We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Gonzalez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My father was an immigrant, and was much older than my mother when they married. He was born in late 1920s in remote, central Mexico where there was virtually no access to education. He worked in the fields from a very young age, and after a family tragedy, he was forced to move to the U.S. as an unaccompanied teenager to support himself. After working as a traveling day laborer doing odd jobs, he settled in Los Angeles where he worked for Farmer John for 40 years. He could barely write his own name, but provided stably for his family. As his youngest daughter, I was the first to go to college, and I credit that to him always instilling in me the words of affirmation that I would do so. He would quite literally affirm it, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere. One of my fondest memories is of one Christmas morning when I found an Encyclopedia in our living room. He seemed so proud that he could buy me this, and that he could place at my fingertips the knowledge he believed I needed to make it to college. And I did. Between observing my mother’s strong work ethic, and my father’s unwavering belief in me, I felt I truly could achieve anything I set my mind to.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist specializing in anxiety and perfectionism. In 2021, I established my own psychotherapy practice called Inner Knowing Counseling which officially opened in February 2022. My passion is helping people connect with their intuition and sense of knowing in the midst of experiencing a life change, burnout, stress, anxiety or depression. With so much uncertainty happening in the world, it is so needed to reconnect with ourselves. What REALLY makes us happy? What does success actually look like for us? Are we living in alignment with our values, or are we just on autopilot and checking off the boxes on an arbitrary list that we didn’t even create? How well do you know yourself, right now, in this moment? These are the questions I process and explore with my clients, and it is such a rewarding process. As a therapist, one of my favorite moments is watching something “click” into place for my client as they answer their own question, and something shifts in the space. There is suddenly less anxiety; an exhale. There is relief in being guided by an internal compass, because if its in alignment with you, it is always the right answer. If you would have asked me 10 years ago, I would’ve told you I was going to be a self-published science fiction or YA author. I have always had a love for writing and reading. I feel this naturally led me to the study of psychology, as I’ve always been curious about how the mind works and why we repeat certain narratives in our lives. So, in 2009 I graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s in Psychology and Social Behavior, as well as a minor in Chicano/Latino Studies. I graduated during a recession, and this allowed me time to consider what I wanted to pursue while I worked to make ends meet. I began my career in mental health while working with a non-profit organization in 2011 as an advocate for parents whose children were at risk of becoming system-involved, and later worked as a behavioral coach for the youth. I visited their homes, sat with the parents through school meetings, participated in family meetings in the home to brainstorm solutions and provided psychoeducation to families. It was challenging but rewarding work. After three years of working there, I decided to pursue a Master of Social Work at San Diego State University. My father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the time, and so it was a surreal parallel experience of learning how to be a therapist, while embarking on a slow-moving journey of grieving a parent who was alive and yet continuously declining. My journey postgrad took me to Northern California, where I worked for the County of Marin’s Health & Human Services department and had the opportunity to pilot a facilitation program within Children & Family Services. Living in a new city, not knowing anyone, and learning how to exist in a foreign environment was an enriching experience for me.
After my father passed in 2017, I was faced with the reminder that our time here is precious, and that realization set into motion changes in my life that led me to leaving an ostensibly secure county-level job. I journeyed back to San Diego, where in the midst of a pandemic, I eventually obtained my licensure and provided telehealth therapy in a medical clinic system. Again, I felt the yearning for more expansiveness and more flexibility in life, and it was then that the idea for Inner Knowing Counseling was born. Through the process of starting a business, I have learned that I am far more independent than I ever knew, and although there is anxiety about trying something new and occasional fear of the unknown, this journey has been completely worth it. It has been a reminder of my own resilience, and the legacy of my father, who I know would be proud of me.
I continue to write in my spare time, and still plan to self-publish a book at some point. For now, I am quite satisfied with helping others navigate the tapestry of their own stories, and I get the privilege of being there for their own “exhale” moment.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?
I learned there is no “perfect time” to financially fund a business, Before I began my practice full-time, I was working in a 9-5 position that provided me financial security but was not in alignment with my long-term goals. It was tempting to stay there “just a little longer”. This lasted for months and began to erode at the confidence in my plan to leave. I was delaying working on my website and taking the leap of faith because a part of me felt comfortable in staying where I was. To make matters worse, I learned that my 10 year-old Boston Terrier, Chloe, was suffering from brain inflammation and the devastating financial impact of her life-saving treatment almost led me to prolonging my launch even further. It was then that I realized that there was no perfect time; there is no magic number to look for in your bank account, no formula to follow that will guarantee success. Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith and look for the helpers around you.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Authenticity is a quality that I value and that I model in my practice; I intentionally strive to create a space where clients can unapologetically and openly discuss their fears, their regrets, and their desires, and in order to do that I bring my most professionally authentic self into the space. In psychotherapy, so much of the progress can be dictated by rapport alone. Trusting your therapist is essential and is one, if not the most, important factors that will determine the client’s progress in therapy. In graduate school, we call this the “therapeutic alliance.” No matter which modality I practice or which certification I possess, if there is no trust or authenticity in the therapeutic space, the experience will not be as effective or feel as supportive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.innerknowingcounseling.com
- Instagram: @innerknowingcounseling
Image Credits
Marie Monforte