Animo Sano Psychiatry team is growing. We’re excited to welcome our new PA-C, Lydia Ramos! We had the pleasure to talk with Lydia about her life and experience and learn more about what motivated her to become a part of our team. Here’s Lydia’s inspiring story.
1. What inspired you to pursue a career in mental healthcare and what brought you to Animo Sano Psychiatry?
There are many things that inspired me to pursue a career in mental healthcare but I can say the main inspiration is my father who was diagnosed with Autism at age 48. He is intelligent and higher functioning and had sought out mental healthcare for years due to comorbid issues with depression, suicidal thinking and alcohol addiction – there was finally an astute clinician, a psychologist, who diagnosed my father. After learning his diagnosis my father has been committed to treatment, both therapy and medication, for decades, and the quality of his life has greatly improved. When I decided in my mid-20s to pursue a career in medicine, I knew the only thing I wanted to do was psychiatry.
What brought me to Animo Sano Psychiatry is an interesting journey. I worked in community mental health in California for about 4 years, but moved back to my home state of NC in 2020. I have been working in private practice since then, and have been looking for a private practice employer who compensates their employees well and also promotes a positive work culture. It is true that private practices aim to make a profit, but I believe there is a way to do this while still intentionally cultivating a collegial, warm, professional, kind environment for employees where providers like myself can thrive and grow.
2. What motivates you?
I love connecting with and helping others and being intellectually stimulated which is why the field of psychiatry is a good fit for me.
3. Tell us something about you that would surprise us?
I am an excellent singer! Years ago I was even in a band.
4. What words of wisdom do you live by?
Love is intentional and to love others well means to relate to them with a spirit of intentionality.
