About Me | Uddina

MY BACKGROUND

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a flight attendant. When asked why, I would say I wanted to take care of people. I also really loved flying and had the utmost respect for planes and a pretty paralyzing fear of flying at the same time. In 2011 I decided the best way to get over this fear was to take a flying lesson, and lucky for me, I was right.

I was born in India, lived there for a few years, and moved to Curacao with my parents and sister Meghaa when I was 6 and Meghaa was 2. This was shortly after her cerebral palsy diagnosis. Anyone who knows her will tell you she is treated (and acts like) a princess, and not just in our household.

As I learned more about myself and my role in Meghaa's life, I became interested in human behavior and wanted to delve deeper into why people do what they do. Enter psychology. I am now a mental health therapist/coach/trainer who still has a healthy respect for the aviation field. As my career has evolved, I am realizing that there isn't a lot of space for the siblings of people with disabilities. I have recently become involved with the Sibling Leadership Network and serve on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network. In addition to that, I have created a space on this website for "Special Siblings" here.

When I am bored I can be found watching youtube videos on the latest aircraft design, reading pilot blogs on social media, and even visiting air museums when possible.

ABOUT CHOICE THEORY

I discovered Dr. William Glasser's Choice Theory in 2012 when I was getting ready to leave the United States because my work visa was expiring. I needed one more class to graduate with me masters in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University and this course that was being offered over 2 weekends was the only option for me since I worked full time. After day one, I was hooked. You could even say I didn't have a choice in continuing with it, it was that good!

Choice Theory taught me that I do indeed have a say in how I feel and that I didn't need to be a victim to my circumstances. At first it felt a bit like someone was telling me not to feel sorry for myself, but as I delved deeper in to the theory, I realized it was empowering to know that I had a choice in how I dealt with things that were happening outside of my control.

My approach draws on Dr. William Glasser's Choice Theory — the idea that we can't control others, only our own choices, and that lasting change comes from meeting five core needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.