Influential Woman · Counseling Private Practice
Karen Perez-Martinez
Owner and Founder / Licensed Professional Counselor, RENEW Counseling Group PLLC
Waco, TX
Her Story
About Karen
Karen Perez-Martinez is based in Waco, Texas, and is the owner and founder of RENEW Counseling Group PLLC. She provides bilingual (English/Spanish) individual counseling services to adults and adolescents ages 15 and older. Karen is also trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) and has a deep love for working with children. Due to space limitations in her current office, she is not yet able to offer therapy for younger clients, though she is hopeful and excited that this will change in the coming year or two.
At the heart of Karen’s work is a passion for walking alongside individuals as they reconnect with their inner strength and begin to recognize the goodness and resilience that already exist within them. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and a wide range of lived experiences. For more than six years, Karen supported both primary and secondary survivors of domestic violence across the lifespan, addressing trauma, crisis, anxiety, depression, and related challenges through trauma-informed, strength-based care.
In 2025, Karen took a leap of faith and founded RENEW Counseling Group PLLC, a decision that felt both brave and deeply aligned with her values. This step opened the door to meaningful growth, greater purpose, and new possibilities, allowing her to build a practice rooted in compassion, integrity, and healing.
Outside of her professional role, Karen is a proud mother to miracle boy-girl twins who recently turned two. She intentionally chose to homeschool them in an immersive, curiosity-driven way, finding daily inspiration in their growth and wonder. She is deeply grateful for her supportive husband, an entrepreneur himself, as they navigate raising their twins while growing their individual businesses together.
In addition to her work as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Karen has been a hairstylist for over 18 years and continues to practice every other weekend. This long-standing creative outlet allows her to stay connected to people in meaningful ways. She considers herself a collector of hobbies and enjoys learning new skills, including mosaics, watercolor painting, interior design, dancing, such as salsa and American Tribal Style belly dance, and baking. Most recently, she has developed a love for artisan bread and started her first sourdough starter in December. On her growing list of dreams is starting a small garden, one she hopes will offer countless learning moments for her twins and perhaps even adding a few chickens along the way.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Karen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God and a deep trust in His plans for my life, as well as the unwavering encouragement of my family. As a first-generation immigrant, I have always carried a strong desire to honor sacrifice through perseverance, believing wholeheartedly that hard work, dedication, and faith can lead to beautiful outcomes.
I navigated higher education largely on my own and became the first in my family to earn a master’s-level degree. This and other milestones represents not only personal determination, but also my commitment to creating opportunity, breaking barriers, and modeling what is possible for future generations. My journey continues to shape my work, grounding my leadership in humility, resilience, and gratitude.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received was simple: just start. I took that to heart by giving myself permission to take one small step, any step, that would move me closer to my dreams. And I did.
My career brings me deep joy. It’s how I invest in myself, honor my growth, and build the legacy I hope to leave behind, one rooted in purpose, courage, and the kind of vulnerability that true growth requires. I’ve learned so much about naming and embracing that vulnerability through the work of Brené Brown and other greats alike, whose insights I wholeheartedly recommend. At its core, my work is about creating meaningful impact, both for myself and for those I serve.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Girl, it is hard, but it’s not impossible. Surround yourself with people who are authentic, who genuinely want the best for you, and who will love you enough to hold you accountable and help you grow.
Ask the questions...again and again if you need to. Listen to understand, not just to respond. Trust that there are people who see you, value you, and appreciate you for exactly who you are.
And remember this: when you give it your all, when you show up with intention and heart, your work will be impactful. Lastly, you are human first, and everything else second.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest challenges in my field is, and always will be, that we work with humans, and humans are beautifully, perfectly imperfect. The world can feel increasingly confusing, heavy, and discouraging. At the same time, this reality presents one of our greatest opportunities: the ability to hold space for others when everything feels like it’s going wrong. Being a steady, compassionate presence in moments of uncertainty is both a profound responsibility and a true privilege.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide both my work and my personal life are faith, integrity, compassion, and authenticity. I believe deeply in meeting people where they are and creating spaces that feel safe, honest, and human. Whether I’m sitting with a client, leading a team, or showing up for my family, I strive to act with cultural humility, empathy, and respect for each person’s lived experience.
I value courage and vulnerability, the kind that allows for growth, connection, and meaningful change. I carry a strong appreciation for perseverance, accountability, and honoring the sacrifices that came before me. These values shape how I lead, how I serve, and how I support others in recognizing their own resilience and strength.
My work is not just about outcomes, but about impact, holding space for healing, advocating for equity, and modeling what is possible for future generations, including my children. These values ground me, guide my decisions, and remind me why I matter and why this work matters.
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