Claire Palius, Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS)
"My name is Claire Palius. I'm a mental health clinician at GALS."
"What makes my work meaningful is, of course, the students. I struggled with my own mental health when I was a teenager and young adult—that experience gives it more meaning to give back to those that are struggling as well. It means a lot that they can see someone that's been through similar things and how one can take those struggles and turn them into passions. We can take what we think are the negative parts of ourselves and use them as our strengths."
"I'm super passionate about the groups that we're running. One is called 'Look good, feel good, play good.' It's a group about self-esteem, healthy habits, coping skills, and managing anxiety. It's been a really beautiful thing to have a group of students come together and realize that they all struggle with the same things—they realize that they're not alone. And we as adults struggle with those things, especially during the pandemic. Body image is something that I've struggled with a lot. And so it's a really beautiful thing to be able to be open and talk about that. Bodies are changing at this age and here we focus on just feeling good as we are, using language that moves away from shame and guilt. We're learning how to quiet the critical side of us and strengthen our 'wise mind.' And we're learning how to appreciate ourselves for who we are, knowing that we always have a community and we're not alone."
