Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Hernandez.
Hi Bonnie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am one of five children born to two very hard-working people. We are a tight-knit family that is there for one another even though we don’t always get along or have the same points of view. My Father worked in a factory setting for much of my young childhood and later became a diesel mechanic which he still does to this day. My Mom was a housekeeper for much of my older siblings’ childhood and then became the manager of a plant nursery later becoming the owner of her own business. My parents always pushed education on us as they knew it was the key that could open many doors for us. My Father graduated from high school and had some technical training while my Mom completed the 11th grade. I am the 4th out of the 5 and probably one of the most stubborn out of all of us, setting goals for myself and working very hard to reach them sometimes to a fault. Our family value is being there for one another as well as helping others which is why I feel the field of Social Work called to me. I saw my parents struggle not knowing the education system so we each had to learn on our own. Although both my parents both spoke English it was not their first language which also posed some issues at times. When picking classes or applying to college there was minimal guidance so I looked to my friends and their families to help with navigating the education system. At times I felt dismissed due to my family background which made me want to work harder.
Right out of college, I began working for a non-profit agency in San Marcos which was amazing. The agency truly believed in giving back to the community and helping however it could. I made lifelong friends who have now become my family while working here. Near completing my Masters degree I left that agency and worked in the schools with another non-profit which also had the same ideals. I worked with a larger Latino population whose parents were predominantly Spanish speaking and began helping them learn and navigate the education system to better help their children and ensure success. Here I recognized that I wanted to support families more in-depth and decided to take the leap and open up my own Private Practice working predominantly with families involved with CPS and again having a large caseload of Latino Spanish speaking families. It is here that I honed my skills working with clients who have a history of trauma and working alongside them to process these events and find ways to work through them and find the best version of life that they wanted to live. I have a loving husband who I have been married to for 18 years and we have two wonderful sons.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life is rarely a smooth road. We were on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. My Father struggled with alcoholism when I was younger which made our financial situation a bit more difficult. My parents with great intention had large dreams for us but lacked the means to help us navigate the system. This was difficult, as all of us had to figure out the education system through the process of elimination. Our family has also had some significant deaths. My great-nephew died at the age of 6 years after battling Leukemia. He was very close to my older son as they were eight months apart in age. My Mom was then diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2017 and died May 2020 which has shaken our family. Due to these deaths I have also honed my skills in the area of grief and loss issues.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I specialize in trauma and trauma-informed care. I am also a Spanish-speaking clinician. I am most proud of the work that I do with CPS as I hope to be able to help several children through helping their parents become healthier and manage their own trauma. I am also very proud to be a role model for other Latinos. I know being a Spanish speaking professional sets me apart from others as there are not very many in the Austin area although there is a lot of need. I have a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Southwest Texas State University and a Masters of Social Work from Texas State University, Go Bobcats!!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was that on Friday’s my Mother would order pizza and we would all have dinner together. It was such a special treat to get “food from the calle.” We all enjoyed spending time together and I looked forward to this day every week.
Contact Info:
- Website: bhernandezcounseling.com
