We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paola Gonzalez Fusilier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paola below.
Paola, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
Research of the Pasadena area has shown that various zip codes in our area are some of the most underserved and mental health resources scarce in Harris County. There are community agencies in our area with up to a year wait for mental health services! I’ve received calls where there is a desperate parent on the other line that does not speak English and has made more calls than they can count. Our community is looking for access to caring and empathetic resources.
I started Pasadena Counseling Center to provide mental health services to one of the areas that has scarce mental health resources. I provide sliding scale services based on income and take a variety of insurance plans used by employers in our area. I believe that the great work of serving underserved communities begins when we bring the resources close to home, right in their neighborhood, and make it accessible culturally and financially.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Being a mental health therapist is a calling. Being a business owner and practice owner well, that’s taken a lot of time, energy and dedication.
As a therapist, I often say that I feel I was created for this work. I feel deeply about hope and healing for all of my clients. I believe in providing the best mental health services because my clients deserve that. Over time, I began to build a niche and a speciality. I am a therapist with a specialty in trauma and child therapy. Most of my clients have experienced some sort of trauma in their lives, as a child or as an adult. My specialty and advanced training affords my clients a wealth of knowledge and experience. I am able to see clients ages 2+.
I provide services in both English and Spanish and provide in-person or virtual appointments.
I provide therapy services, individual and family therapy, and immigration evaluation services.
Immigration psychosocial evaluations are often required as part of immigration cases. I offer flexible appointment times and quick turnarounds for clients needing them for upcoming court proceedings. Because of specialty, I am also able to provide these evaluations for children.
As a business owner, the first thing I did was sign up for an EMR, electronic medical records system, that also has insurance claims capabilities, online pay, and online scheduling and paperwork. This has been a lifesaver. Of course, every system has kinks but overall, this has helped my sanity as a small business owner. I have created systems that have helped me be more effective on the business side of things and ensure that I resolve issues as soon as they come up. I also have the world’s best assistant and marketing guy, also known as my husband Johnny. I’m thankful for his support and encouragement in this process!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
A therapists’ reputation is built by not only acquiring skills and practicing a myriad of therapy modalities, it’s built by having skills and evidence-based practices that truly help clients heal. My reputation continues to be built by clients that are willing to share their stories with friends and family. Their courage to do this allows others to hear about my skills as a therapist and about the change that therapy has created in the lives of my clients.
One last thing, therapists are in high demand right now and I’ve noticed in recent years that many therapists don’t even bother calling people back when they have left a message inquiring about services.
The best way to build a reputation within the therapy world is to call back, show empathy, and have area resources readily available to provide if you cannot help that caller.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth and the trust of my clients is my number #1 source for referrals and reputation. Their families and friends become witnesses to these changes and begin sharing with others.
I also ensure that I am visible in my community, share at women’s conferences or events, and provide workshops free of charge whenever possible. Even if clients don’t come see me, I want them to see a therapist. Advocating and normalizing mental health is one of my biggest priorities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pasadenacounselingcenter.com/
- Instagram: @pasadenacounselingcenter
- Facebook: @pasadenacounselingcenter
- Twitter: @ptxcounseling
- Other: 5 Star Google reviewed
Image Credits
Logo: David Maldonado, Houston-based visual artist and musician