We recently connected with Wendy Llamas and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Wendy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

You’re not taught how to be a business owner in grad school. I wish someone had told me that an important component of being a successful business owner, or therapist for that matter, is practicing healthy boundaries. Practicing healthy boundaries requires honesty with one self about what does and does not sit well with you and the assertive communication skills to share that information with others.

I knew right before I launched my practice that my confidence and assertive communication skills were parts of myself that required attention and strengthening. I knew I would need these skills to help me navigate having difficult clinical and professional conversations with my clients. As a lifelong people pleaser who equated any type of assertion as confrontation, I was aware that having direct talks with clients around challenging matters would be highly activating. Whether they were talks that involved inviting clients to take accountability for their struggles or discussions on raising my fees, the thought of having these types of conversations would make my heart race and stomach turn.

In an effort to address this head on, I decided to resume my personal therapy to assist me with developing these areas of myself. Social workers and therapists like myself are expected to be completely selfless and always prioritize the needs of those they serve. But as my therapist once asked me, “what about [my] needs?” The truth is this field always preaches personal self care but do not do a great job teaching, especially modeling, boundary work as self care. Nowadays, I understand that if folks get upset with boundaries I establish, it has little to do with me and probably just means we’re not a good fit for one another. Acknowledging and acting in alignment with my boundaries is much easier than it was when I first started my private practice. It is one way I protect myself, honor the work I do, and can be of better service to my clients.

Wendy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Wendy and I am a licensed clinical social worker, providing mental health services via my private practice, Growing Glimmers, to folks in the state of CA. I was trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in 2017 and after many consultations, trainings, and hours of practice, I became an EMDR Approved Consultant (AC) in 2022. I offer EMDR attachment focused treatment to kiddos and their caregivers, and to predominantly adult Latinas. As an EMDR AC, I provide individual and group consultation services to EMDR trained therapists looking to strengthen their skills and/or become certified.

Before transitioning to private practice full time in 2021, I was mostly working with clients from low-income, Latinx, Spanish speaking communities, similar to the one I grew up in, for several years. My core values of social justice, community, and healing have always inspired me to serve clients from underserved and marginalized backgrounds. I was interested in helping them explore the ways childhood wounding has contributed to their struggles but also how systemic issues (such as racism, patriarchy, capitalism, individualistic culture, etc.) play a role in their difficulties.

I consider myself a childhood therapist. When working with children, I include their caregivers in session and identify areas of their relationship that can be improved upon. The ultimate goal is to help the kiddo feel more connected to their caregiver and using that positive relationship to strengthen their sense of self and help them better navigate their small but impactful world. Unfortunately, not all children are privileged enough to meet with an attachment focused therapist and end up growing up in environments feeling unsafe, alone, or neglected. This can create a lot of core wounds that manifest into low self-esteem, relationship issues, anxiety, depression and so on in their adult years. So while I see these clients as adults, I am often times helping them recognize and work through those childhood wounds, and become the loving parent to themselves that they wish they had.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I think of my moments of resilience as a therapist/entrepreneur, I am called to discuss and give credit to my amazing sources of support. I am very much a therapist that believes our individual wellness is rooted in community care: we heal in safe, loving relationships. And so when I am struggling through professional issues or personal matters that may impact the professional (because we all will go through that), I turn towards one of my many places for comfort. It may be my bi-weekly holistic therapist group or the informal group chat amongst my colleagues or to a friend. Regardless who I reach out to, the process of being open about where I am at emotionally and mentally with someone who is safe and emotionally attuning almost always begins the process of releasing the discomfort I am experiencing and moving me towards groundedness. Being vulnerable, asking for the space holding from others, and allowing myself to receive the care is what helps me recover from tough situations.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I am full of gratitude when I think that my greatest source for new clients has come from word of mouth of existing clients. I have clients that I have been working with since I first started my private practice in 2021. It is an honor that they choose to continue to trust me and allow me to walk beside them as they go through their very sacred journey of releasing their pain and moving towards healing. I take my role as a person’s therapist very seriously and one of the most affirming moments of the work we do together is when a client sends a referral my way. It indicates to me that they feel positively about the service and care they receive.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.growingglimmers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growing.glimmers.therapy/