Dr. Halley Moore is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who owns her own HR and Associates in California. She received her BS in Psychology with a Political Science minor from Cal Poly State University. She earned her Ph.D. from Walden University in Minneapolis. She also holds a broker license for real estate in California, as well as being a Senior Certified Human Resources Specialist.
It is this wide range of experience that makes Dr. Halley Moore such a gifted psychologist. She works primarily with family-owned businesses to assist with organizational issues and interpersonal relationships.
It is the consulting firms’ mission to create a workplace that is beneficial for the company and its employees through assessment and process improvements. This is achieved by field work directly with clients. It is this interaction that Dr. Halley Moore finds most satisfying.
In her free time, Dr. Halley Moore enjoys volunteering with her nonprofit organization, riding horses competitively, and spending quality time with her daughter.
Why did you choose to become a doctor?
To be honest, I had a rough childhood. From a young age, I found myself trying to determine the accountability for the circumstances we were in. I wanted to understand which parts were my responsibility and which parts were the responsibility of my parents, so that we could fix the issues within ourselves in order to grow from them.
While I was still in elementary school, my friends had come to know me as someone they could talk to, that I’d likely have an idea about how they could get through things. It was from those experiences that I found how much I enjoyed helping people.
I originally had the idea to study law and had begun my higher education in that field. I found that it was the psychology classes that held my passion. I felt best about myself when I was helping others. I became a doctor so I could reach as many people as possible.
What area do you specialize in?
I specialize in a very specific niche, the psychology of family and family-owned businesses.
Why did you choose this specialty?
I have a great deal of experience in family psychology and a great deal of experience in business, including legal and real estate expertise. Combining this experience is the best of both worlds. I thoroughly enjoy what I do.
What is your daily routine?
I have a daughter who is a year and a half old. My day starts at 6 am, waking with her, making breakfast for my family and getting ready for my day.
When I get to my office, I gather all of the files I will need for my day, then I head out into the field. I spend my workday traveling to different locations, where I meet with the families I am helping, and we work on whatever issues need resolving.
At the end of the day, I head back home and make dinner for my family and hopefully incorporate some much-needed self-care time.
When you look forward in your career, what trend in medicine do you see impacting your specialty the most? Is it for the better or worse? Why?
The pharmaceutical companies are a huge concern for me. While therapy and prescribed medications are considered evidence-based practice, I find many patients are not getting the resolutions they are searching for. I think this is a trend that we need to face as a society. I feel we need to incorporate a more holistic approach to treating the entire person (naturopathic), as opposed to the approach of western medicine (traditional medical doctors).
What do you love about your job?
It’s just amazing to be able to help people in the capacity that we are able to. Because I specialize in such a specific area, one that is not widely available, I have an experience with my clients that is unique. Most psychologists don’t get to be out in the field. I get to be there for my families, to help in several aspects of their lives and business. I get to be supportive and watch them in their success. I enjoy their success vicariously.
What would you consider to be the greatest accomplishment in your career?
I am in a place now where I am able to provide our services to families that may otherwise not be able to take advantage of it. They may not have the resources, but the need is there. To have arrived at a place in my career to be able to offer pro bono work when a person or a family is in dire need of services, is what I consider my greatest accomplishment. Many people would like to give in this way, but simply do not yet have the resources. I appreciate the opportunity to have the resources in order to put them to good work for people.
Tell our readers about some of your volunteer activities.
I have a nonprofit that encourages prescription drug detox through nutritionally based activities. There are so many people that need to remove pharmaceuticals from their lives, and we take a different approach than other traditional ways. We focus on things such as diet. We incorporate an understanding of the bloodwork, so we can determine if there are nutrient deficiencies so that when the medication is stopped, we can replace it with what the body and brain really needs. At my firm we believe in the adage “test before you treat.” I have trained my assistants in this and we volunteer our services free of charge.
What do you do in order to mentally separate yourself from your job?
I believe that genetics had a hand in this for me, as well as learning from example. My father was always able to keep work separate from home life. He loved his job, but he left it there. When he was home, he was fully with his family. I believe this trait was passed to me from him.
Where do you want to be in your career in five years?
I just want to be doing more of what I love. I want to continue to be helpful to the families I work with. I want to offer more services for them. I hope to continue to expand my team so that we can offer more.
What is one thing you recommend to relieve stress?
I think we get so focused on success that we lose sight of the present, we lose the now. I think it’s important to come back to center, to slow down and recognize why we do what we do. As a society, we put too much pressure on ourselves. We can’t sustain and we get burned out. I believe we need to take regular breaks (daily) to recharge our batteries. I don’t’ believe we can help others if we are not in a good place ourselves. I recommend knowing yourself well, and knowing when you need rest, and remembering to practice self-care. Many of us drive ourselves into the ground with no regard for the consequences of that, but it is time for that behavior to stop because it cannot be sustained.