The Judgement-Free Zone

podcast

Sep 27

with Marissa Ayala

Marissa Ayala is a Latina, Mexican-American with long, light brown hair.

Behavior Bites Podcast - Ep23

Sep 27, 2023

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Are you your worst critic?

Do you doubt your abilities, or ask “Who am I to do [insert big event here]?”

During today’s meal— I talk to a business owner, a multiple test taker, and someone who decided to feel the fear and do it anyway. We also discuss the universe gently nudging her on her current path.

Amuse-Bouche
- Are you looking forward to Fall or are you holding onto Summer?
Appetizers
- How did you get into Behavior Analysis?
- When describing your supervision model, you say you want to create a “judgment free zone and safe space where supervisees are able to ask ANY questions without hesitation.” Why is that important to you?
Palate Cleanser
- What’s been your best meal this week?
Entree
- What’s something you wish you could have told yourself when you were getting started?
- What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you?
Dessert
- What’s a typical day in the life of Marissa look like?
- How do you practice self-care in your day-to-day life?
- What is your favorite thing about what you do?

Excerpts from the Episode

(*Paraphrased highlights)

During my supervision experience, I felt shame for asking questions. I had been a behavior interventionist and RBT for many years before I chose to go for my graduate coursework.
By the time I was in supervision, people were like, oh, Marissa knows it. I was an amazing worker, but I didn't know the basic foundational knowledge. I didn't know the manual. I didn't know Cooper. I could work with any client, any parent, but I couldn't tell you what IRT was.
I feel like it's such a disservice as supervisors to just assume that somebody's been in the field for X amount of time, they should just know these things.
Instead, we ask, how can we best support you? Please come to us and have one or two questions prepared so that we can go over whatever it is you need help with.
Not to take myself too seriously. Don't be so hard on yourself to be perfect. Give it what you got for that day, because some days you can give 100%, and other days you're only able to give 50%. Be okay with that, because there's a lot of burnout in this field. It's partly because of our own self destruction of having these unrealistic expectations for ourselves.
Be okay with giving it your all for that day and walking away and enjoying your life. Enjoy your family, enjoy your loved ones, enjoy your dog, enjoy your cat, enjoy the show that you really wanted to see. It’s okay, you can try again tomorrow.
Local ABA is so successful. People think, oh, they have it made. We have good months and we have bad months. It's really hard, and it's up and down. You miss that steady paycheck sometimes.
I don’t want to discourage people from starting their own business, but understand the cost, financially and also your time.
I would work from eight to midnight on my business for the first year and a half. I would recruit, recruit, recruit, create, create, create. Now it's steadier, where I don't have to do those things, but I'm still always working.
So I think that's important to know, yes, it's a luxury and yes, it's a blessing but it's a lot of work too.
I journal every night. It's my way to decompress. It's a place to show up and put down whatever I'm thinking on paper. Sometimes it's ugly. Sometimes it's just what I did in a day. Sometimes it's just light-hearted things, but it's my place to put things to rest. If something bothered me that day, I'll just write about it and be done with it.
I just love teaching. I love engaging with my audience. I love engaging with my supervisees. I love seeing something that doesn't make sense to somebody, and then at the end, they're like, oh yeah I get that. I'll do comprehension checks like, tell me in your own words… and it's so cool to hear their response and know I helped them understand.

ABOUT Marissa

Marissa Ayala, M.Ed., BCBA, IBA

“I am a Latina, Mexican-American and very proud of my heritage. I have a remote supervision company, Local ABA. I enjoy teaching and working with my supervisees and showing up as the supervisor that I never had. I am a retest taker and proud of it!”

Connect with Marissa