Meet Luz Kyncl

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luz Kyncl.

Luz, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a licensed psychotherapist, certified health coach, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. And the author of “Liberate Yourself: Your Past is not Your Prison.” I empower people to make better choices for themselves.

I started my career as a therapist helping individuals and families dealing with emotional difficulties. After dealing with a personal debilitating illness, I learned that wasn’t enough. There needed to be physical support: diet, exercise, self-care.

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder which caused me to in a lot of pain, and I could barely walk or sleep; my white blood cells were completely depleted, so I was constantly sick with lots of infections, I had organ failures, chronic rheumatoid arthritis. I had to take many drugs to keep myself alive with horrible side effects. I kept pretending I was ok because my children needed me, my work needed me, my husband needed me, but inside I was falling apart.

Finally, I admitted to a friend that I needed help. She gave me the name of a holistic healer. He took one look at me and said in a strong but smooth voice, “If you want to heal, You need to start taking care of yourself. That is your cure!”

Self-care. But it was not that simple. It’s never that simple. I grew up in a household filled with alcohol abuse, domestic violence, child abuse. It was never about self-care; it was about survival.

And I survived. I had a family, a job. I was a therapist at the time, so I spent my whole life listening and fixing others but never paying attention to MY OWN NEEDS. I had to improve my diet and lifestyle, and that completely changed my life. But most importantly, self-care helped me change the story of how I saw myself, hearing myself, AND it taught me how to love myself.

Once I became completely healed, I founded Salud con Luz with a mission to help others improve their lives through changes in their diet and lifestyle. I did that for a few years working with different organizations throughout inner cities in Los Angeles.

I also have my own private practice, where I specialize in anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, and emotional eating.

My husband and I recently created the Kyncl Family Foundation, whose mission is to support and empower members of underrepresented communities with access to education and other opportunities.

Great, 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?
There have definitely been many challenges; however, looking back, I would call them lessons and learning opportunities.

1) Because of my illness, I have learned to appreciate life more and realize life is also short, and there is no time to waste.

2) To heal, I needed to be more compassionate towards myself (it is tough to do that, especially when raised in a chaotic household). As I became more compassionate towards myself, I also became more compassionate towards other people; I realized we all suffer and that we all have something to improve upon or change, and that is why I wrote my book, Liberate Yourself: Your Past is not Your Prison to help others as well.

We’d love to hear more about your practice.
Luz Kyncl, Psychotherapy, is a Los Angeles-based therapy practice offering psychotherapy, health coaching, and mindfulness training for individuals, families, teens, and groups. It is devoted to providing an integrative and holistic approach to wellness that includes a tool-box of practices and techniques, using cognitive behavior therapy, EMDR therapy, mindfulness, and wellness coaching to treat an array of afflictions, including anxiety, depression, emotional eating, childhood trauma, and low self-esteem.

I am proud of helping others improve their lives, whether it’s through my private practice, community work, or my foundation.

What sets me apart is that I practice what I preach. Whatever I tell my client to do, I have done it myself, whether improving my diet, mental health, lifestyle, or practicing mindfulness. I also approach my cases from a holistic standpoint, addressing the emotional and spiritual blocks that may be preventing clients from achieving their goals.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Yes and no. I grew up in the Dominican Republic, and Christmas was my favorite time of the year. It was all about celebrating with families,  and people seemed to be happier and more cheerful (it was never about the gifts). Unfortunately now, Christmas has become more commercialized. However, being in America, Thanksgiving reminds me of that time in my childhood, so now I love Thanksgiving!

Pricing:

• 150.00 per session but I do offer a limited sliding fee scale based on financial needs

Contact Info:

• Website: luzkynclpsychotherapy.com
• Phone: 4242794556
• Email: lkpsychotherapy@gmail.com
• Instagram: luzkynclpsychotherapy

 

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.