We were lucky to catch up with Priscilla Cerdas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Priscilla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Through the risk of saying no to myself (repeatedly), I learned the importance of the risk of saying “yes” to myself.

I had always considered myself to be the most low risk, “safety first!” person. I used to be genuinely ok with that. I received a lot of loving – and not so loving – teasing over the years for being such a cautious, responsible person. What I’ve learned now in almost 30 years of life, is that being too cautious is also a risk. Taking no risks can also mean silencing yourself. You know what living in silence for years will lead to? A really big SCREAM.

On my first day of graduate school, we were asked to take “angel cards” as part of a dance/movement therapy experiential. At that moment, I closed my eyes and unknowingly chose a card that said “risk”. I thought to myself – “Oh – this is because I am about to be trained to do many risk assessments as a therapist”. While this was true, I was missing the most important assessment, which was an honest look at myself.

Throughout my life, I felt anxiety from many facets of life. Including relational trauma, being a first generation Latina American, and anxiety about having anxiety (IYKYK). I often carried a “fake it ‘till you make it attitude”. Being bicultural, I was hiding the swarming thoughts of feeling I didn’t deserve to claim a spot in many spaces I was in. While my mind was spiraling, my body stayed calm, because it’s what it was trained to do. At a whole 4’ 10”, I was taught to be the bigger person in every conflict. Guess what turned out to be the hardest conflict? Inner conflict. After many jobs and changes in careers, I was never really happy. Then many years of not feeling happy, led to burnout and untreated vicarious trauma. Somewhere throughout the years, I overlooked checking in with myself to avoid those hard questions. Instead of dealing with the inner conflict, it was:

Calladita más bonita. Ponte las pilas. No hay mal que por bien no venga. All advice the adults gave me – all leading to embodying survival mode. After so much containment, avoiding conflict and people pleasing – the lid had to flip eventually.

The reality is, sometimes you need a little drama. No risk no reward, is very true.
We take risks every day. For some of us it’s socializing despite the ongoing pandemic. Making eye contact (or coping with not wanting to), going out in crowds, being late for work (again) because we really need our coffee, and skipping that doctor’s appointment (or making it). We need both pleasure and challenges in life – and both involve risk. We need “real talks” with ourselves to identify our boundaries. We also fall into traps of feeling guilty for prioritizing ourselves. Guilt is a risky business. With guilt, there is usually self-judgment – also very risky. It comes with shame and denial of pleasure. What are we here for if not to enjoy life?

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

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a Specialization in Dance/Movement therapy. I opened my private practice Clinica Artesana LLC in 2021. The best way I can speak to my clinic and its values, is to share an experiential with you. Experientials are a type of intervention we do as expressive therapists. At Clinica Artesana LLC, we believe in the power of psychoeducation. Here is an example applied to the decision making processes we do every day as humans, through a dance/movement therapy exercise. It is also an example of how to “try on” decisions before making them.

If you work with myself or other clinicians at Clinica Artesana, you will have access to learn skills outside of verbal processing. This is so important as it gives light to unconscious processes, and sometimes a more accurate picture of what you want to communicate. We don’t always feel seen and heard with everyday verbal language. Words can still be impactful, but what happens when we put them in a poem or to music? When we find them in an image or let it resonate through our nervous system. If you feel stuck, literally moving through the emotions can increase access to release. Like massaging that deep emotional knot you just can’t get out.

An offering to try this for yourself. This is not therapy or a replacement for therapy.

Place one part of yourself on the ground, symbolizing where we are right now. It can be a foot, an arm, your back, etc. Stay present with the sensations that come up for you. Now choose another part of yourself, reach it towards the concept or idea you are longing for. The decision you are contemplating. I mean it, literally reach towards it.

As you reach towards it – how does it feel? What are the thoughts that come up? Is there resistance? Is there an “I really want it!” Or is it more an hmmm I’m not sure yet – I can come back to it later. You may quickly identify it’s an Ugh! Ew! These are boundaries your body is setting. This is you listening to your body. This is a way to measure authenticity in decision making and readiness towards that next big step.

Through processes like this, I learned that it’s about every small risk you can stomach per day. The honest conversations with yourself, even 5 minutes a day, lead to those bigger life changing decisions. Leaving the relationship, starting the relationship, moving to a new place, getting a pet, trying a new dish, trusting you’ll find community again, and doing something every day that brings you peace. I choose the word peace intentionally because of its longing effects. It is not the up and down of joy or high of happiness (also important), it is more like that delicious exhale or ice cold water on a hot day.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Sometimes you learn what you will risk by learning what you are no longer willing to sacrifice. What I won’t risk now is my happiness. At a time when I felt one of my biggest lows in life, a friend said to me “you deserve peace when you come home”. It was the first time I became intentional about inner peace. Since then, I assess my inner and outer emotional space regularly. Living with that “inquietud” in your stomach does not have to be part of your narrative. Slow down, evaluate, protect your peace. These simple questions and moments can take you out of autopilot. Give your body a chance to really evaluate what you want.

If it’s so simple – why don’t we do it?

It’s uncomfortable! If it was easy we’d all be here walking on air. We have to dig deep within our truths, the soulful reflection of our desires. We have to have the vulnerability to ask for what we want, and the bravery to claim it. So I got a therapist. Through my work with her I learned to name and claim what I wanted. It became incredibly clear to me I wanted to have my own business, following the steps of my beautiful immigrant parents.

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

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Contact Info:

• Website: www.clinicaartesana.com
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• Facebook: ClinicaArtesanaLLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscilla-cerdas-370aa962
• Other: https://secure.helloalma.com/providers/priscilla-cerdas/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/clinica-artesana-llc-saint-petersburg-fl/890151

Image Credits
Alexandria Pierre-Etienne