Pat Friedman brings her 22 years of counseling experience to the MERCI team. Pat is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Tennessee with a Mental Health Service Provider (MHSP) designation. Pat was trained in the EMDR method for the resolution of trauma when she realized the significant role that trauma resolution plays in the healing process for most clients. Pat has had the privilege of working with many different clients across the mental health continuum, including those with severe psychiatric challenges to those simply needing help with adjusting to a new life situation. She has a wealth of experience in working with individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. Pat began her career as a therapist in an acute hospital setting on one of the first “dual – diagnosis” units in Memphis that specialized in the treatment of opiate dependency, which quickly became a national crisis. Pat uses Motivational Interviewing as the basis of her work and is eclectic as a therapist, using a variety of therapeutic methods including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and developmental therapies. Pat’s nature both in her personal life and in her professional life is to include and expand truth. She believes that in seeking truth, we find our answers. She has found that we all have the answers to our challenges, but most of the time, we aren’t sure what the question is, and how to go deep inside yourself to find, not the answer, but our answer. Pat believes that each of us has the capacity to grow and change throughout the life process and that the journey is greater than the destination. We are all passengers on this bus and we need one another. We are all both students and teachers. Pat’s professional journey has led her to MERCI.