Today we’d like to introduce you to Ma. Soledad (Sol) Bautista Mariscal.
Hi Ma. Soledad (Sol), please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I am the oldest of three and the only woman. Growing up, I often noticed that women were not treated, talked or taught the same. This made me certain that I wanted to be a Doctor so I could cure a lot of people and also be in a respected role in society. The other approved role was housewife and mother. While I believe those are by far the hardest professions, I was not interested. After my high school years, I was invited to serve as a Volunteer. I served 13 months in Comitancillo, Oaxaca. To my absolute surprise, Juchitan, Comitancillo, Tehuantepec and a few other towns were nothing like the city I grew up in. The Itsmo of Tehuantepec is one of the very few matriarchal areas in the country, the largest and strongest.
With this strong mind and reality shift, I realized I didn’t want to be a doctor, I wanted to be a psychologist. I realized and still feel very strong about the fact that every disease begins in the mind, in the psyche. Everything in my life’s beliefs changed after Oaxaca. I enrolled for psychology and fell in love more and more with this science. I practiced for a little while, and then I was invited to work in the US as an elementary school teacher. I was told my background in psychology would be very helpful, and it was. I taught for 12 years and I learned a lot. I learned about being an immigrant, being alone, living ‘in English”, the color of my skin, the reputation of my beautiful country… and many other things. I pursued the green card, then the citizenship and was very privileged to receive both. Last March, I decided I needed to go back to my passion and the best way I can serve and help, Psychology. I left the school district and started Magnolia Global Wellness, LLC. I was honored to give a workshop for The Women of Color Collective here in Austin, and I am currently training to become an internationally certified EMDR therapist. Currently, I offer the humanistic talk therapy approach. Mental health is not only a profession, a service; a business, it is also a human right. I am just getting started, so please stay tuned!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth. Being an immigrant is definitely a constant struggle, it was for me. Maybe still is in some ways. Speaking a different language, being a brown person, being Mexican, being a woman, being outspoken… is not as easy as it could seem on the outside. Living in a different language, learning a different school/education system, values system, societal unspoken rules, economical/financial system, and the many layers of each of them it’s also very challenging. Especially with the ones you do not agree or understand. You miss the ones you love, the food you love, the smell from home… the tons of struggle become your biggest strength and the reason to continue dreaming and doing.
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?
You should definitely know that at the moment Magnolia Global Wellness, LLC is starting and growing roots and branches. Psicologa Sol Bautista is the branch in charge of individual, couples, group therapy, and customized workshops. The global aspect is working at the moment on a bigger project that for right now it needs focus, planning and positive energy. I am known for being an ally, an advocate, and for creating and holding spaces for unlearning, learning, inquiring and healing. I believe one of the things that set my vision apart from others is my bilingual and bicultural approach. Knowing how to speak a different language does not make you an expert in their culture and the nuances of the language and behavior. I am incredibly proud of creating a space where mental health, community and service can be combined. Curiosity and ever-growing pace are my favorite! I want everyone to know that therapy is so much more than the usual stereotypes we have learned. Everyone should invest in themselves and their personal growth and development. Healing begins with talking, expanding begins with uncomfortable conversations, and restoring begins inside.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe risk is a fundamental part in our lives. A baby risks everything almost every day by crying, by grabbing, by observing, by touching, by trusting. I think society teaches us a subconscious ‘fear’ to the word “risk” it makes it sound dirty, forbidden, irresponsible. I have taken several risks in my life. I left home for the first time at 17 to go serve in an indigenous community on the line of extreme poverty. I challenged my parent’s ideas and core beliefs several times without regard for the beating, yelling and pain. I defied teachers and friends when I see they are not ‘walking their talk’, that risk has cost me a lot of tears. I thought for the past 12 years that the biggest risk was to leave my country, my family and my friends, my chosen family, to live and learn a different language and a different culture through service. Today, leaving a steady check, losing health insurance, and a few of my Texan friends might be a greater risk than leaving my country. All the other risks were about doing, that’s easy. This risk is about creating. Someone told me recently, “fear is excitement without breath”, I am so very excited!
Pricing:
- Personal Session $85 (50 min)
- Personal Session Double Time $145 (90 min)
- Couples Therapy $185 (120 min)
Contact Info:
- Email: psic.sol.bautista@gmail.com
- Website: solbautista.com
- Instagram: @psicologasolbautista
- Facebook: @psicologasolbautista
Image Credits:
Skylar Evans @skylarevansphotography Megan Reddick
