LAIS ALEXANDER
All for All Coalition Manager
How did I get here?
I completed my bachelors and post-graduation in Psychology, in 2010, in Brazil, at the University of the Amazon. For four years, I combined my community outreach and social work for the government with my private practice. In 2014, my husband and I moved to Pittsburgh to explore different opportunities and cultures. We never left after that, and I was able to work as a family therapist for a non-profit organization and a couple of consultant jobs in the mental health field. I am concluding my graduate work in Counseling at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Why am I at the Switchboard?
I was a curious child, interested in people’s stories. My family invested in an environment that allowed me to discover the world and to see what life was beyond my reality. Throughout my teen and young adulthood years, my main desire was to be a helper. I wanted to offer something back to the community that could support people that had less opportunities than me. While I jumped in my own self-awareness journey, I invited people around me to do the same, by exploring themselves. However, it was only when I arrived in Pittsburgh that I started to be exposed to the issues of immigration and refugees, as I started to belong to that community. I am part of the Brazilian Association and have volunteered for several non-profit organizations focused on diversity and equity. My passion for mental health has evolved and I am excited to include a global engagement effort into one of my front actions along with The Global Switchboard team, its partners, and the residents of Pittsburgh.
I am…
- A singer in my free time
- A parent that loves talking about parenthood
- Interested in people’s lives