We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Iris Mendez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Iris below.
Iris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
In 2020, at the brink of the pandemic, I took a risk and quit my job as a psychotherapist/EAP counselor. At the time, I believed it to be for good so that I could focus on my mental health, healing, and also take a leap into my wellness business which I had began in 2017 but worked part-time/freelance. This was one of the most profound moments for me as a single woman with no other finance supports. It was the first time in my life since high school that I was not working for anyone else. I learned a lot about myself and business during that time frame. While I have since returned back to EAP work, I still work my business part-time, this time with a more structured, disciplined, and dedicated approach. During that time frame, I was also able to finally finish my book Healing My Four Bodies-a manuscript I had worked on for years. I was also able to trust the universe and the process and my faith muscle was tested and built as I worked with plant medicine, connected to my roots, and turned my business in the soul business it was meant to be.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am psychotherapist and licensed social worker-turned healing coach and soul worker. I have a bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Work. I began as a social worker provided mental health services in various capacities to children, adults, and families and later moved into providing psychotherapy to adults. I thought I wanted to have my own mental health private practice and even had a different name to my business that I had to formally addendum once I realized I wanted to support people not just mentally but physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I have gone through my own wellness and healing journey and have seen first hand the pivots in other’s lives in the work that I have done with former clients. Upon finishing my master’s degree and obtaining my state licensure I decided to move into the world of wellness. I received a wellness certification, then later 200 hour yoga teacher training to help support physical/spiritual/mental healing, and more recently received training with Vanessa Cordoniu The Biz Bruja in Usui Reiki energy healing in addition to mediumship/spirit messenger- a divine gift I have yet to sharpen since childhood.
I am most proud of my book. I recently self-published my first book Healing My Four Bodies An Interactive Guide to Self-Inquiry and Solutions for the Soul last November and I host The IM Healing Podcast.
What sets me apart is that I have the educational and personal experience and expertise to help support your healing needs as it relates to being able to intuitively tap in and provide guidance and clarity to help you set goals on your healing and wellness journey/path. My unique background in mental health also sets me above other “coaches” because I can triage client’s needs and make necessary recommendations and referrals. I am well versed in tools like motivational interviewing, somatic/breath work, charka balancing, crystal use, sound healing, and utilize yoga and mindfulness to help support my clients. I call my approach the SOULution focused way. ILM Healing Solutions offers Healing SOULutions for the soul.
The services I offer include Healing Coaching, Yoga, Reiki, Mindfulness Coaching, and Intuitive Soulution Strategy Sessions which includes oracle readings.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Earlier this year I was working my business, launching my book, while also teaching 1 course for a university as an adjunct professor for master’s level social work students. In January, I was physically assaulted by a date I met on a dating app. My entire life was flipped upside down as I had to leave my home temporarily due to safety concerns. As you can imagine, this forced me to have to decrease the hours I put into my business in addition to put a hault on marketing plans for my book. I ended up having to give up the teaching gig which impacted streams of income for me. This also impacted mental health as I to this day am navigating legal proceedings related to the incident-now 11 months later. As a result, I returned back to full time work as a counselor while still working my business 2 days a week. It was not a choice I wanted to make, but practically, it was one I had to make. All that to say, to anyone who is pivoting ideas, creating, or managing a small business; remember it’s ok to take a few steps “backwards” in order to catapult forward. Detach from emotions when making pragmatic decisions in both life and business and the rest will fall into place. More importantly, validate and process your emotions (even with a professional) and give yourself the space and time to heal through unexpected things in life that make you pívot.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Authenticity. I believe that when I first started, part of the reason my business did not do as well as it’s doing now is because I was afraid to share parts of myself (a conditioned mindset I adopted as a professional in the fields of social work/psychotherapy where were are encouraged to not self-disclose). Once I started to show up as my true authentic self in the office space with clients including diving into intuition/spirituality and even more importantly when I began to be authentic and vulnerable in my content creation, in my private FB group, with my email subscribers, and of course across social media platforms, more client’s came and more client’s referred others to me. It is something I pride myself on. I have no shame showing up as the professional but also being able to genuinely say to someone “hey, I get it, I’ve been there too” and able to provide guides, resources, techniques, tools, and skills to support other’s journeys. I am a firm believer that sometimes, mountains are placed in your way so you can prove to others they can be moved.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ilmhealingsoulutions.com
- Instagram: @ilm_healing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ILMhealing/
- Twitter: @ilm_healing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpsoD_GHDR8SCCH8Nad7ZVA
- Other: https://linktr.ee/ilmhealingsoulutions Stream The IM Healing Podcast on all your favorite streaming apps. Purchase book at www.healingmyfourbodiesbook.com
Image Credits
I have rights to use all photos. Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.