Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Alejandre.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been blessed with the luxury of beautiful human beings along my journey in life. I attribute most of my success to the seed that the adults planted in me when I was in kindergarten and beyond. Since I can remember, I was told in a gentle way, “You’re going to college” in Spanish. This was so important because my parents worked manual labor jobs with long hours and little pay. So, I nurtured that seed by working really hard in school until I made it to college!
At UC Santa Barbara, I was studying Economics when I began because I come from a line of entrepreneurs and since the school did not offer Business Administration, it was the closest thing to it. I was very wrong about that. I was not doing well in my major. College was a lot harder and I was having a hard time transitioning. In addition, I had gotten pregnant and had my son the summer after my freshman year. At first, everyone doubted me, but my son sparked the fire I never knew I had. I signed up for community college back home, for the spring semester to catch up on my general education, while I took a leave from UCSB. The following quarter I returned, changed major to Psychology, got on the Dean’s list, raised my GPA and graduated on time with my class. From the moment my son was born, I did everything strategically, and still do. These moments were difficult as a single-mother. My parents supported me and believed in me the entire time. Since I had the most amazing, hard-working role models who poured everything they had into our family, I had to at least try. So, I earned my Master’s while holding two jobs.
As soon as I graduated, I reached out to my mentor that had her own private practice. I hopped on board and paved my way to become a trauma therapist. I became trained in one of the best modalities to treat trauma survivors, and studied to pass the licensure exam, while balancing being a mother. I passed the exam early 2017 and opened my own practice, which has allowed me to have so many opportunities as a mother and entrepreneur. Along this journey, I also met the love of my life, and he has been very supportive in helping me achieve my dreams. In September 2017, I was fortunate to deploy to Houston, Texas to assist in the Hurricane Harvey relief. In October 2017, I provided free services to the survivors of the Las Vegas shooting. I have wonderful clients in my private practice that I appreciate. I created a group for Latino Psychotherapists that has more than 450 members currently and provides a space for bilingual resources, support and networking. I am on my way to launching my multicultural podcast on resiliency and mental health, along with an e-book! Every experience, every interaction that I have had, I have not taken for granted.
To sum, I am where I am today because of my village. Their strength, resiliency and love has given me the motivation to go further. My parents, siblings, my son, partner, friends, mentors and my community keeps my heart full of optimism and passion.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In Spanish, I would be told by my father, Enrique, “Si todo en la vida era, fácil,. cualquiera lo lograría” which translates to “If everything in life was easy, anyone would achieve it.” It does not translate perfectly, but I take it as: You have to fight through the bad days to get through the best days.
Most of the intense struggles for me came from when I was a single-mom because I wanted to succeed and also be a good mother, and doing both was confusing at my age. Finding myself as a young woman, mother and student impacted my mental health and I struggled with anxiety because of this. The uncertainty and doubt from others also did not help my anxiety and stress. I experienced people (even teachers) doubting that I could have a future with a child by my side. I persevered and here I am, with a thriving practice, flexible schedule to enjoy motherhood and give back to the community that I grew up in. Nothing in life is easy, we march through it, or it marches through us. That’s not my style, so I choose the latter.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I own Counseling and Trauma Therapy, a private practice in Porter Ranch and I am a bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I am also a Certified Anger Management Specialist. Clients who come to me are individuals who struggle with trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship problems and/or have problems adjusting with a transition in their life. I am known for being a trauma therapist for adults and teens. I provide online counseling also to anyone in California and selected pre-approved countries. In addition, if there any therapists that need help with a client who has experienced a trauma, I provide clinical consultation.
Overall, I really try to connect with my clients as humans, and I make myself as human-like as possible in sessions. I care for the people that come to me and provide the help from my heart.
I am most proud of the ability to give back to the community in the way I choose, such as being able to provide psychological first aid to communities who have experienced a disaster at no cost. This is something I have been told that sets me apart. Having this experience of being deployed to help those struggling after Hurricane Harvey and the Las Vegas massacre was tragic, eye-opening and a very different experience. A few other things that set me apart include that I have two published articles (one in a book and one in a journal). I accomplished this during my time at Pepperdine University while I studied under Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis. I also have presented in many conferences, and one amazing one was at Stanford University. The podcast I am launching will really help to provide hope and tips to achieve resiliency, and I will be interviewing many people who have overcome adversaries and we will also talk about the impact on their mental health.
Lastly, I am so proud of the Latino Psychotherapists group I created. We have exciting activities coming up such as a mental health fair, networking events, self-care days and webinars to share our knowledge with one another. Without my counseling practice and the support I have from my family, I could not have achieved this. I am both proud and grateful.
What were you like growing up?
I have 3 siblings who I am very close to. My parents raised us as a tight-knit, but not enmeshed, family. These are some direct, candid quotes from my siblings about me growing up:
“You were a very quiet human being, very picky, loved when your dad read to you random stuff, like the encyclopedia. You were a very sweet girl that loved to ride her bike. You loved my stories I would tell you when it was time to sleep. On vacations, you liked to do math equations” – Jasmin Torres, The Oldest Among Us
“Nanis didn’t like too many hugs, or long holding hugs, only short hugs.” – Christian Alejandre, The One Younger Than Me
“I don’t remember you growing up.” –My youngest sibling, Claudia Alejandre, The Youngest of Us
They summed me up in a nut-shell. Nanis is my nickname, by the way. Growing up, school was easy and I loved learning, reading and challenging myself. I enjoyed doing quiet-activities and spending time with my family, and eventually playing with my Togamachi. I was always playful, but not a risk-taker, and did not like getting hurt. When I was in middle school, my interests were flip phones and going to dances. In high school, I loved cheerleading and crafting. I have always had a deep love for animals. My favorite animal was always a water turtles and koalas. My interests have evolved over time. I love dogs, psychology, family time and Grey’s Anatomy now, not in this order.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.counselingandtraumatherapy.com
- Phone: 818-835-5330
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Counseling and Trauma Therapy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CounselingandTraumaTherapy
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlejandreLMFT
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/alejandrelmft/
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
