Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Coutinho, LCSW.
Hi Victoria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Although my interest in psychotherapy has been lifelong, my journey toward becoming a therapist began in 2018. While volunteering at a local equestrian center, I discovered that equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions were offered through a non-profit foundation. Enrolling in my Master’s program, I was then fortunate enough to become an intern at this foundation and gained my initial clinical experience working with individuals and groups to address anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and familial dynamics. Catering primarily to groups of at-risk youth and teens battling substance abuse, I chose to expand my services in order to reach more adolescents facing similar circumstances.
Striving for greater accessibility of care, I coordinated with nearby school districts. Developing partnerships with schools and local police departments in both the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, this teamwork led to the creation of an after-school mentorship program for at-risk youth. Finding myself at another non-profit in 2020, I then transitioned into providing individual and group counseling for teens experiencing increased anxiety, depression, and the effects of substance use after the COVID-19 pandemic. I also served as a Program Manager facilitating educational courses on substance use as well as rehabilitation programs for teens and their families.
In 2023, I joined a remote group practice and became a Telehealth therapist. I worked with clients of “all ages, all stages” and was particularly drawn to the spheres of codependency, stress management, life transitions, and grief processing. I have found deep fulfillment in supporting clients through the “unknown” and have thus transitioned into working with adults facing challenging or unforeseen circumstances.
I am also a Certified Usui Reiki Master. In my spare time I enjoy writing, watching documentaries, and thrift shopping.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wish I could say that it was a smooth road! But like many stories, there were certainly bumps along the way. The most memorable bump, which I encountered a couple of times, was called burnout. I found myself walking away from the therapeutic profession both times in order to recharge and reassess how I was arriving at this bump in the first place. It was helpful to step back and take a look at myself, recalibrate my boundaries, and learn how to place my needs in a category where they were just as important as those whom I served.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Woven Word Therapy & Wellness?
Simply put, I aim to weave breakthroughs into your storyline. I opened The Woven Word Therapy & Wellness with the intention of providing more options for therapeutic services as I kept hearing from clients that 50 minutes would go by in the blink of an eye. It would typically happen right when we were getting to the deepest or most impactful part of session – only to be met with the cliffhanger of “until next time.” Sometimes we need to give time some time, and that’s usually where the true treasures of therapy lie. I thoroughly enjoy my time spent in therapeutic dialogue and seek to provide clients with very tangible, yet memorable examples they can take with them when walking out the door. From a simple analogy to a lighthearted joke, I aspire to make therapy a space one can also look forward to and thrive in rather than feel as though it is needed to “get through” whatever life has thrown at them. Let’s work to uncover strengths and make you the hero of your own story. You may even come to find that you are your own favorite character in your book of life! I currently specialize in Life Transitions and see clients from adolescent to elder adult stages. I am proud to offer a broad range of therapeutic modalities and approaches to assist with curating an individualized and client-centered experience.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I am very fortunate to have a laundry list of individuals with which to credit not only my success in becoming a licensed therapist, but in assisting with my own personal development over the course of my journey to licensure. I likewise am very lucky to have had involvement with incredibly impactful organizations such a nonprofits Free Rein Foundation and California Youth Services, as well as time spent accruing my clinical hours at The Mindful Lemon, Inc. Each teammate, colleague, mentor and supervisor provided me with the necessary tools and skills toward becoming the therapist I am today. A very special message of gratitude goes to my incredible fiancé, Giovanni, who has believed not only in me but in my vision for The Woven Word every step of the way.
Pricing:
- 50 minutes: $185
- 75 minutes: $200
- 90 minutes: $225
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wovenwordtherapy.com
- Instagram: @wovenwordtherapy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-coutinho-lcsw
Popular
-
What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
-
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
-
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
-
Life, Lessons, & Legacies
-
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
-
Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
