Cory Reese, LCSW

Hi.

 

My name is Cory. I am a…well…it’s complicated.

 

I am a husband. I am a dad to three teenagers. I am the owner of a Great Dane named Little Debbie who loves nothing more than to steal pizza off the kitchen counter.

 

Wait. There is so much more to me.

 

I am a Kia Sorento driver. A CPAP wearer. A Utah Jazz fan. A child of a father who took his life. An ally. An ex-Mormon. A terrible handyman. A recovering Twinkie addict. A snow hater and a sun lover. A composer of piano music. A believer that good things are coming.

 

I am afraid of needles. Obsessed with Bruce Springsteen. Fierce in my distaste for seafood. Proud of myself for memorizing every line of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

 

I am an ultramarathon runner. I’ve run dozens of 100-mile races. Badwater. Western States. Wasatch. 100 miles around a high school track. 100 miles around the deck of a cruise ship. I’ve fallen in love with the sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing what I’m capable of, and realizing that it’s usually more than I think.

 

I am an author. I’ve written for a bunch of publications over the years, and am currently a columnist for UltraRunning Magazine. I’ve written a few books titled Nowhere Near First, and Into the Furnace. My new book is called Stronger Than the Dark, and explores the intimate relationship between running and depression. I want to be like David Sedaris when I grow up.

 

I am a social worker and therapist. For two decades, my career has involved walking with people into the darkness, and talking about hard things. My occupation: aspiring beam of light. I know people all around me are fighting silent battles. I have been the one providing therapy, and the one receiving it. I am passionate about advocating for mental health.

 

Wait. There is so much more to me.

 

Those are the labels that define me. But I am more than a list of labels.

 

I am enthusiasm. I am determination. I am broken. I am whole. I am light. I am adventure. I am creativity.

I am love. I am enough.