Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Herrera.
Hi Christina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always knew that I wanted to work with children but after graduating high school, I still didn’t know what that looked like. After earning my bachelor’s degree, I was fortunate to start work with a nonprofit called Communities in Schools. I greatly enjoyed working with CIS and found that counseling and mentoring was what I was passionate about. Even greater was that I could specialize in working with children by earning the designation of Registered Play Therapist. Somewhere along the way I also wanted to be a business owner and open a private practice. After learning the business and working in a group practice, I decided to venture out and start my own. In 2018 I opened Monarch Counseling and a few years later, I began hiring additional therapists.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Early on there were a few setbacks for Monarch. The pandemic was a rough time and I could only meet with clients online. Since I worked mostly with children and relied on all of the things in my playroom, it was really tough to keep children engaged online! The business slowed down but somehow, with God‘s grace I made it through.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My practice provides services to people of all ages, couples, and families. I personally specialize in working with children and trauma. Working with children who have experienced trauma can be very sad and challenging, but also so rewarding. I feel that this is where the Lord has called me to serve, and I’ll continue this work for as long as I can. In addition to counseling, I also provide immigration evaluations for those who are pursuing citizenship in the United States. Another aspect of my work that I greatly enjoy is providing supervision to other counselors who are working towards full licensure or the Registered Play Therapist designation. There is so much that I have learned about the profession along the way, and being able to teach others, and pass along this knowledge is a great feeling.
I also have great therapists and office staff that have helped establish Monarch Counseling. We’re like a family and we find every opportunity to get together and celebrate anything and everything. I recently had the honor of officiating one of our therapist’s wedding ceremony! The mental health field can be challenging and we offer support to each other as much as we can.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.monarchcounseling-tx.com
