We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Noemi Mendez-Hyams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Noemi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

My field is in Professional Counseling. Once I graduated with a masters degree then you have to pass a national exam and apply for a provisional license to practice. I first gained experience as a LPC-Associate with a non-profit agency. I had to gain 3000 hours of experience and attend weekly group and individual supervision about my therapy sessions and experiences before I could become fully licensed and work independently. I gained experience working with families that had truancy cases and court ordered for treatment. I saw families for 5 sessions and also led group sessions with other families present. The biggest impact from this experience was from the person who mentored me in supervising my counseling experience. She was very knowledgeable and kind. I had become pregnant with my daughter at the end of my graduate program and started my internship pregnant. Once my daughter was born, she allowed me to bring her to group supervision which is where me and other therapists gathered to discuss clients to get feedback and guidance. My daughter would sit in my lap, once old enough, and eat cheerios. She was well behaved for the hour we were there. As a I look back on that experience, I wanted to pay it forward with future LPC-Associates and be just as accommodating and mindful if they need special considerations trying to manage gaining experience and tending to their own families. I am currently a LPC-Supervisor which means I now help mentor LPC-Associates on their journey to become fully licensed. My daughter is currently a teenager and says she also wants to purse a career in professional counseling. I smile thinking about our time together in group supervision with other therapists when she was small enough to sit and relax in my lap soaking up all that therapy talk.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and have a private practice located in downtown Wylie, TX. I work with adults 18+ experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety or trauma experiences / PTSD. I am certified in EMDR which is an evidence based psychotherapy approach to address unpleasant or trauma experiences. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Sensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I offer one hour, 90 minute or multiple hours of EMDR which is called EMDR Intensives. EMDR Intensives can help people spend less time on the therapy couch and more time getting back to feeling better. Many people seek EMDR because they feel “talked out” doing traditional talking therapy. I pursued a career in counseling because I’ve naturally been curious about human nature. I’ve also experienced trauma experiences in childhood and been involved in my own therapy. I know first hand how much EMDR can bring healing and relief to old wounds.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

An important aspect of being a therapist is having your own therapy. We are all human and all have similar experiences and feelings as our clients. The most important aspects of a therapist are to be genuine, implement self-care, a work-life balance and know when to refer out if issues fall outside the scope of your professional training. It is important to be curious about behavior and want to help the client explore parts of themselves that show up with good intentions but may be blocking potential ways to grow. You have to meet people where they are at and know the client is resilient and will inherently know where they need to go with a supportive, non judgmental and safe place to explore their thoughts and feelings.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I would absolutely choose the same profession if I had to go back. All of my life experiences have led me to where I am at and I truly feel I am doing what I was meant to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://smbcounseling.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smbcounseling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WylieTXCounseling

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