Some advice from a not-so-traditional intern

It was time for a change. That’s not an unusual thought for, say, a woman in her late forties going through a possible mid-life crisis. After over 20 years in the mental health arena as a therapist, I had come to the end of my rope. Burned out and a tad overwhelmed, it was time to follow my passion. I wanted to enter the field of public relations again and stay.

My initial graduate degree in public relations was 16 years old… archaic by public relations standards. So, at the beginning of 2026, I found myself in a room full of 20-somethings, fine-tuning my writing skills and learning the tools of digital marketing. Though I had years of professional experience behind me, my colleagues schooled me on how to be efficient and savvy online.

When I came to the end of my time at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I thought, “NOW, I’m ready.” The job hunt began. Companies didn’t know quite what to do with a reformed therapist with a doctorate in mental health. I was overqualified… or under. Take your pick. One company took a chance on me. Turns out, HMA Public Relations was looking for exactly what I offered: life experience with a willingness to start again.

Now, for those of you looking to get into the public relations field, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Turns out, all the technology upgrades you make in yourself are great and all, but they don’t give you the key to success. The “relations” part of public relations is where the value lies. I can say with confidence that my years as a therapist helped me build relationships, and I am happy to use those skills now, but my colleagues at HMA Public Relations are on a different level. They run like an encyclopedia (remember, I’m old school) of the who, what and why of media. It’s a case study on media relations.

I thought I was ready, but in my first month of interning here, I realized I had so much left to uncover, and it wasn’t going to be taught in school. Public relations is about understanding how the people in media write, how they want to be heard and how the PR specialist can meet their needs. The therapist in me keeps reminding me to listen first. Research is also key to understanding your client and your media. Learn as much as you can. Make them feel heard. Finally, when all else fails, lean on your experienced colleagues. Everyone at HMA truly understands how to be successful in this field. I am grateful to Abbie and the team for giving me the opportunity to surround myself with such knowledgeable practitioners.

So, turns out I can still use my skills as a therapist to just listen, though this time I am not trying to diagnose you… that would be an added fee.