We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jocelyn Chamra Barrera. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Jocelyn, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Well, my day looks a little different nowadays. I had a baby in May 2025, so I get up with her around 4 am and try to go back to sleep after a feeding! Then she gets up again at 7 am, so she feeds and then we cuddle until my son goes to school. Then I’ll get up and get ready, make myself an iced coffee and something quick and ready for work.
My days look so different depending on what’s going on at our agency. Sometimes I’m getting ready to run monthly reports on our day-to-day numbers, sometimes I’m meeting with donors and board members, and other times I’m working on grants! Then I’ll meet with clients and be done for the day.
I pick up my son from school, get homework done and his after-school routines. We start dinner and eat and then bedtime routines for all! Everyone is hopefully in bed by 8:30, so more cuddle times with baby and hopefully the NYT Spelling Bee game with my husband and maybe one episode of “ER,” before bed.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! I’m Jocelyn Chamra Barrera, and I’m the Executive and Clinical Director of the Christi Center. The Christi Center is a non-profit in Austin, TX that provides no-cost grief support after the death of a close family member or friend. I’m a licensed clinical social worker and a bilingual therapist. I attended the University of Texas at Austin for my bachelor and masters degrees, and I’m an almost life-long Texan (got here in 1995). I grew up in south Texas but have lived in Austin now since 2007.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that really stands out to me as I look back to why I became a social worker was when I was volunteering at a local State Hospital. I was a volunteer with their store program (we staffed and stocked unit stores for patients to buy goods for their stay). My supervisor was a psychologist and he knew I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. He invited me to a multidisciplinary meeting for patients to sit and listen. I was so in awe of everyone’s role, and quickly learned that some professions were not for me. A lot of it took the humanity out of the work and I realized the person bringing that to the table was the advocate for the patient – the social worker. I knew then that I wasn’t going to be a psychologist or a psychiatrist (not that there is anything wrong with those professions!), I wanted to be the voice of the client when they needed support.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
I was so anxious as a child! I struggled with anxiety at school, with friends, getting to sleep – you name it. Now, of course, I know I had Generalized Anxiety Disorder. What really helped back then was my mom. My mom was the one who would comfort me and held me when I was sad or scared. One of my fondest memories of her was not being able to sleep and she (even though she was EXHAUSTED) patted my back and hummed to me until I fell asleep. Eventually, I grew out of that, but I carried that with me as I raise my children. My son often struggles with sleep and I know sometimes it’s not about fixing things for him, but just being there and comforting him.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
The value that people are inherently good. As a therapist, one of the tenets of the work is that you believe your client and you care about them. This to me leads me to care about my clients and be real with them (and not give them general therapist answers. Example, flipping questions back on them). I hold this in my daily life as well – all people are inherently good and trying their best. People in life may make us mad or frustrate us, but reminding myself that they are having a bad day or I don’t know why they’re acting like that. All I can do is wish them the best and move forward, but it helps keep a positive outlook on others and life.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I only had 10 years left, I would probably quit working! Ha, just kidding. I think I would really focus on what parts of my job are important to me since I would want to prioritize being with my family and friends. Work and being a social worker is very important to me, but since having children, I want to make sure I spent as much time with my family as possible.
As I think to my job, I know I truly love it but there are aspects I truly do not love (hello, fundraising! Budgets! Reports!), but I love working with clients and our mission so I’d want to keep that.
Of course, I’d stop rewatching the same shows and watch new shows! And I’d probably stop putting off vacations with excuses and get out there and travel!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://christicenter.org
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-chamra-barrera-lcsw/
