The room was quiet, though my mind was loud,
When first I sat before your patient gaze.
A student then, unsure and easily bowed
By all the heavy shadows of those days.
You met my chaos with a steady grace,
And taught me how to sit within the space.

Through ten long years of shifting, uphill terrain,
You watched me stumble, study, and mature.
You held the framework tight through doubt and pain,
A psychological anchor, safe and sure.
You never gave the answers out by rote,
But taught me how to listen, think, and note.

I learned from you how fragile skin can be,
And how the deepest fractures can heal tight.
You taught me to hold space for survivors—including me—
And showed me how to sit within the silence of night.
When difficult people challenged every boundary wall,
You gave me tools to stand, and never fall.

Your curiosity became my spark,
Your boundless care, the lens through which I see.
You showed me how to navigate the dark,
In early steps of my career path, free.
But greater than the theories on the shelf,
You taught me how to value and care for myself.

I walk this path and strive each day anew,
To live up to the standard you designed.
To hold the mirror just as well as you,
With open heart and an inquiring mind.
Accept this deepest gratitude I owe—
For helping me to survive, and then grow.