Today we’d like to introduce you to Janice Leonard- Garcia.
Hi Janice, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey! My name is Janice Leonard- Garcia, I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, an adventurer, unconventional thinker, mother, wife, and women’s sexual health advocate. My counseling story- Let’s talk about it! I wish I had always known that I would become a counselor; however, throughout my schooling career, I felt drawn to business, accounting, and marketing courses, which of course as life would have it, have come around full circle.
My counseling journey began at Colorado Christian University where I attended graduate school. During my enrollment, I completed 60 hours of coursework and 300 supervised practicum hours for graduation and then completed an additional 3000 supervised internship hours for Texas and Colorado licensure.
My experience includes work in the Allen school district, the county jail, psychiatry clinic, emergency room comprehensive psychiatric assessments, community counseling, and private practice. I have treated different populations, varying issues, and many challenges of human development. Each opportunity afforded me critical training and experiences that have supported my eclectic and diverse approach to counseling.
At the core I am a therapist who encapsulates a psychodynamic approach, creating a safe space to process the complexities of human development.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with most careers, entry-level is the toughest and often where we pay our dues! For licensed professional counselors and other mental health professionals completing practicum/internship hours can easily become the biggest hurdle. While we are afforded great opportunities for training and development, caseloads can be heavy and hours are sometimes unpaid or poorly paid-leaving some professionals to juggle several roles causing burnout before becoming fully licensed. Some persons never make it out in the field and may have gone with an alternate career path. I urge new professionals to find training opportunities that support and prioritize their own mental health and wellbeing.
What helped me the most throughout my training, was having a supportive husband, a job that understood my grad-student needs, healthy work boundaries, and self-compassion.
As you know, we’re big fans of Cognitive Shifts Psychotherapy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Cognitive Shifts Psychotherapy PLLC is a relationship and sex therapy private practice located in Plano, TX, serving Texas and Colorado residents. My focus is on supporting clients through the relationship ruptures and sexuality disturbances that will inevitably come their way. Their concerns are handled with care through a warm and healthy therapeutic alliance in an environment that is designed to be emotionally safe and intentionally sex-positive.
We can work through;
Sex & intimacy issues in monogamous and consensually non-monogamous relationships
Life transitions
First-generation college students, emerging adults, & immigrants
Women & mothers in business
Mother-daughter conflict
End of Life issues
As a form of community outreach, I also host a podcast that I strategically designed to facilitate dialogues around women’s mental and sexual health. You can access “Her Sexual Space” podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
When I first moved to Dallas, Texas in 2012, I planned to eventually move to Houston. The Caribbean community in Houston seemed way more active than it was in Dallas. But as life would have it, everything aligned for me to stay here in Dallas, I adapted and grew to love it. My family and I moved to Grand Prairie in 2018 and it has been such a joy to see the rapid development in our city. I am, however, an immigrant, born on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, so as of late I like direct flights to my hometown from DFW airport. The thing I like the least would most probably be the weather, as it relates to tornadoes and hailstorms.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@cognitiveshiftstherapy.com
- Website: https://www.cognitiveshiftstherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cognitiveshiftstherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cognitiveshiftstherapy
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cognitiveshifts
Image Credits
The Pack Photography
