Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diana Garcia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Diana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.

My training experience was honestly eye-opening. I was learning so much about psychological theories, how to provide counseling and the human condition. All of this was brand new information to me and I soaked it all up! Before this, I didn’t have the language to understand my own experience.

I also got a taste of the vulnerability involved in going to counseling by being in a group therapy class where we would trade off being active participants of a group while our classmates watched the group and analyzed. I recall sitting in that group and sharing some personal stories and it was hard. I realized how much I’m asking a client to risk both in groups or individually by sharing their stories with me.

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

I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and owner of a private practice called Nurturing Minds Counseling. I help stressed-out millennials feel calm, confident, and kickass in different areas of their life. I currently offer both virtual and in-office therapy to clients struggling with anxiety, self-esteem, people-pleasing, and perfectionism. I also love to help couples figure out how to go beneath the surface of their disagreements to ultimately rekindle their connection.

As a first-generation Hispanic, the concept of therapy was completely foreign to me. That just wasn’t something that was normalized in my household. When I was an undergrad, I kept gravitating toward psychology courses and was completely fascinated by it all. It spurred a desire to go further which lead me to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology.

As I mentioned before, this experience was stepping into a new world. Not only was I learning about these ideas conceptually but also how to apply them to help people in their real lives. I was excited to see how I could share all this information with others since it was all new to me. In hindsight, I was so passionate because in learning about all these concepts, I was also trying to do some of my inner work.

Since graduating in 2013, I’ve been in awe of being able to sit in front of others and be part of someone’s journey. There’s an indescribable progress that happens when someone trusts you with their inner world, which is part of the reason I do this work.

I’m most proud of my decision to ultimately pursue my business full-time in 2021. Like many others, my job as a Director of Counseling Services at a university was impacted due to the pandemic. I was truly at a crossroads in my career and unsure whether I should go all in my private practice or look for other jobs. I was nervous and scared about leaping. And yet, it’s been the best decision for my life and career. There have been so many new skills to learn in running my own business and it’s gratifying to be able to continue to help clients.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I believe being a therapist is a combination of art and science. You apply concepts from research-based models to help individuals who are struggling. And each individual is unique in their journey, history, and pain points, which means you have to adapt to each person. Early on as a therapist, I struggled with grasping the art of the practice and also had to accept that I couldn’t ultimately control the process of someone’s journey. I so badly wanted to help every client which would lead to some Imposter Syndrome if a session or treatment experience didn’t go as planned. I’ve learned over time to let go of this and to trust the process. I continue to want to help each client and recognize my limitations without internalizing them. I’m present for someone else’s journey and ultimately they are in charge of their trek.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I believe the willingness to be present with whatever experience is showing up in a therapy session. People have a range of emotions and experiences and certainly, that shows up in the therapy room. As a therapist, you have to be willing to be there for your client’s experience, sit with your own experience, and ultimately decide how to help this individual or couple.

When I zoom out, I also think this willingness to sit with discomfort is a skill that has helped me as I’ve built my private practice. There are many ups and downs and so many hats to wear to be successful. Inevitable, you will mess up and this skill of being able to handle this has been invaluable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nurturingmindscounseling.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurturingmindscounseling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nurturingmindscounseling
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/diana-garcia-ms-lmhc-cdwf-04a030139
• Twitter: N/A
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_ZB0J-U2396LNSz4tJtUA
• Yelp: N/A

Image Credits
Daniel Yero Diana Garcia