We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Verenice Hernandez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Verenice, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
Defining Moment:
My defining moment came when my son’s cardiologist used the word…heart transplant…
The world spun and I floated out of my body. I immediately thought and said to myself, “You don’t have the luxury to lose it…Eli needs your strength. Get it together Vere!”. You see my son, Eli, was a normal, energetic 13-year-old, who up to that day had struggled with anxiety. I, having been a middle school counselor for 20 years, knew all about anxiety and the struggles kids endure during those episodes. I also knew that the mental health resources available to children were extremely limited. My son Eli had struggled with bursts of anxiety throughout his life and being a mental health professional, I found myself struggling to get him and others help…this was frustrating because 1) Eli didn’t fit the profile of a chronic anxiety-driven kid, so basically he wasn’t “mentally” ill enough to meet the criteria for therapy referrals through our insurance” and 2) We didn’t qualify for the 12-month long wait-list for community resources of therapy support for him because my husband and I were working professionals…and because it was a community resource, they wouldn’t even take our money. As a school counselor, I have been trained to help triage students in our very limited time of 1 counselor to nearly 400 students to stabilize and return them to their learning environment. All of which I always struggled with because I knew kids needed more guidance and space to understand who they are, process their emotions, and do so in a place that is disarming, fun, and safe…This frustration fueled my dream of creating a place where kids loved to learn and grow in their mental health journey but just the thought of it was so scary and fearful to even explore. Understanding kids’ needs and having a front-row seat to their struggles is what developed into a mission of mine to create a place where kids can grow, learn, and thrive in their social-emotional journey.
It was a normal sunny July day and in the hustle and bustle of life, before we headed to our planned Disneyland trip, we stopped by Eli’s routine doctor’s appointment. It was July 5th, 2022, and during his routine vitals, his heart rate was registering at 205 beats per minute. This came out of left field and that day changed our lives forever. Eli ended up at the Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care Unit at Rady’s Children’s Hospital for 8 days. Eli’s journey stretched our family like never before. Eli’s journey entailed countless cocktail medication changes, additional stays in the ICU, 2 heart surgeries, and countless heart monitors. His doctors called Eli’s case a very rare one and were concerned that if not stabilized his heart would tire out and develop cardiomyopathy and need a heart transplant…
You see when you hear the word heart transplant, you change…your life changes…and as a mother, you either befriend fear and feel the feels or go into denial and go numb. I/we leaned in and befriended fear and felt all the spectrum of the “emotions”. In that journey of befriending the fear, I discovered that everything else I had feared before was nothing in comparison. I felt this renewed sense of power and hope and fear no longer defined my destiny. I knew I needed to be there for my son and needed to have more control over my time for his needs. Creating Wishwell became less scary and gave me the hope that in creating this amazing place it would be mean more time for Eli’s needs as well as help other children and parents struggling with life’s ups and downs. So after 20+ years of being a school counselor, I took a sharp pivot and opened Wishwell because I was no longer afraid.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been an educator and school counselor for more than 20 years working in the second-largest secondary school district in the country with approx 38K students.
For 15 years I held positions of leadership for SCGA, School Counselor & Guidance Association as a head counselor, middle school representative, and bargaining team member. I was the Bargaining Chairperson and negotiated millions of dollars for counselor contracts. I led and empowered 120+ counselors in the education system for 5 years.
This meaningful work earned me the School Counselor of the Year recognition in 2020
In 2022. I befriended fear and knew that the lack of outside community mental health support services was not only limited to my community but more of a chronic crisis in San Diego County and nationwide. This is why WishWell was born.
Wishwell offers a fun, vibrant, dynamic, and interactive space where children can learn vital life skills, decision-making abilities, and self-confidence, all while having fun.
Wishwell is a new type of counseling center. This forward-thinking approach to child counseling has the potential to transform the way we support our children’s growth and social-emotional development.
“Empowering young minds is not just a passion; it’s a calling. After years of working closely with children as an educator and school counselor, I recognized a gap – a lack of support for young kids facing everyday challenges, The decision-making, life skills, and positive self-talk that lay the foundation for a resilient future were often left unaddressed. With over two decades of experience and the privilege of working with thousands of kids, I knew it was my mission to build a space where healing begins, voices are found, and lifelong skills take root. At WishWell, we’re nurturing not just potential, but a sense of purpose that will guide these young hearts toward empowerment and enduring strength.”
WishWell is committed to providing timely and convenient quality care solutions to improve mental health equity in San Diego County and fill the gap in care.
Wishwell is a place like no other…we are the anti-gray wall, leather coach therapy centers! We are a fully bright, fun and interactive place. Kids love coming to Wishwell and don’t want to leave.
I want parents to know that Wishwell is a place that transforms lives and also changes the trajectory of childrens’ lives.
Wishwell gives children permission to be themselves and also to enjoy learning about themselves in a place that “get’s them”.
Because of my experience as a school counselor, I understand the whole child – I’ve seen them in their environment for decades. This gives me an edge that no other therapist or therapy center understands.
The Wishwell brand was created with intentionality in search of having children connect with themselves. Our brand is designed to help kids understand how they feel and with the various Brand Icons like our WishWheel of Emotions, Our Emotion Wall and so many others.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was set straight on my plan to retire as an educator and school counselor. It wasn’t until a life-altering experience with my son’s health changed the trajectory of my life. In search for someone to support him with his mental health due to his medical diagnosis, it was impossible to find a place that first didn’t have an extensive waitlist, but that was also kid/teen friendly. All the places were cold and felt like medical offices. None of them were inviting to teens. With this newfound burden as a parent and mental health professional in my own right, I decided to not complain about the problem and throw my hat in the ring, making it my mission to change the spectrum of services for kids. Wishwell was born out of a place of hope and a deep desire to change the world!!
Because of years of building strong relationships with both my educator colleagues and the community, it has created a source of referral from within all school districts. Those relationships and reputation have been golden for Wishwell as many of our clients are children of teachers, counselors, and school administrators, who understand the value of investing in their childrens’ mental health and being proactive in placing their children in a place that will coach them essential life skills.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I could go back, I would choose the same profession. What I love about my school counseling profession is that I can impact other people’s lives. I truly enjoy helping others see their own potential and strengths. I love being that catalyst in young people’s lives. I believe that being a school counselor makes me a better mom, friend, and daughter and now a better businesswoman, as Wishwell was born from all my experiences of working and truly understanding kids needs. With my foundational counseling experience and my business experience of helping my father with run his small business throughout my life, I felt confident in becoming an entrepreneur! When I hear our tween and teen clients say they love Wishwell and they don’t want to leave, I have to fight back the tears because I know I’ve created a safe place where children connect, learn and grow. That’s the most rewarding feeling in the world!
I always say that my students and clients are my heroes because they are. To see others be vulnerable during moments of fear, pain, and worry and yet be hopeful for a better future is the greatest gift. It is an honor to be a witness to such strength.
Being a school counselor is in my blood and having that foundation is golden for me now as I embark on my journey as an entrepreneur and making a much larger impact through Wishwell.
Watch out world! Wishwell is here to change the mental health game!
Contact Info:
- Website: wishwellcc.com
- Instagram: @wishwellcounseling
- Facebook: @wishwellcounseling
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wishwell-counseling-and-empowerment-center-chula-vista
Image Credits
I have rights to all images