Her Story
About Nydia
My journey in mental health spans over 15 years, driven by a deep passion for understanding human behavior and helping others, particularly women facing life transitions. I started my career working with children and families, and gained valuable experience in correctional facilities, home-based therapy, palliative care, hospice, and hospital settings. Through this journey of discovering myself, I found my true calling in working with women going through transitional aspects of life, especially those dealing with self-esteem issues, separation, and divorce. After learning and growing in group practice settings, I took the leap to become self-employed and start my own solo practice. I am originally from Puerto Rico, where Spanish is my first language, and I came to the United States on my own with just my bags packed, determined to go to school and learn the language. I am a go-getter who has never been afraid of starting over or going for what I know is best for me. My days are filled with seeing clients for 45 to 50 minutes, providing them a space to vent, process, cry, and work through their challenges together, knowing they are not alone. I start each day by taking care of myself, going to the gym every other day, because I believe that if I take care of myself, I can be open to helping others make better decisions and process the difficulties of life. My work is non-stop with phone calls, emails, and texts in between sessions, but the fulfillment comes from knowing that people have a safe space where they can be heard and supported.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nydia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have to say perseverance and passion. I'm passionate about what I do. I truly believe in people and that they have the ability to change their behavior and their lives if they believe in themselves. I am very spiritual as well, so I think that plays a big part of it, just putting that piece of myself out there. I show up for myself every day as who I am, and I have a spirit that I like sharing. My foundation comes from my mother, who was always a very hard-working woman. A lot of my life I remember her as a single woman working, and a lot of my foundation comes from her. But the majority of the time since I've been here since I was young, I've been doing a lot of things pretty solo, coming from those foundations that we all have as children. I'm a go-getter, and when I set myself to something, I try to find ways to get there. Fear is natural, but it's that fear that pushes people to do great things. I've never been afraid of starting over or going for what I know is best for me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Get out there in the field and discover and meet with different populations, and don't underestimate the abilities that you have. A lot of young women want to go to private practice right away, but I have to say this: I always say you gotta get your hands dirty before you know what's truly happening out there. I did home-based therapy, I did correctional, I did palliative care, I did hospice, I did group practice, I did hospital too, and then I was like, you know what, I'm ready for this. So get your hands dirty, don't just say you want the solo practice because it sounds lucrative, but it's not. We don't go in this field to be rich. It's filled with other elements of counseling. Show up for yourself. There's a lot of good people out there that want to help, but you gotta show up for yourself. I believe that everything that we need is within. All we have to do is continue knocking on the doors and believe that you can and you will.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Self-sabotage is a big one, a big, big challenge in my field. The opportunity would be to show up for yourself. There's a lot of good people out there that want to help, but you gotta show up for yourself. I believe that everything that we need is within. All we have to do is continue knocking on the doors and believe that you can and you will.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, integrity, and passion. These are the values that guide everything I do, both in my work and in my personal life. I am passionate about life, I am passionate about wellness, and I love talking about healthy things that we can do for ourselves. I love my family dearly, and I believe in taking care of myself so that I can show up fully for others.
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