Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurel Bluntzer.
Laurel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From a young age, I felt called to do humanitarian work. During college, I explored opportunities with organizations doing work abroad, but felt unsure how I could align my goals for making a positive humanitarian impact with my personal hopes for motherhood and a family.
I studied psychology and Spanish throughout college and my love of other cultures deepened when I studied abroad. My growing fascination with human resilience and emotional healing led me to obtain a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Simultaneously, during the course of my doctoral studies, my husband and I had our three children and I grew a tremendous sense of purpose in motherhood.
Toward the end of my doctoral program, it became truly clear how my passion for global humanitarian work could be harmonious with motherhood. While working in our university’s counseling clinic in graduate school I became familiar with the work of my professor and dissertation chair, Bernadette Solórzano who was providing psychological assessments for immigrants and their families. During my doctoral internship I learned more about this work from my friend and mentor Dr. Daniela Dominguez.
After finishing graduate school, I established my private practice where I began to work directly with immigrants and their families, documenting their stories, their traumas, and their resilience for their legal cases. Everyday, I am inspired by the families I work with in my private practice who continually remind me of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of family.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
During graduate school, I did not see many other women deciding to have children. At times, I doubted whether others would see my growing family as a a distraction from my studies despite my unwavering commitment. Fortunately, I had wonderful support from my professors who repeatedly reinforced and supported my strengths. However, during my doctoral internship, I was faced with a work environment that sometimes prized colleagues’ childlessness as an asset and rewarded this in both subtle and glaring ways. These experiences led me to establish a private practice group that celebrates parenthood and family. With nine therapists on our team, our policies and culture remind parents every day that they can be both experts in their field and engaged and present parents.
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?
I am the owner and director of San Antonio Counseling Collective, a group of therapists and psychologists in independent practice who come together to support one another through clinical consultation, continuing education, an intentional work culture, and business resources. Every member of our collective has advanced training in a particular area of clinical focus. As an EMDR trained psychologist, I work with psychological trauma in therapy and I provide psychological assessment for immigrants and their families. Our collective sets us apart because we champion one another’s unique area’s of specialty while supporting our shared efforts to bring healing to our San Antonio community. In a world of mega mental health corporations, the values of our collective are front and center. We know that our work with people when they feel most vulnerable, requires humanity, personalization, expertise, and heart.
What does success mean to you?
My perception of success has evolved over time. For me, success means healthy connections with loved ones and colleagues, a balance between work and family, and a clear vision of personal values. I feel most successful when my deeply-held values are lived out actively in my day to day life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SACounselingCollective.com
