When she started college, Samira A. was planning to become a nurse. But an elective course in social work inspired her to change course. Now with her master’s degree in social work, Samira works full-time in her field and volunteers as a counselor at Walk-In too.
Providing free counseling to all who need it, regardless of ability to pay, is work that Samira finds fulfilling.
“The diversity of the clients is something I look forward to,” Samira says. “You never know who is coming in today, and that is the beauty of it.”
Samira herself is originally from Somalia and moved to the United States from Kenya when she was 16. The experience of having been a refugee is one of many influences on who she is as a counselor, she says. Her work with different groups of clients has also shaped her.
Early in college, she chose to do community service at a women’s shelter, working with the children in the nursery. “I have a lot of nieces and nephews, I am an older sister, and I’ve always been a caretaker in my family,” she recalls. She felt a real connection with young people.
During graduate school, she fell in love with the therapy process when she began to work with adults — individuals and couples — in a therapy setting. “Now I work with all ages,” she says.
Samira knew about Walk-In for many years, often referring clients to the free, anonymous, no-appointment service. “I have wanted to volunteer at Walk-In for a long time,” she says.
Last year, she saw an opportunity in a new Walk-In program that helps counselors from underrepresented backgrounds pay the costs of counseling licensure. Samira applied and received the award. The funds helped make it possible for Samira to volunteer at Walk-In as well.
Recently, Samira worked with a husband and wife who came to Walk-In because of a problem with the wife’s mother. Over several sessions, the couple started to figure out they weren’t aligned on to deal with the mother. They began to listen to one another and realize where they were aligned, Samira recalls. “It was so beautiful to see the perspective they gained, as they went from looking outward to looking inward. There was a kind of breakthrough moment of, ‘oh my gosh, I have so much love to give to myself and my partner, ’” she recalls.
Being able to consult about the day’s cases with the counseling team after each clinic “has been a framework I really love,” Samira says. “We learn from each others’ different perspectives. I love that the counselors are from all different walks of life.”
“Walk-In is a great place to be,” Samira says. “It provides something that is missing in our community – accessible services for people without the ability to pay for it. The program supports whoever comes. That makes Walk-In unique.”