Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Lutts, LCSW.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Angela. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always enjoyed connecting with and helping people. In high school, when my psychology teacher told me I would make a good social worker, I had no idea what a social worker was. When I asked her what a social worker was, she responded (as many of my teachers did at the time), “Go look it up.” That was back in the day when we had to use the index in the back of a book, rather than the Internet, to find things. So, I found one small sidebar on one page of my psychology textbook that listed some things social workers do: help people find resources for basic needs (food, clothing, housing), advocate for people who are marginalized, protect people who are abused… you get the picture. These were all things I knew I would enjoy doing, and someone would pay me to do them, so I was psyched.
I was fortunate to get an academic scholarship to University of Texas at Arlington, which was close to home and had one of the largest schools of social work in the state. During my last semester, I completed my internship with Child Protective Services, mainly because they offered a stipend, and I had bills to pay. I continued to work for CPS for the next 7 years, in various positions. I started as a conservatorship worker, monitoring the safety and development of children in foster care and assisting parents in completing service plan objectives with a primary goal of family reunification. After about 2 years, I was offered a position as a CPS Legal Liaison in Dallas County, where I helped the Child Welfare Assistant District Attorneys and CPS workers with preparation for court cases. After 2 years in this position, I was offered a position as a regional education specialist, serving as an educational advocate for children in the foster care system, in 19 different counties. I also assisted in the development of statewide agency policies related to education for children in foster care. During my last year at CPS, I was a supervisor over a unit of conservatorship workers. Not only did CPS offer me invaluable experience, they offered state-of-the art training and professional development on management skills, cultural awareness and diversity (Undoing Racism through the People’s Institute), and the importance of wraparound services for clients. CPS also made it possible for me to obtain my Master of Science in Social Work and become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). I can say with 100% confidence that I would not be where I am today had it not been for the supervisors and coworkers I had at CPS, and the experience and training I received there.
During graduate school, I became interested in school social work. When I saw a social work position posted within the Irving Independent School District, where I attended as a child, I jumped on the opportunity. I filled out the application at midnight one night, got a call the next day for an interview, and was offered the position within a week. I served in this position for 5 years, as a member of a team who significantly decreased drop-out rates and increased graduation rates for students who had become pregnant or who already had children. I also worked closely with the director of health education to introduce a medically accurate sex education program to middle and high schools in the district to help prevent unplanned pregnancies. I was offered a promotion, and became the coordinator for the homeless education program for the school district. In this position, I advocated for students who were homeless or had been displaced, to ensure they were able to attend and participate in school, regardless of their residency. This program also provided needed services such as transportation, free school meals, and other assistance to help with basic needs. In 2013, I earned the honor of Texas School Social Worker of the Year. After 7 years with Irving ISD, I wanted to find a position that would offer more clinical experience in the field of mental health so that I could pursue my clinical license.
In July 2014, I was hired as a therapist for a behavioral health unit at a local hospital system. I worked in both the inpatient unit and the partial hospitalization (outpatient unit) program, primarily with adolescents who recently attempted suicide, were actively planning suicide, were engaging in self-harm or dangerous behaviors, or were experiencing psychosis. As a part of the multidisciplinary treatment team of doctors, nurses, and therapists, I worked to help the teens and their families through these times of crises.
In 2017, I earned my clinical social work license and started my private practice Embracing Hope Counseling & Family Services.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The journey hasn’t always been easy. Working at CPS opened my eyes to a whole different world of hurt that I had never been exposed to before. When funding was low and safe foster placement options were few, we had to take shifts to stay with youth in the office or a make-shift shelter overnight until more appropriate placements could be secured. Squeezing in the time for family while getting a master’s degree and working full time was tough. Over the years I have also found at times the business focus has overshadowed the goal of helping the individual clients. This has been a challenge in my previous positions, which has led me to where I am today in starting my own practice. Each of these challenges has helped me grow professionally, so although they were difficult to face, I am grateful for them.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I offer psychotherapy to adolescents and adults. Most of my clients are adolescents and women. I specialize in addressing family conflict, stressful relationships, depression and anxiety. I have extensive training in the treatment of psychological trauma and am certified in SBIRT (screening & intervention for substance abuse) and am trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). I also have extensive training in the treatment of trauma. I use a combination of Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Psychoeducation, depending on the specific needs of each client.
What were you like growing up?
I was quiet and shy in grade school, but opened up in junior high. In high school, I discovered I have a heart for helping others. I enjoyed art, music, and volunteering for various causes and organizations.
Contact Info:
- Address: 323 Westpark Way
Euless, Texas 76040(Inside True Connections Pediatrics office) - Website: www.embracinghopecounseling.com
- Phone: 817-918-7300
- Email: info@embracinghopecounseling.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/embracinghopecounseling/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/363720
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