Meet Trailblazer Mish Moore

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mish Moore.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mish. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I earned my Masters in Clinical Mental Health in 2013 and immediately was hired as a therapy-focused art teacher at a school called Humanex Academy, which specializes in creating a safe and supportive learning environment for middle and high school students who need some extra accommodations. There I taught art, drama, and film and loved connecting with students in creative and compassionate ways. I worked there for four years until I learned about Sources of Strength. I am now a National Trainer; I travel the country working in schools and communities. I help increase trusting relationships between teens and adults, helping create teams that can use evidence-based means to protect against teen suicide and other risk factors that many communities face today. I work to help adults champion the powerful voices of young people who have overcome real adversity, allowing them to share their stories and help others engage with strength in the process. These “strengths” as we call them (Family Support, Positive Friends, Mentors, Healthy Activities, Generosity, Spirituality, Medical Access, and Mental Health) are factors that research has told us can help groups and individuals cope well and grow even while facing difficult circumstances. I get to travel and train groups, equipping teams to start waves of strength in their communities.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been fortunate to have a great team at Sources of Strength with similar values and drive as me. Many of my colleagues are my “chosen family”, instilling in me equal doses of confidence, compassion, and inspiration. Throughout my life, I have struggled with anxiety and I have, at times, needed to rely on my own strengths as well as the strengths of those around me when facing difficult emotions of anger, anxiety, or sadness. My best advice for women starting their own journey is to remain curious and open; pursue mentors who can help you become the best version of yourself and value your own voice as much as you may make room for the voices of others. We need you!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sources of Strength – what should we know?
At Sources of Strength, it is very important that we are evidence-based. We also believe in the power of story, whether of an individual or community. Science tells us that how we face stress, big or small, really matters! Every person will face difficult times, but we can always grow stronger. We value a growth-mindset that allows room for change. At Sources of Strength, I personally specialize in helping train groups, create engaging content, and increasing connectedness among the staff.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
As women, we tend to value the voices of others more than ourselves. Much of this is conditioning that results in an imposter syndrome. Without realizing it, we believe that others have more important things to say, are smarter, or more qualified. In doing so, we can mistake humility with fear — and everyone misses out when this happens. We must learn to balance humility with confidence, tempering caution with curiosity, and valuing our own voices as much as the voices of others.

Other than that, I highly recommend keeping a gratitude journal, based on the science that naming three new things that we are grateful for each day for 21 days will change our brain chemistry, making us more positive, accurate, and successful at our jobs and relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: SourcesofStrength.org

Image Credit:
Personal headshots from Wilhelmina Denver

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