Sessions
Mapping Our Identities: Social Factors and How They Shape Us
10:00 AM - 11:15 AM Wed
Aaron Pressie has always had an uncanny knack to make himself comfortable where he happens to be. Growing up, Aaron experienced his earliest years in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, which was undergoing its own changes and transformation during his time there. When Aaron was a senior in high school, he experienced a considerable change of his own when he relocated with his sister to La Crosse Wisconsin, where he would start anew as he worked towards graduation.
In La Crosse, Aaron acclimated to a new pace of living in this predominantly white community just off the banks of the Mississippi River. Here he would make a home for himself participating in social life and coming to appreciate the landscape of the area through horseback riding and spending time outdoors.
His family values of education, open-mindedness, and service to others would serve to shape and guide the trajectory of his life and life’s work. Aaron’s earliest service work included work in corrections and residential settings, with a focus on substance treatment. After completing his bachelors degree, Aaron would experience a culture shift again as he made himself at home in the New England state of Vermont, where he would complete a Masters of Science in Mental Health at Trinity College.
Aaron’s commitment to serving others led him also to develop skills required for business administration and oversight. In 2006 Aaron completed a Certificate in Non-Profits and he has experience as a clinical supervisor.
Most recently, Aaron has committed his efforts to serving the underserved as a substance abuse mental health therapist working in the community setting in the Milwaukee area. He was amongst the first group of clinicians to provide onsite therapy and counseling services to students in Milwaukee Public Schools. Aaron approaches treatment holistically. His client care reflects a high appreciation for culture and social ecology, and he combines aspects of Cognitive Behavioral, Behavioral, and Adlerian strategies in his case conceptualization and treatment.
When he is not serving others in the community, Aaron prioritizes his family commitment as a loving grandfather and committed parent.