A note from the Chair-elect

Dear members of NPI,

I moved back to Nashville in February of 2014. I was three months divorced, and the Nashville I had left two years prior felt a lot bigger and a little less like home. I threw up a shingle in Brentwood, thus starting my private practice. For the first two months I had two clients, and I found myself diving into my savings to support my private practice habit. Everyday I prayed my 10 year-old Hyundai Sonata, the only asset to my questionable name, would be able to lurch to and from my less-than-sexy office space atop one of Brentwood’s more popular (though not for cleanliness) Mexican restaurants.

Not to be beaten down further by Fate and the rest of her minions, I armored myself with a dazzling GoDaddy website replete with ultra-thick Vistaprint business cards. I attended every “psychotherapisty” sounding luncheon, meeting, coffee, and happy hour I could find. MeetUp quickly became my favorite smartphone app (next to Tinder, of course – I was freshly divorced, y’all). I quickly figured out who had the best (meaning cheapest or free) breakfasts and lunches. If I was lucky, a rehab facility would take me to a dinner. I became, so I thought, a networking ninja. My dwindling Vistaprint card stash clearly pointed that all this beating the streets was going to pay off.

I’m not certain how I learned about NPI, but I signed up with a newbie membership and soon attended my first luncheon at the Scarritt Bennett Center. I started coughing uncontrollably during someone’s presentation, then I spilled a full glass of iced tea all over my only decent pair of jeans. My beautiful business cards rendered useless, I left as soon as we were dismissed. I still have yet to stand up at a luncheon and introduce myself as a new member.

I was in complete awe, and completely intimidated. Tea soaked jeans notwithstanding, I felt a feeling reminiscent of that first time as a freshman at college, being totally excited and humbled at the same time. I knew a couple of things after that luncheon – don't keep my beverages too close to me on the table, and that I had finally found my people.

A month later, the Board was looking for volunteers to help work on policy and procedures. I eagerly volunteered. I smile as I remember the thrill of working with my colleagues on this project for NPI and loving every single second of it. A few weeks after that Tara Hinman looked at me and said, “You need to be on the Board.” I was supposed to roll off this year, but now I’m honored to serve as Board Chair in 2021. I love serving on the Board, but I especially love connecting with everyone on it.

The most important thing that being a member of NPI has given me is a sense of community, of connection. These strangers I held in awe became my colleagues, and then, more importantly, became my friends. I quickly began looking forward to luncheons and retreats less for the content and more for getting to hang out with my friends and to make new ones. It’s been edifying for me to have a group that I can plug into professionally and personally. Connection is why we’re on this planet. We need it like we need oxygen. When we feel disconnected, we’re willing to do almost anything to reclaim it. It is precious. It is important.

“Connection” is my theme and focus for NPI in 2021. We have a lot going in our country and globally that can make us feel more disconnected that ever. I encourage all of us as mental health care professionals and citizens of the world to do our part to make sure that doesn’t happen. It is my intention for 2021 to help us find ways to connect and stay connected with each other and our community. I invite all of you reach out to me personally with your ideas, requests, and concerns. Let’s lean into each other with open arms and open hearts, and let’s make 2021 our best year as an organization and as a community.

Lots of love,

John Nichols

John Nichols, NPI Chair-elect