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Helping My Patients See Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Priceless Reward, Says Dr. Kim Chronister

It has only been in recent times that there has been a collective awakening across the globe in regards to the importance of our mental health. It has been a long, hard struggle, but we have now thankfully reached a consensus that looking after our mental health is just as important as looking after our physical health. Dr. Kim Chronister has been described by many as a natural-born psychologist, and it’s a hat she has been happy to wear since a young age. As an individual who’s always believed there is nothing more fulfilling than being someone people can turn to in times of need, Dr. Kim Chronister feels relieved that the rest of the world has finally caught up with the importance of mental health.

“For many of us, our parents would take us to visit a doctor when we had a sore throat and fever or when we broke a limb as children. Yet, if we were anxious, nervous, depressed, or had a phobia or an eating disorder, nine times out of ten, our parents would tell us that it was nothing to worry about, and we would eventually get over it,” explained Dr. Kim Chronister. “Thankfully, modern parents take a different approach. Mental health problems are no longer a taboo or something to be brushed under the table. Everyone will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life, and it’s an absolute privilege to work in a healthcare system that acknowledges and caters to that. Listening to and talking to people and reassuring them that they are not alone and their concerns are valid, helping them through their problems, and making them believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel are definitely some of the most fulfilling aspects of being a clinical psychologist.” 

As someone whom people naturally gravitate to with their problems and anxieties, Dr. Kim Chronister feels being a psychologist is more than a job; it’s a calling. She insists that her main motivation when she started was the same as it is now, and that’s to “add value to other people’s lives.” Dr. Chronister further explained, “The light that slowly comes on in a client’s eyes when they finally realize they are not alone in their journey and there is a wealth of resources to draw upon is simply priceless and a reward without equal. For far too many years, individuals with mental health problems suffered alone and in the dark. Those days are now over, and I cannot express how fulfilling it is to be working in a profession that has played a significant part in that.”

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