Hidden Gems: Meet Mayra Bedolla-Lopez of New Beginnings Christian Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayra Bedolla-Lopez.

Hi Mayra, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I was raised by a single parent. At the age of 10 years old I was placed in Orangewood Children’s Home along with my three siblings for the third and final time. It is at this time I recall I developed an interest in helping others as I worked with a social worker and family therapist for reunification. At the age of 19 I became a single parent after leaving an abusive relationship. I completed my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in 2013, had re-married, and had our daughter. Shortly after I began full-time work with children and families in the city and school district of Santa Ana, providing services primarily in Spanish. During 2020, I began working again with college students across the state, providing online counseling. At the end of the year, I felt led to start an online private practice. Some of those college students I worked with during the pandemic graduated college and became my clients. 

In 2023, I decided to expand my Christian solo private practice into a group private practice. I wanted to help train, develop, and support associates as well as reach and serve more clients in the community. Now, we are meeting with clients as young as 13 and older, as well as couples. Providing services in English and Spanish. We continue to meet with clients online, in-person via walk-talk therapy, and in our office in Yorba Linda.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
If I had it my way it would have been a smooth road, but it hasn’t been, and I am extremely thankful for the growth and knowledge I have learned along the road. Some of the challenges have been simply doing something new and something I had never thought I would do. I never had it on my radar to be a business owner. I was content working for the various organizations I was working for. But I truly believe God, my creator and provider, had other plans for my life. So, I decided to be obedient and step out into something I had never done. I realized that my biggest struggle has been my self limiting negative beliefs. I know the mind is powerful, but through this experience, I am having to constantly challenge my negative thoughts. Interesting enough, it is one of the main tools I focus on with my clients. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are flooded with negative and intrusive thoughts daily. A study done by the National Science Foundation found that the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those thousands of thoughts, 80% were negative, and 95% were exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before. We can see that one of the tendencies of the mind is to focus on the negative and “play the same songs” over and over again. I believe the enemy targets our mind with his lies, and if we are not aware of his tactics, we will be attacked, and it will affect our relationships with others. That is why we are committed to helping you recognize the lies of the enemy, learn God’s truth, and move towards the healing and restoration that God has for you. We utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and focus on challenging and changing cognitive distortions such as one’s thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, in order to improve emotion regulation and their associated behavior. New Beginnings Christian Counseling is focused on incorporating Biblical Truths and Clinical Tools. We specialize in helping our clients work through trauma, negative experiences, anxiety, fear, grief, and loss while incorporating our Christian faith. We provide therapy to adolescents, young adults, couples, families, and therapists. We provide services in Spanish and offer a discount to young adults ages 18-25. We believe if people can start getting the help right when they need it vs. later in life, then their life’s outcome will be more positive, and they will have healthier interpersonal relationships. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned people are resilient and flexible. During the crisis I began meeting with clients online and in-person via walk-talk therapy in the outdoors. I learned more and more younger people are reaching out and asking for help regarding their mental health. And I believe collectively our knowledge regarding mental health has evolved and we as a community are more open to seeking services for ourselves and our family. 

Pricing:

• 130+ Young Adults (18-25)
• 150+ Adults
• 175+ Couples/Families

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.newbeginningschristiancounseling.net
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbedolla-lopez/