Influential Woman · Mental health

Zina Ortiz

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, EITR Enterprises

Lakewood, CO

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Technology Degree Master's degree in Psychology Degree Master's degree in Counseling Psychology Cert Licensed Psychotherapist Cert EMDR certification Cert Psychedelic-assisted therapy certification Member Chamber of Commerce

Her Story

About Zina

I was born in Mexico in a very dysfunctional environment, and I've always wanted to find a solution and get out of where I was. I made it my life's mission to heal myself, and in the process, help others heal as well. I've been in this field for over 30 years, completing my education and training little by little. I started working with big agencies, then moved into private practice, which helped me hone my skills. Now I own my own group practice where I support over 50 pre-licensed clinicians. Most people who have joined my practice have decided to stay with me for licensure, which is very gratifying. I train clinicians on how to do what I do, and I supervise them so they don't feel alone, because the nature of this work is actually very solitary. With good support and a good community, a really solid clinician can thrive and not experience burnout. I also have a degree in technology, and I'm building our very own EHR software called Taskamite to make documentation and compliance with insurance companies and Medicaid easier for clinicians. We're very close to testing the beta version. I'm about to near semi-retirement, but I really enjoy the mental challenge and solving problems. What we do is not talk therapy - it's a combination of many different modalities including EMDR, somatic work, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. The results are obvious: people walk away with smiles, lighter, relieved, and healthier.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Zina

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to the values I hold: transparency, honesty, and follow-through. Keeping my word has been something that I have maintained. When I say something, I follow through and I do it no matter what. Consistency and follow-through have been key. Also, my interest in helping others and supporting others drives me. It's now my time to step away from being a psychotherapist and focus on being a supervisor for a group, supporting clinicians so that they don't feel alone. The nature of this work is actually very solitary, and it doesn't have to be. With good support and good community, a really solid clinician can thrive and actually not experience burnout. Or if they do, there's a support system that they can resource to.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

My father once told me - he has a doctorate in business - he once told me, if you want to succeed, do one thing and do it really well, and make sure that you enjoy it. Those words have stuck with me, and he was absolutely right about that, because I do enjoy what I do. Yes, the money comes, but it is mostly about the enjoyment of the work itself. That really drives me, and seeing this thing that I've created transform and grow into what it is now.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenge is the insurance companies and the ridiculous rules. Right now, insurance companies are in crisis and they're cutting costs, so that's a challenge in terms of how to communicate and navigate the issues that are related mostly to business-wise. In my opinion, and I hope I'm right, that over time these things will be solved. There's more awareness of the ethical practices that these insurances have. The rewarding part is seeing my clinicians thrive, learn, and grow in my practice, and actually become licensed and see them succeed in their own business. I'm just a woman in the background helping them and supporting them with claim submission and negotiating better fees for them on their behalf. I'm also looking to support them even more with the creation of Taskamite, a software platform that is better suited for a practice such as mine. We're very close to opening and testing the beta version.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

The values that I hold for myself and my company are transparency, honesty, and follow-through. Keeping my word has been something that I have maintained. When I say something, I follow through and I do it no matter what. Unless, of course, I come down with the flu really bad. But consistency and keeping my commitments are central to how I operate both professionally and personally.

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