Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Loyola, MA, LPC.
Courtney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From a young age, I learned what it meant to survive. I grew up navigating the complicated and painful reality of narcissistic abuse from my biological father—an experience that shaped not only my childhood, but also my understanding of safety, identity, and self-worth. Yet, even in the midst of that trauma, I had the extraordinary gift of a mother whose love was unwavering. She showed me what healthy attachment looked like. She reminded me, again and again, that I was worthy of tenderness, truth, and a life beyond survival. Her guidance became my anchor and the beginning of my healing.
At nineteen years old, life shifted again when I was diagnosed with cancer. Facing my own mortality so young forced me to reevaluate everything I thought mattered. Suddenly, the future I assumed was guaranteed felt fragile, and I had no choice but to turn inward—toward my own healing, my own voice, and my own purpose. That season of fear and rebuilding solidified something in me: a deep, undeniable calling to help others heal their trauma. It became clear that my path forward would be one of service, compassion, and transformation.
As I moved into adulthood, the patterns of my early years followed me into relationships and work environments. I found myself in partnerships marked by manipulation and emotional harm—echoes of the wounds I hadn’t yet discovered how to name. I worked in jobs where I was overworked and underpaid, environments where the focus was solely on productivity and paperwork rather than the whole person—mind, body, and soul. I saw, again and again, how survivors were asked to heal in spaces that didn’t truly see them.
Those experiences weren’t just chapters of hardship; they were catalysts. They pushed me to envision something different—something revolutionary. A space where survivors of trauma, narcissistic abuse, and chronic stress could finally exhale. A space that offered real safety, real validation, and real transformation.
That vision became Onyx Counseling and Wellness Center.
I created Onyx because I knew, intimately, what it felt like to be dismissed, minimized, or unseen. I also knew what it felt like to fight for my own healing, to reclaim my voice, and to build a life rooted not in survival, but in empowerment. Onyx was born from the belief that healing should feel like coming home to yourself—a place where every part of you is welcomed, acknowledged, and supported.
Today, as a trauma therapist and the owner of Onyx, I stand not only as a clinician, but as a survivor, a mother, a woman who has rebuilt herself again and again. My work is deeply informed by my lived experiences, but the story is no longer about what happened to me—it’s about what I’ve chosen to create from it.
My journey has taught me that healing isn’t linear and survival isn’t the end of the story. Transformation is. And my greatest purpose is to help others find theirs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I opened Onyx Counseling and Wellness Center in October of 2019, my heart was full of hope. After surviving narcissistic abuse, overcoming cancer at nineteen, and working in environments where healing often took a backseat to bureaucracy, I felt ready to create a space where survivors could finally feel seen, safe, and valued. Onyx was my dream—not just a business, but a promise to myself and to others who had walked through fire: healing is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Just a few months after opening my doors, the world changed. COVID spread across the globe, and almost overnight, we were living inside a collective trauma. Businesses shut down, families were isolated, routines disappeared, and fear permeated every corner of our lives. As a new business owner, the timing felt impossible. I barely had time to hang art on the walls before I found myself staring at news updates, wondering if everything I had worked for was about to crumble.
I was afraid. Afraid of the virus, afraid for my clients, afraid for my family, afraid that this brand-new practice—my purpose, my calling—might not survive the year. Yet at the very same time, I was responsible for helping others navigate their fear. Clients were suddenly grappling with uncertainty, grief, isolation, job losses, and the resurfacing of old trauma. They needed grounding, gentleness, connection, and stability—at a time when none of us had answers.
I often tell my clients that healing isn’t about eliminating fear; it’s about learning how to hold it without letting it define you. During those early months of the pandemic, I had to live by those words. I learned to show up even when I was anxious. I learned to hold space for others even when my own world felt shaken. I learned that leadership sometimes looks like sitting with someone in the dark while searching for the light together.
There were long nights, tears, deep breaths, and moments when I wondered if I was in over my head. But I also saw incredible resilience—both in myself and in the people I served. Clients found ways to adapt, reconnect, process, and grow. They faced their deepest wounds while the world was standing still. And I discovered that within the chaos, Onyx was becoming exactly what I dreamed it would be: a sanctuary for transformation.
Opening a trauma-informed practice right before a global pandemic taught me more about perseverance, purpose, and community than any training ever could. It taught me that healing is not theoretical—it’s lived, moment by moment. It taught me that fear and courage can exist in the same breath. And it reaffirmed that we are all far more capable than we ever imagine.
