Hi There! I'm Kaitlyn Daniel
With nearly a decade of experience working in education, I am now a mental health educator and advocate who creates content that support leaders in the work they do in schools. I bring knowledge from my own personal and professional experiences into this role. I am also working towards a doctorate in educational leadership and policy with an expertise in psychology.
I designed this community to merge my passions for education and psychology. The 🔥 part of PsyFire refers to these passions and why I am committed to supporting others has they navigate mental health challenges in our schools.Â
My passion for education started after I experienced the challenges of a rural Title I public school system as a K-12 student. Eventually, unable to let my experiences go, I dedicated myself to education. Similar to most us who enter the field, I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.
Kaitlyn Daniel, M.Ed | Founder & CEO of PsyFire Leadership
I transitioned out the classroom in June 2021. I was burned out, isolated, anxious, and overwhelmed. I loved the art of teaching and working with students, but I was struggling to make it through the day. It felt like an internal switch in my body was flipped on and it stayed on constantly. I was dealing with physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. I didn’t know what was happening to my body. I wasn’t sleeping or eating well. I had acute fevers only at work. I was crying for what felt like no reason at all. And I suffered from anxiety attacks. What I did not understand at the time, but acknowledge now, was that I was having an stress-trauma response.
I left the classroom to take the time I needed to address my own health. I understand what it is like to struggle with your mental health. I live with anxiety and complex-PTSD. I have also gone through intense periods of depression. And the time I was given to learn more about myself and my own mental health prepared me to be more supportive and empathetic towards others in my life who were struggling with their mental health and/or also received a mental health diagnosis.
My entire life and knowledge around mental health and mental illness has evolved drastically these last few years. I wanted to be able to support myself and others, so I started researching and learning everything that I could about psychology. Unfortunately, I discovered that there are very little resources and supports for the individuals who support others. I was left asking myself, who supports leaders as they support the mental health and wellbeing of others in schools?
There are a lot of misconceptions, stigmas, and general lack of understanding around mental health and the realities of living with a mental illness. So, my mission is to promote accurate information, bring awareness, cultivate empathy, and strategize how to navigate these topics in our school systems. I want to support you as you bring new information and practices into your own life and into your schools.
Join Our Community
YouTube
Providing helpful, accurate information on various mental health topics for school leaders in an accessible way.
Patreon
Join a community of leaders committed to supporting mental health in education. When you join you’ll gain access to our PsyFire Leaders Discord, voting power, monthly Q/As, and more!
