Meet Paola Leon of Corazon De Leon Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Leon.

Hi Paola, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hola! Me llamo Paola Leon and I am a first generation Latina who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California. I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California and like many growing up, my first language was Spanish. Mis padres son de la Ciudad de Mexico, also known as el D.F. My parents instilled in me a high value in education and a strong work ethic. I grew up with limited to no mentors regarding college yet alone University. Despite the challenges and obstacles, I was the first in my family to graduate from a 4 year University- Cal Sate Fullerton and the first in my family to graduate with a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. I navigated through many obstacles, setback’s, fears, imposter syndrome and more to get to where I am know. That is a Latina business owner in the mental health field. I had previously worked in many areas around the mental health field such as; school settings, community mental health, ABA, Youth outreach programs, private practice, and hospital settings. Fast forward to today, I took a leap of faith and believed in myself. I am now the founder and owner of “Corazon De Leon Therapy” a private practice that offers culturally and trauma informed care to Latinx families and children across the state of California. I’m accomplishing one of my dream goals; helping, making an impact and assisting my community.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This road has not been a smooth one. With complete honesty, I would say that as a First gen Latina there are limited resources to starting your own business. Asking for help is key. The process of starting a business is a learning curb and its a journey that you continue to learn through out the years. Having patience is also a key when starting a business.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Corazon De Leon Therapy?
Absolutely! Corazon De Leon Therapy is a private practice that offers individual therapy through telehealth across the state of Califronia. We specialize in providing individual care to children, teens and young adults up to the age of 30 who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. We take pride in assisting the Latine community and other marginalized individuals by providing culturally sensitive/aware, trauma informed, and compassionate care. Ofrecemos terapia en Español. We also provide psychological mental health immigration evaluations to those who are navigating the process of filling for a Visa- U, T or Vawa along seeking Asylum and hardship waivers. Speaking engagements and collaborations are also a part of our services whether it may be through a podcast, community events or school settings. Brand wise, I am more proud of our mission and purpose as well as the meaning of our business. Corazon De Leon Therapy strives to be warm, collaborative, and rooted in the belief that healing begins when people feel safe, seen, and understood. The meaning of Corazon De Leon Therapy derives from 1. a tribute to my family lineage of hard work, dedication, resilience and unity. Second, the intention of breaking the mental health stigma in the Latinx community of “being seen as weak for being vulnerable or talking about your emotions”. Corazon De Leon is the complete opposite; it sends the message of being vulnerable and willing to open your heart as an act of courage and strength.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I now incorporate my Oura ring into my daily routine to monitor and track vitals & my sleeping cycle. Some apps I utilize in my daily routine are calm and headspace. For books there are many I enjoy and I mainly gravitate towards self help books, cultural books and trauma informed books; mainly books written by Latine authors. As far a resources I heavily rely on community and mi familia.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.corazondeleontherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corazondeleontherapy?stkn=MTZrdDBwMjZzMnFkMA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Sperlingphotoco