Today, Onyx stands as a testament to that truth. It survived a pandemic. I survived it too. And together, my clients and I continue to rise from the uncertainty of those years with a deeper understanding of what it means to heal, to connect, and to rebuild.
My struggles didn’t break me—they became the foundation of the work I do now. And the storm that threatened everything ultimately revealed my strength, my calling, and the unwavering importance of creating spaces where people can feel safe in their own stories, even when the world feels unsafe.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Onyx Counseling and Wellness Center was born from a deeply personal mission: to create a space where survivors feel safe, understood, and empowered to heal. From day one, my vision has been to offer something different from traditional therapy settings—something more human, more holistic, and deeply attuned to the needs of trauma survivors.
Onyx is now a thriving practice of six dedicated therapists, including myself, who work together to provide a wide range of services designed to meet clients wherever they are in their healing journey. We offer individual, group, family, and couples therapy, as well as therapy intensives—including EMDR, shadow work, and couples intensives—and narcissistic abuse recovery workshops. Our clients range in age from 5 years old to adulthood, making Onyx a space for growth, healing, and transformation across the lifespan.
We specialize in narcissistic abuse, complex trauma, and grief and loss, providing care for those who have often felt misunderstood or overlooked. What sets Onyx apart is our trauma-informed, holistic approach—we understand that healing is not only psychological, but also emotional, physical, and relational. Clients are offered a variety of evidence-based and experiential modalities, including:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
CBT, DBT, and ACT
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Somatic therapy and nervous system regulation
Shadow work
Play therapy and sand tray therapy
Expressive arts therapies
This range allows us to meet clients where they are and tailor interventions to their unique needs, whether they are navigating the lingering effects of abuse, processing grief, or rebuilding a sense of self after trauma.
At Onyx, clients often say that the moment they walk through our doors, they feel seen and validated—a reflection of our commitment to creating a safe, compassionate environment for total healing. Survivors of narcissistic abuse, for example, find a space where their experiences are believed, where emotional safety is prioritized, and where transformation is possible. Families, children, and adults alike benefit from a team that understands that healing involves the mind, body, and soul.
Brand-wise, what I am most proud of is the intentional culture of care and authenticity we have built at Onyx. Every therapist brings expertise, empathy, and a dedication to seeing the whole person. My own lived experience as a survivor of trauma and cancer, and my journey toward becoming a trauma therapist, infuses the work with compassion and understanding that training alone could never provide.
Ultimately, Onyx is more than a counseling center—it is a sanctuary for survivors, a place where people reclaim their voice, restore their sense of safety, and step into a life that feels authentic and whole. Our mission is simple but powerful: to meet survivors where they are and guide them toward lasting transformation.
What’s next?
At Onyx Counseling and Wellness Center, our mission has always been to create a space where survivors of trauma, narcissistic abuse, and grief can feel truly seen, supported, and empowered to heal. As we continue to grow, our vision for the future is guided by the belief that healing is multidimensional, and that our services should reflect the full complexity of the human experience.
One of our primary goals is expanding our team of therapists. By bringing in additional skilled clinicians, we aim to continue providing exceptional trauma-informed care, while also introducing new therapeutic modalities that complement the approaches we currently offer. This growth will allow Onyx to meet a wider variety of client needs, tailoring care in innovative ways to support deep and lasting transformation.
In addition to expanding our therapy team, we plan to integrate more wellness practitioners into the Onyx community. From somatic specialists to holistic body-based healing professionals, these additions will allow us to fully embrace mind-body integration, supporting clients in connecting with their bodies, regulating their nervous systems, and reclaiming a sense of wholeness alongside traditional psychotherapy.
We are also committed to expanding our offerings of therapy intensives and workshops. By designing immersive programs that address complex trauma, narcissistic abuse recovery, grief, and other specialty areas, we hope to provide clients with powerful, structured opportunities to accelerate healing. These intensives will combine multiple modalities, experiential practices, and evidence-based approaches to give clients the tools, insight, and support they need to move through trauma and reclaim their lives.
Our future at Onyx is one of continued growth, innovation, and holistic healing. Every step forward is guided by our commitment to creating a sanctuary where survivors are not just surviving—but transforming, thriving, and reclaiming their power.
Pricing:
- Individual therapy- $145/50 minute session
- Group therapy- $70/group
- Couples/family therapy- $160/50 minute session
- Intensives- ask for pricing
- Workshops- $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://onyxcounselingandwellness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onyx.counselingandwellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnyxCounseling/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onyxcounselingandwellness/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onyxcounselingandwellnessc4649
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/onyx-counseling-and-wellness-center-austin
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onyxcounseling_wellness
