We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Luis Cornejo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Luis, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

There’s a significant movement for an online presence and people are starting to talk about mental health more openly. As a therapist, one of the first things we get told in grad school is to keep our lives private and share as little as possible. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you see it, social media has become a norm in all of our lives. As a result, social media has become a focal point in many businesses. This includes the mental health field. Many therapists, often in private practice, have now become influencers and amassed huge followings. This is unprecedented and brings about many questions, ethical dilemmas, and shifts in the field that we have yet to see the outcome of. Social media like many other tools has the potential to bring people closer, provide information, and normalize conversations such as mental health topics. It can also increase burnout rates, increase depression, and lead to misinformation (or misinterpreted information). The reality is that online therapist tips and content are not a replacement for therapy. The process of therapy is unique to each individual and a lot more complex than tips and factoids.

As someone who utilizes social media for business purposes and for my work as a model I definitely understand the benefit of having an online presence. It’s useful and allows me to connect with more people in an accessible way. Over time, however, I’ve had to learn to find harmony between my online presence and my personal life. This includes disconnecting from social media, not feeling forced to create for the sake of creating, and reminding myself of the limitations of social media (false sense of intimacy).

The industry will continue to require therapists to showcase their humanity and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In the past therapists have often been seen as “mysterious,” unapproachable, or even cold. Having an online presence shows people the human side of the work we do. It can also help filter out the type of clients we work with. For example, I specialize in working with Queer and BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color). My messages, information, advocacy, and social media center on topics that relate to these communities. When I have people reach out about my services they already know what I’m about. This is helpful because it showcases my work and brings opportunities that fit with my expertise.

This of course brings up concerns for many therapists who do worry about their privacy, are feeling pressured to create content, or don’t want to have clients following them. These are all valid concerns and each therapist must decide if social media is a good strategy business-wise and personally as well.

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

I am a natural entertainer who enjoys making others laugh and feel inspired. As a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, I’ve worked tirelessly for the last 8+ years to support the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. I’ve done this as the founder of PsychoSocial Media, a mental health platform providing mental health articles and resources. As well as through my group practice PsychoSocial Therapy, a private practice specializing in LGBTQ+ and BIPOC mental health.

I was born and raised in L.A (Inglewood, CA) with parents from Guatemala and Mexico. I am a first-generation, bilingual, Queer individual who was the first in their family to graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the U.S. Growing up in Inglewood, I was exposed to the effects of drugs, gang activity, and police discrimination from an early age. Inglewood was often considered an unsafe neighborhood and shootings were not uncommon. A lot of my earlier experiences in life left an imprint on me and really motivated me to work hard and build a career. I knew by the age of 10 years old that I wanted to help people. It took me a while to find the path I am on, but once I did I knew it was the right one for me. I graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Child & Adolescent Development with an emphasis on Public Policy. I spent years afterward working in child development centers. I really enjoyed the work and supporting families with mental health and developmental concerns. After a few years, I decided to go back to school and started my journey at California State University, Long Beach where I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. I thrived in my master’s program and earned a state stipend to work at a child mental health non-profit providing therapy to high risks families and children. It was challenging work, but I learned a lot, and I also realized quickly how heavy the life of a therapist can be. Afterward, I relocated to San Francisco and worked for a few years in a non-profit focusing on Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ mental health. During my time there I worked as a mental health consultant for head start schools and San Francisco Unified School District. A couple of years later I transitioned into individual adult services where I worked with primarily LGBTQ+-identifying adults as well as parents. This was an important transition in my work and led to my current role as an adult-only therapist. As much as I loved working with children and families, it was not easy and often laid heavy on my heart.

After working at the non-profit in San Francisco I began working at Kaiser and stayed there for a year. The work was difficult and it was during the height of the pandemic which brought about additional challenges. My time at Kaiser was not positive, however, I am grateful for my time there because it led to one of the most important decisions of my career, my private practice. PsychoSocial Therapy was born from a dream and desire to specialize and showcase my identity in the work I do. Through developing my practice I was able to create something that represented who I was as an individual and professional. Two years later and I am proud to say that I have a full practice, work with 100% Queer and/or BIPOC clients, and have had additional opportunities such as pursuing modeling.

To me, fashion and modeling always felt unattainable. Even as a teenager, I remember being so enamored with fashion and design. Sadly, during this time I was not able to pursue my passion due to my family being conservative and not being out. I often grieved this, but realize now that it is happening when it needed to happen. Two years ago after starting my practice I remember waking up one day and thinking “I’m going to be a model and I’m going to pursue my interest in fashion.” It was such a natural decision and thanks to my work in therapy and healing I had done it felt right. The last two years I’ve put a lot of energy into filling my cup with joy, passion, and intention. I feel immense gratitude for some of the opportunities I’ve received such as walking in a couple of fashion shows, connecting with Queer designers, and collaborating with other folks who align with my vision. This is new territory and it’s not common to see a therapist also be a model or show up in this way, however, I find that is a necessary evolution of my work. My ultimate goal is to blend together my work, knowledge, and advocacy for mental health with my passion for fashion and entertainment!

I don’t know what the future holds, but I am done fearing the unknown and hope that I can inspire others to also take risks and pursue paths that allow them to heal, grow, and find joy.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I met my private practice co-founder Liz Hinojosa, LMFT while I was working at a non-profit in San Francisco. We quickly became friends and I feel truly blessed to have Liz in my life. We initially began working on PsychoSocial Media together since we both shared a strong commitment to mental health advocacy. Over the years we became best friends and we started to have deep conversations about our dreams, intentions, and goals. We found that we were both aligned when it came to business, our passion, and our outlook for the future. I started my private practice as a sole proprietor and worked alone for a year. I enjoyed the process during the first year, but it was lonely. After multiple conversations, Liz and I decided to go into business together. While it has been challenging for both of us as first gen individuals and first-time business owners, it has also been rewarding. Going into business together has allowed us the flexibility, knowledge, and healing we both needed.

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

Over the years I’ve had to unlearn many things that created self-limiting beliefs. The most crucial thing I had to unlearn was not trusting myself. For most of my life, I was often told to trust God, trust my parents, trust my friends, etc, but I was never taught to trust myself. I struggled with this for years and it often kept me from pursuing the things I really loved. It also kept me from allowing myself to exist as I am. I’ve learned more in the last two years about who I am as a person than I have in the last 20. Through my work in therapy and my support system, I began to challenge this belief and it has been the most rewarding part of my process. I still worry and sometimes question myself, but I’ve learned to work through this and it’s made a difference. I no longer tell myself that “I need this or that” before I can pursue something. I go for it. I allow myself to be in the process rather than avoid it because of fear. This includes learning more about who I am and not who I was told I was. I now show up unapologetically, don’t wait for a green light from others, and express myself as a beautiful Queer person. I don’t know where my life will take me, but I do know that I won’t regret not trying and following my heart.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.luis-cornejo.com , www.psychosocial.media , www.psychosocialtherapy.com
• Instagram: @luis_thee_lmft
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luistheelmft
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-cornejo-m-s-lmft-90a84161/