Krystal Boothe, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Wings of the Future. Krystal grew up in Detroit, MI from an underprivileged family in an abusive home; her father had two wives. The abusive environment made a major impact on her schooling, she had special educational classes. As an adult, she found herself repeating the cycle of abuse; she became a victim. “[I] was in an abusive relationship for nine long years, but [no] one could tell. [I covered] my pain…and suffered in silence.” After leaving her abuser, she married her current husband in 1999, but after 14 years of marriage, they divorced only to reunite after 3 years to found Wings of the Future shortly after. My goal in life has always been the same, to change my life and help others do the same. My career in life started out working in minimum wage jobs and [I] quickly learned that this was extremely limiting for me. Eventually, [I] found out that since I completed 90 credit hours in college [I] could apply for a Substitute Teacher Position. I spent 9 years working in the education field and it was a rewarding experience. Though my educational career was wonderful, when a friend recommended me for the Mental Health field as a Case Manager for GLASS (Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services) I jump at the opportunity to work with at-risk youth. This job finally met my goal to assist the adolescent population in my community. Following my one-year stay with GLASS, I applied and started to work with Optimist Mental Health as an FSP Case Manager once again working with families in my community. While working with Optimist I was eventually accepted into USC and I completed two internships one working with the Juvenile Corrections for the Department of Mental Health and Children’s Bureau as a Therapist for families and children. Since then I have worked for DMH and Juvenile Corrections as a Psychiatric Social Worker I in Lancaster for over 4 years. I then took a position as Director of Social Services for the Chronically Mentally Ill in Los Angeles. It is there that I studied and received my license as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and continued my career working as a Forensic Social Worker with the adult population at Gateway Hospital Forensic Community Conditional Release Program. I’m currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker working with dual diagnosis clients at a Substance Abuse Treatment Facility. I’ve been in the Mental Health field for over 10 years and there is nothing that I find more rewarding in my career than using my expertise to help people identify and overcome trauma from childhood. I believe it is this trauma that has impacted so many people’s lives and I have found it to be the primary reason for emotional dysregulation in many of my patients. Click here to read my interview with www.relationshipsarecomplicated.com.