Our life experiences are valuable assets which allow us to provide support and establish connections with other people. For local therapist, Cynthia Thomasset, establishing herself in a private practice later in life has allowed her to offer a unique perspective to the clients she serves.
“As a young college student at Kutztown University, I studied communications, writing and journalism. After graduation, I began working in sales, but I didn’t feel satisfied. I decided to attend Immaculata University with the goal of a master’s in counseling psychology.”
Her work in counseling became a turning point for Cynthia. “I worked in a domestic violence program in Wilmington, Delaware, where I decided that I wanted to be a helper. My father, who is deceased, was a violent alcoholic and I could relate to many of the issues I was helping others with”
Another turning point for Cynthia was meeting her future husband, Charles Thomasset, in West Chester where he was studying. He was a native of France. “After we graduated and he moved to Canada, we were pen pals until he moved to the Harrisburg area. We were engaged within a year of meeting in person and then after marrying, we moved to France.”
The couple lived in Lyon, France for six months and then in Le Mans for three years. “It was during this time that I had my first child, Julien.” As a young wife and mother, Cynthia found herself longing for home. “I learned the language in a very rudimentary way, and I knew that in order to stay in my field I would have to live where I was able to do my job. I also did not want to be away from my mother.” The couple moved back to the United States in 2002 and welcomed their second child, a daughter Amelie.
Juggling motherhood with work often means choosing work which tailors to your role as a mother. “I soon landed a position at Albright College as an adjunct professor. Over the next ten years I taught 55 psychology classes while raising our two children.”
Between 2010 and 2020, Cynthia had the opportunity to hone her creative skills as a self- taught artist in an unexpected way. “I was always very creative, and I did silk screening but not in a very public way. I often visited the Goggleworks, and I entered and had art accepted into a show. I then applied for a studio and got a space there when my art was accepted in the juried show.”
As a new Goggleworks studio artist, Cynthia found a place where she felt accepted and part of a community that she loved. “I was at Goggleworks during the day when the kids were in school, and at night I would teach at Albright. With help from grants from Berks Arts Council, I also taught summer camp and one day workshops with vulnerable populations at the LGBT Center and Safe Berks.”
As her children grew, Cynthia found herself at another crossroads. “In 2020 during Covid, I moved my art studio back to my home. I needed to accept that I wanted to get into psychology because I loved it. At a local event, I spoke with Dr. Edward Michalik who introduced me to Dr. Mark Putnam at Berkshire Psychiatric, where I went on to work for the next eight years. I only saw people with medical assistance, single moms, and kids from Reading. During this time, I had the opportunity to advocate for people by serving as a conduit making connections. I saw a need and connected people who wanted to help people in the greater Reading community. I would challenge people to accept help. I have a soft spot for single moms because that was my mom. I did my necessary 3000 supervised hours, took more grad classes, and passed a National Counselor Exam required for licensure while at Berkshire. I wanted to become licensed and establish my own practice even at the age of 58. I was really grateful that I could take this step at that age. Fortunately, there is not a lot of ageism here; this is an age-proof profession.”
Cynthia is now established in her own practice at Bodhi Counseling in Shillington, in a suite with other clinicians who share the space. “I am one mile from home, I can eat lunch at home and walk my dog.
“Every day we make decisions that can lift us up or drag us down. I use a holistic approach with a mind, body, and spirit slant. My approach is direct, warm, compassionate and open-minded. I love to help clients set goals and find meaning in their lives. I use a lot of creativity in my sessions such as writing, art, drawing and collage. We build a personal tool kit to make positive changes in their lives.”
Cynthia continues to serve as a “conduit” in our community, matching people to services or people who need help to people who want to help; all while holding down her own practice and spreading creativity and positivity to anyone who finds their way into her orbit. We are glad that she landed and stayed here in Berks County!
Visit – Bodhi Counseling Group LLC at bodhicounselinggroup.com to learn more.
Psychology Today – Cynthia Thomasset LPC at psychologytoday.com
