We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephany Gonzalez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stephany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

When my mother and I came from the Dominican Republic, she had $100 in her pocket and nowhere to go. Yet, she defied every odd. Trauma was interwoven into my family history and it’s what would later inspire me to become a Psychotherapist. I saw my mom work tirelessly to give me and my siblings a life of freedom. I was raised by a woman that was resilient, with incredible work ethic and a fighting spirit. She always believed in me and encouraged me to pursue anything that gave me a sense of fulfillment and that would help others. Her story, the circumstances that we endured, and the unconditional love that she shares, have impacted me in every way. I owe her so much of my perspective on life. Resilience is a skill I learned through observing her overcome many obstacles. I’ve learned so much about who I am and what I am cable of doing because of her.

Stephany, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist and I work with individuals, couples, and families that are experiencing a wide variety of challenges who are seeking change. How I decided to pursue a degree in Psychotherapy was completely unexpected. When I graduated High School and started college, I was studying to be an Engineer. After a few life-changing events, I quickly realized that my passion was centered around people. I always carried a curiosity on how our experiences, language, culture, family and development impacted our lives and relationships. That curiosity led me to become a Psychotherapist. My passion is centered around helping people gain a deeper awareness of themselves, their struggles, behaviors and relationships. I believe that the quality of our life is strongly impacted by the quality of our relationships and one of the relationships I value most are the ones that I share with my clients. My approach is solution-focused, heart-centered, and trauma informed.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After I graduated with my Master’s Degree, I was so excited to work in the field and start helping people turn their lives around. That excitement started to wither when I got a job in a group practice. I was mistreated as a professional and it started to get in the way of everything that I worked so hard for. So, I had two choices; either I stayed and endured the mistreatment for the sake of comfort, or I could pivot and dive into the unknown where the possibility of failing was very high. I decided to pivot. I opened up my private practice in the middle of a global pandemic with the goal of providing support and accessible services to anyone in need. While it was the most fear-inducing and uncomfortable decision I could make at the time, I’m so glad I did. My life will never be the same because I didn’t allow fear to hold me back.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My work is not just a business, it’s my passion. My love and dedication to each of my clients has contributed in an immense way to my reputation within the field. I love what I do, and as a result of that love I make sure that I am constantly learning, challenging and pouring into myself both professionally and personally in order to expand my capacity. The relationships I share with each of my clients is founded on safety, respect, and kindness which always goes a long way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stephanygonzaleztherapy.com
• Instagram: @_stephany.gonzalez
• Facebook: Stephany Gonzalez Therapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanygonzaleztherapy/
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/stephany-gonzalez-hialeah-fl/715202

Image Credits
@brooklynfaithphotography @tiffcampos