Working at NewPath: Rachel’s Story

A Day in the Life of a School-Based Therapist

Rachel Kuhrt has found her calling with NewPath. Her journey illustrates the impact she’s making in the community as she fosters hope and connection in her clients’ lives.

Community Impact & Client Connection

Rachel Kuhrt is a school-based therapist working with NewPath Child & Family Solutions since February 2021. In her role, Rachel’s daily schedule changes depending on the school’s schedule. During the school year, she has a jam-packed schedule of seeing kids back to back, potentially meeting with up to 6 or 7 students per day. In addition to these sessions, she collaborates with teachers, school counselors, intervention specialists, and students’ guardians to give the child the best care possible. 

Client focused approach

During the summer months, Rachel embraces the “walk and talk” approach with her clients. This method fosters collaboration, shared goals, and meaningful conversation.

“I feel like some of my clients have had kind of light bulb moments during those walks. One client, in particular, was able to kind of reflect on the growth that she has seen in herself this summer and kind of just feel more confident in who she is and feel ready for her [coming] grade year. So I’m excited for her,” said Rachel.

Promoting self-care

Beyond her professional life, Rachel enjoys hiking with her husband, reading, baking, and spending time with her cat. She prioritizes balance, both for herself and her clients. Self-care plays a pivotal role, allowing her to recharge and continue offering impactful care.

For Rachel, self-care involves activities like taking walks or just listening to her body, whether that means after a challenging day at work to unwind on the couch or whatever may be needed. But self-care practices are different for everyone.

For more tips on integrating self-care into your life, read NewPath’s blog, Take a Mental Health Break.

A new path to social work

Rachel’s path to social work was not linear. She initially considered going into education, but her experiences as a camp counselor shifted her focus toward understanding the emotional challenges students face beyond the classroom.

“What the kids were going through at home or kind of why they [would present] a certain way, or the challenges outside of just school-based work,” said Rachel.  

After conversing with family friends who were social workers, she experienced her “wow” moment, confirming that social work was her true calling. Rachel pursued her undergraduate degree at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work and Spanish. She then obtained her Master’s degree at Boston College in Social Work.

More Than a Profession. A Purpose.

Rachel offered advice for those aspiring to enter into a school-based system.

“Really make an effort to connect with school personnel, especially being a community provider coming into a school, but kind of learning those people that are going to support people who you can reach out to coordinate the best care for the client. A lot of time, clients may not have an advocate, so trying to step into that role in addition to the one-on-one therapy.”

For future therapists, she emphasizes the significance of knowing your values regarding job settings and work relationships. She pushes the importance of staying connected to your “why” among the daily challenges.

The NewPath Difference

Rachel believes that the commitment NewPath has to its clients is one of the driving forces behind her decision to work here, saying that dedication is central to all aspects of the work. Moreover, the unwavering support from her team has kept her with NewPath.

“The team support is kind of what’s kept me here too. Not feeling alone even though I’m out at the school by myself. Like I know that I’ve got people behind me. People that I can kind of run ideas by or even just vent and get that support in that way as well too.”