We were lucky to catch up with Angelica Gonzalez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Angelica , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

It is a common misconception that in order to succeed you need to “grind” or “hustle 24/7”. but this could not be further from the truth. A business, a team and a work environment are only as successful as the owner, and in the field of mental health, this includes self-care. The first year that you launch your business you may not have the finances or the time to go on a European vacation, but a long weekend staycation or a short getaway may renew your energy to keep going. So many business owners neglect self care, but it is vital to creativity and staying in it — even when times are rough. As a business leader you lead by example and need care for yourself, which sets the example for your staff and creates a positive atmosphere in which the team can thrive. When you step away, care for yourself you see things from a macro perspective and come back ready to continue to focus on your mission.

Angelica , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Angelica, a psychotherapist in private practice and founder of Eden Therapy Co. I have been a therapist for over 15 years and am blessed to work alongside psychotherapists Leslie Denis and Marian Rivodo. We work with children, adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, families, and at times provide group therapy. After working at Miami Children’s Hospital
in the psychiatric unit, I went to work within the community at programs focused on trauma and eating disorders.

I also worked within a private practice for over a decade and this led me to found Eden Therapy Co., a collective of faith based mental health counselors focused on providing care for clients with an emphasis on creative and evidence-based treatments. Some of the interventions we use include creative interventions, psychodrama, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and most recently EMDR. I have spoken nationally and internationally on a variety of topics including, trauma, self-injury and eating disorders. I also taught Group Therapy to Master’s candidates at the University of Miami and served as Clinical Director of an online Christian eating disorder support group: Lasting Freedom.

For the past few years I have been focused on growing Eden Therapy Co., as it is my personal mission to share what I have learned and teach others. This is what I am most proud of because it was a dream placed in my heart by God, to help heal those whose hearts are hurting. When Leslie and Marian came into Eden, they brought light and connection into our team. All of us are eager to learn, serve and help heal the clients that work with us. We all share the same faith and hope for each client that comes through our doors, that they may experience healing and good health.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I am a firm believer that through our failures and mistakes, we make our path forward. When I started in private practice I always dreamed of working with a team and growing the business. I took the plunge and started an adolescent eating disorder program, which was going well, but my vision of the program changed and after a year we closed it to reassess where we were going.

I then started another business to provide group therapy for eating disorders, hoping it would grow into another program, but after 6 months all the clients got better (a good problem to have). Again, I learned that while you may think things will go a certain way, there is unpredictability, I also learned to build within my financial means, not with partners or investors who might not be fully aligned with your vision for the business.

Finally, I felt it was time to try one more time, and this time I am two years in, and have a wonderful team that is growing together. All of the challenges and setbacks had valuable diamonds inside. As one of my youngest clients early in my career quoted to me, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” You want told on to your business loosely and be flexible, and keep trying — that is what can make you resilient.

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

Building your reputation is essential to a company’s success — especially in the field of mental health. Our clients’ health is our singular goal, and their success is the best testament to what we do. It takes time, patience and consistency to grow your reputation. We do the best job we can with each patient and their family, and as they heal they refer others. We also do quite a bit of community outreach to let other therapists in the community know what we are doing, so they use us as a resource for any referrals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://edentherapyco.com
• Instagram: edentherapyco
• Linkedin: Eden Therapy Co & Angelica Gonzalez, LMHC

Image Credits
Sebastian Arenas Yesi Laver