We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tierra Ortiz-Rodriguez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tierra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us 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.

Last year I was going through a significant life change. I was contemplating whether to leave the Known Land of my stable 9-5 job for the Unknown Land of launching my own counseling and coaching business. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I’ve been working in community mental health for over 10 years. Change is scary! I pondered over it, talked with friends and family, journaled, made my pros and cons lists. But the answer finally came in the most surprising of places: a dream. And not just any dream. A dream of one of my SoulCollage® cards.

SoulCollage® is a method of self-discovery and self-expression through images which tell a story about who we are. Each card in our SoulCollage® deck represents an aspect of our MindBodySoul that is seeking to guide us, challenge us, and bring us into greater balance. As a SoulCollage® Facilitator, I have a personal deck of over 70 cards. The card that entered my dream and woke me up—literally—was my Fearful Self card. This collage is an amalgamation of things that scare me: heights, public speaking, alligators, oh my! In my dream, it was the alligator from my card who spoke to me and said very clearly, “Remember it’s the scariest places that afford the most incredible views.” Wow.

I believe we are all the hero of our own story. Like any good story, there are fears, challengers, and uncertainties that must be faced. There are also new revelations, skills, and resources that must be gained. We also discover allies who guide us on our path, and sometimes those signposts come in the form of an alligator SoulCollage® card.

Tierra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a native Houstonian and have been living in Sugar Land, Texas for the past 4 years. At Pathways to MindBodySoul, my mission is to help people build a positive mind-body-soul connection for stress recovery and soaring above anxiety, trauma, and chronic pain. I believe holistic practices awaken our Inner Hero and mobilize our inner resources for healing. I integrate nature, mindfulness, and creativity into counseling, coaching, and personal growth. Therapy or coaching with me is tailored to my client’s needs, and I love collaborating with my clients to find the unique blend of nature, mindfulness, and creativity that is right for them.

I’m the kind of therapist and coach who will encourage my clients to read or write a poem, journal, listen to a song, share a dream, paint, draw, spend time in nature, and, of course, make SoulCollage® cards. Research shows that creative activities are good for our physical and mental health, and spending just a little time in creative play reduces our stress and cortisol levels. Similarly, spending time in nature relaxes us, reduces stress, and stimulates creativity.

I am currently training to be certified as a Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide and Mindful Art and Meditation Teacher. I’m excited to soon be offering guided mindful outdoor experiences that combine expressive arts, such as SoulCollage®, poetry, and mindful drawing. When you combine nature and creativity, you get a double dose of goodness! And the truth is, nature is eager to collaborate and co-create with us. I am also a poet and have co-created many poems with nature and about nature.

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

As a therapist, the advice I hear most often is to choose a “niche” and become highly specialized at one thing or working with a certain type of client. This makes good, logical sense in many situations, but it is not necessarily the only way. Over the past 10+ years of journeying with many clients, completing many trainings, and offering many forms of psychotherapy, I’ve come to appreciate the interconnectedness of mind, body, heart and soul. My experiences have taught me that people exist on many levels, have manifold needs, and have complex forces pressing upon them, all of which are valid, important, and interconnected. It is important to have more than one tool in your toolbox and to develop your wisdom of discerning which tools work well for which people (your clients will surely teach you this!). What has been helpful for my own success is giving myself permission to explore many pathways to health and wellness. Curiosity, open-mindedness, and love of learning have led me to take some interesting detours, and many of those detours have added innovative tools to my holistic toolbox and truly enriched my life and the lives of my clients, colleagues, and communities. For success, I think it’s most helpful to follow your own path wherever that may lead and consider everyone and everything a teacher.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Yes, and sooner! In his book Cancer As a Turning Point, psychotherapist Lawrence LeShan challenges people to find their “unique song to sing”—that is, the kind of life and lifestyle that fills you with zest and fuels your creative fires. We often postpone our dreams because we have responsibilities, say we are too busy, don’t want to let people down, are afraid of failure/success, etc. So many of these things have held me back, and the truth is I do wish I could have taken the leap into holistic counseling and coaching much sooner. At the same time, all my experiences have led me to where I am today. I am deeply honored to journey with my clients as a Therapist, Wellness Coach, SoulCollage® Facilitator, and Mindful Outdoor Guide. Now that I am clear about what sparks my joy, I would definitely choose the same profession and specialty. My book of life is not yet complete, and I’m excited for the unfolding adventure. To mix my metaphors, who knows which new hats I am yet to wear. Yoga Instructor, Nutritional Coach, Death Doula…the possibilities are endless!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pathwaystomindbodysoul.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathwaystomindbodysoul/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076893233268
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tierraortizrodriguez/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pathwaystomindbodysoul