Today we’d like to introduce you to Serena Messina.
Hi Serena, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My passion for psychology started as an undergraduate in Rome, the city where I was born. There, I decided that I was going to graduate school to earn a PhD and do research on how early relationships in life influence people’s emotional well-being. As part of my PhD program, I was trained by Dr. Deborah Jacobvitz, who is a very prominent researcher in the attachment field at the University of Texas at Austin. I came to Austin for a couple of months in 2007 to work with Dr. Jacobvitz and one night, decided to go out and dance tango, one of my favorite pastimes. That night, I met my now husband and my life completely changed. I went back to Rome after dating him for less than two months, and we started a long-distance relationship for about one year and a half. After, I obtained a visitor scholar position to come back to UT Austin in 2007. While doing research and teaching at UT, I felt a strong desire to intervene/help research participants with the issues I was so passionate about. This desire prompted my decision to start a second PhD program in psychology, this time with a clinical focus, at UT Austin. Today I have a thriving private practice, where I offer therapy and psychological assessment to children and adults. My work is a fundamental part of what allows me to call Austin my second home, as I made so many friends among my colleagues and built a community around me while creating my family. I would never have imagined that my passion for attachment theory would have had such a strong impact on my personal life too!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although I stand behind my decision to move to Austin, and I am so grateful for what Austin offered me, adjusting to life here was not always easy. I have been here about 12 years and it took almost 10 years to really feel at home in Austin. At first, I suffered getting used to a new lifestyle and was sad as I missed my close friends and family. I missed strolling around a big city like I used to do in Rome, and chatting with my best friend, whom I had known since elementary school. I was in love with my husband and excited about building a family with him, but sad that I was raising my children so far from where I grew up and from my community in Rome. This has probably been the hardest part for me. Over time, I was able to make new close friends here, which made a huge difference. I still become homesick, particularly around holiday times, and I am in pain every summer when I leave Rome after our summer visit. It comforts me though, that my children feel at home in Rome when we go there. Once I am back, I look around the beautiful trees, the pools, get back into a job I love, and feel the friendly atmosphere of our town and this helps me remember why I call Austin my second home.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Messina Psychological Services?
I am a psychologist who offers therapy and psychological testing to children, adults and families. I provide services in English, Spanish, and Italian. I have extensive expertise in attachment theory and I help my clients explore how interpersonal relationships influence their emotional life. I work from a culturally sensitive lens and frame my clients’ well-being in the context of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I am passionate about supporting my clients through life transitions, such as having a child, moving to a new city/country, changing school or job and any stress related to taking a new step in life.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Since I was a child, I have always loved hearing and reading a good story. Now I bring this love to my work, and I am always ready to embrace the stories that my clients bring me with a curious mind and an open heart. In my experience, people do their best to survive as well as they can with the resources that are available, and I have a lot of respect for all the struggles my clients cope with. I think clients feel my non-judgmental stance and collaborative attitude, and see me as a knowledgeable and supportive companion in their life journey. I love my job and the opportunity it offers me to continue growing emotionally and appreciate all the aspects that make us human.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.serenamessina.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drserenamessina
