I have now worked 2024 years in the behavioral health field. My experiences span from residential treatment facilities, inpatient social work, court representative for inpatient treatment, therapy, supervisor, and crisis work.
As a professional working for crisis services I was able to gain the vital experience of being embedded within law enforcement as a co-responder. I worked alongside first responders as we addressed behavioral health crises in our community. This gave me invaluable opportunities to see people outside of a clinical setting. To hear people explain their struggles in an office is one thing, but I have been allowed to meet people where they are at and help them through a crisis in real time.
By being a co-responder, I saw and experienced what the job can take from a person on those hard days. While I was working with First Responders, I was given the responsibility to run and re-vamp the Crisis Intervention Team training (40 hour CIT course) for Benton/Franklin county. I attended the FBI hostage negotiation training course, which allowed me the opportunity to work with SWAT. I am certified in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and assisted local departments development of their peer programs.
There are many things that set counselors apart from one another but I believe and value the opportunity that was given to me; of seeing life in real, raw form. It is this experience that gives me a different perspective, which I utilize to help others.
