Life & Work with Erica Bales

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Bales.

Hi Erica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My life was stable and happy for a long time. I was settling into family life and my career as a social worker when my husband dropped a bomb on me in August of 2021 that he was not in love with me anymore. I was still breastfeeding my second child at that time. I had lost a lot of weight and fell into a deep depression. We separated in September of 2021, and I felt like losing myself. I could not concentrate or sleep, and I cried often. My health started to deteriorate after that. In May 0f 2022, I noticed a lump in my right breast. I thought it was a clogged milk duct because I had stopped breastfeeding a few months prior. I went to the gynecologist for treatment when it did not subside for a few days. At the gynecologist, she felt the lump and appeared to become nervous. She had her student feel the lump and called in another doctor to feel it for 2 more opinions. They rushed me next door immediately following that mammogram and ultrasound appointment. Within 2 hours, I went from thinking I had a clogged duct to knowing something was wrong. What followed was a biopsy. I remember sitting in the waiting room surrounded by breast cancer awareness posters and thinking. I don’t belong here. I’ve always been healthy and active and had no prior chronic medical conditions. I saw the results of my biopsy in MyChart not too long after. There was a lot of medical jargon that I did not understand. I messaged my husband (was husband), “I think I have Cancer.” Before I knew it, I was meeting with a breast surgeon and a breast oncologist, getting an MRI and a PET scan, and I had surgery to implant a port in my chest to administer the chemotherapy in 2 weeks. From there, I completed 4.5 months of chemotherapy. I would show up to chemotherapy with my work computer and do some work and then catch up on TV on my tablet. I brought a duffle bag full of things, including books and snacks. The staff at the Duke Oncology Center in Raleigh were so caring and compassionate, which was valuable for me then. There are many things they do not tell you about what chemotherapy means. It is actually an individualized plan depending on the Cancer that you have. I had to wear ice gloves and slippers when one drug was administered, which was a special form of torture. I had to sit there for 2-4 hours per treatment, which was initially weekly and bi-weekly later. I started to see the medicine bottles pile up at home, which was very foreign to me. I struggled with resentment. “Why is this happening to me?” I was still struggling with grief about my marriage and raising two small children. I thought, “I’m a trauma therapist and need to practice what I preach.” I cried when I needed to cry, slept when I needed to, wrote in my journal, and talked when I needed to. I was so fortunate to have many friends and family that helped me in many ways, even when I did not want them to. Ironically, the Cancer brought my husband and me closer, and we worked on healing from the loss of the marriage and the Cancer as a family. While going through chemo, I struggled with concentration issues, nausea, fatigue, weight gain, and various other symptoms. I was so focused on maintaining my career and parenting my children that I could often push through those symptoms. I had a handful of miserable days when I could not function, but I only called out of work once. I am extremely dedicated to my career. I love what I do. Next was the big surgery. To add to my grief, I was now about to lose a part of my body, which to me, represented femininity. I had a double mastectomy, non-nipple sparing, with reconstruction. I finally got good news; the pathology returned from the surgery showing that the tumor was 100% responsive to chemotherapy. I was Cancer-free. Next was radiation. 16 treatments. I joked that I was being microwaved daily for 4 weeks. Dark humor has been a major coping skill for me throughout the process. Radiation was, ironically, pretty restful. I lay in the machine for 15 minutes daily with warm blankets and music and then went on my way. I finished radiation on 1/25/23. I still have many follow-up appointments; OB oncologist, breast oncologist, plastic surgeon, breast surgeon, OT, etc. I am concerned about being diagnosed as BRCA-1 positive and possible lymphedema due to the removal of several lymph nodes during my surgery. It turns out I had stage 3 breast Cancer. I almost died. I am currently living in a state of gratitude for my life. I am truly starting to feel more like myself again. I am hopeful. I am a daughter, a mother, a friend, and a social worker, and I am important. I have always found purpose in my work. I am currently working as an outpatient Senior Therapist at Monarch. I still provide outpatient therapy, and now I supervise other therapists. I also started offering clinical supervision to provisionally licensed social workers. I facilitate a trauma therapy group. And now, I am striving to use my story to inspire others. Sometimes we must die figuratively to be reborn into a healthier version of ourselves physically and emotionally. I have gained so much insight and perspective from my experience. I hope to share that with the world.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
There is no change without struggle. I struggled physically and emotionally. Physically, I was poked, drugged, sick, lost my hair (all of it, even my eyebrows and lashes), cut open, and microwaved. I spent a great deal of time in medical facilities. Emotionally, I grieved, battled within myself, and saw my appearance changing before my eyes. No matter what was happening to me, I was still determined to help people as a social worker, and I had to ensure that my kids were fed, loved, and secure. I still made sure I let them be kids, took them out to play, and ensured that they were cared for by me, friends, or family. Nothing about this journey was smooth.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I graduated with a BA in Psychology from Binghamton University in 2008. From there, I got my first job as a housing assistant, working with adults with severe mental illness who were trying to maintain independent housing in the community. I fell in love with the work and realized I wanted to become a social worker. I obtained my master’s in social work in 2011 from Syracuse University. I worked in many different settings, various residential programs for kids, a nursing home, a psychiatric hospital, intensive home therapy for children and families, and eventually outpatient treatment. In each of my last 3 jobs, I was promoted to supervisory roles. I have a passion for not only helping people but also mentoring them. I am a natural caregiver. I work full-time as a Senior Therapist for Monarch, conducting outpatient therapy in community mental health and supervising staff. At Monarch, I facilitate trauma-focused group therapy. I also offer clinical supervision to provisionally licensed social workers in the community. The farther I get in my career, the more I can help people directly, and through the therapists I supervise. I am known for my leadership and well-rounded knowledge, particularly about family therapy and trauma. I am most proud of the success I have seen my clients and therapists achieve over the years and how I can balance that with my personal life no matter what I am going through. I am cursed with eternal optimism. I live and breathe a solution-focused mindset. I plan to provide continuing education training to peers in my field to continue my influence in this community.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Put love, kindness, and patience before anything else.

Pricing:

• $65/hour for clinical supervision