We recently connected with Crystal Venegas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I come from a community mental health background, where the demands & expectations of the role are high, & it’s nearly impossible to integrate self-care into that weekly routine. I was a workaholic with high functioning anxiety and a sincere love for the population I worked with, so I didn’t mind the lifestyle much. I also had few major responsibilities outside of my work at the time.

I finished my pre-licensure hours mere weeks before I gave birth to my son, so I was able to take the clinical exam and earn my license while on maternity leave. As kids tend to do, my son turned my entire life upside down. When it was time to discuss my return to work, I couldn’t fathom being away from him for those impossibly long hours. I quit the job and never turned back.

I worked for a wonderful group practice for a while, where I had the freedom to make my own schedule and work from home. I was able to bloom and flourish in new ways during my time there, and was reminded of my true passion for infusing mindfulness into my therapeutic approach. It was my husband that initially planted the idea of my own practice in my mind; work a little less, earn a little more, and exclusively take on clients that want a more holistic therapy experience.

It took me 7 months to get my business up and running. There was a lot of work that went into it, but the main thing holding me back was myself. Imposter syndrome hit me hard in those early days. I had to take lots of breaks in order to process my internal experiences and learn how to be gentle and compassionate with myself along the way.

Taking my time and soliciting professional guidance were the most important steps for me and what I would recommend to others starting out. Find someone who traveled that path before you; a friend, colleague, or coaching program. I signed up for the Abundance Party, & greatly appreciated the guidance & resources I got there.

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’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I knew I wanted to be a therapist since I was a teenager. I set my sights on this field after my own experience with mental health services. I come from a family that avoided talking about difficult experiences and emotions, so it was refreshing to have a safe space to explore all of that stuff.

While I was earning my bachelor’s in Psychology, I was also exploring various coping skills and spiritual practices. That’s when I found my passion for mindfulness and Buddhism. I was thrilled when I discovered University of the West, a Buddhist university just a few miles away from my hometown that offered a marriage & family therapy master’s program! It felt like the universe was reassuring me that I was on the right path. They did a wonderful job of exposing us to third-wave psychotherapy approaches, which had that mindfulness component built right into the practice.

I primarily work with individuals struggling to find a sense of peace and presence in their day to day lives. This often presents as depression, anxiety, and trauma. I help them bring awareness to some hard truths, such as how they are contributing to their own suffering through self-imposed limitations, or the sticky personal narratives that they’re stuck in. I help them connect to their personal values, and teach them emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal, and mindfulness skills, so they can create a life full of meaning for themselves.

On the side, I also write & record guided meditations to further assist my clients outside of our session time. More than anything, I strive to keep it real; to be my authentic self, so that I may be a real-life example of what is possible if clients are willing to do the work. That’s not to say that I’ve got it all together. I’m still a work in progress, but I’ve come a long way in my own journey of growth & I hope to inspire my clients to do the same for themselves.

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

In order for a therapist to be most successful, I think it’s important for them to know what it feels like to be in the client’s seat. I would never ask my clients to do something that I am not willing to do, or have not done, myself. My own struggles with mental health, and experiences in therapy, give me a deeper sense of empathy and compassion for my clients. I’m genuinely invested in their well-being, because I was them. Heck, I still go back to the role of the client anytime life throws me for another one of its unexpectedly difficult loops.

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

One of my stickiest, longest-standing narratives has been the concept that I’m not good enough. No matter how well I performed, how many achievements I earned, how hard I worked, to me it never felt like enough. I remember exactly where that notion was born. When I was in middle school, I used to give my report cards to my step-dad. I could have 5 As and 1 B on that report card, and he’d still say, “Do better.” He also paid me for my grades, $10 for each A & $5 for each B. I didn’t get paid for anything below that; he’d say, “I’m not paying you to be average.” He meant well, & I love him dearly, there’s no resentment there, but his voice became my own – my harshest inner critic. It took several years of mindfulness, self-compassion, reframing, etc. to finally override that pesky belief.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.crystalvenegaslmft.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/crystalvenegaslmft
• Other: Guided Meditations: www.insighttimer.com/crystalvenegaslmft