Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Valdez.
Hi Crystal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I originally pursued social work with the intention of working in Child Protective Services. Having spent a short time in foster care as a child, I had a personal understanding of what it meant to navigate difficult circumstances, and I knew I wanted to advocate for children and families in a meaningful way.
During my master’s program, however, my internships exposed me to mental health groups and counseling opportunities, and I began to realize that I could make the kind of impact I had always envisioned in a different way. I found a real passion for helping people process their experiences, heal from trauma, and understand themselves in ways that could change the trajectory of their lives.
Shortly after becoming fully licensed as a clinical social worker, I had major surgery and took a leave of absence from my full-time job. That season unexpectedly became a turning point. I began building my private practice and ultimately made the transition from the security of the corporate world into entrepreneurship. It was a big leap of faith, but I’ve always been someone who can see a vision in my head and feel compelled to figure out how to bring it to life. So, in many ways, I just started moving and trusted God to meet me along the way.
Today, I’m the founder and owner of a private practice where I provide trauma therapy, mental health consulting for businesses and clinicians, mentorship for business owners, and supervision for LMSWs in Texas. What I’m most proud of, though, is that the impact has grown beyond the clients I personally serve.
I’ve created a corner of the mental health space where people can come to heal, but I’m now equally passionate about building up other clinicians and leaders. There’s something incredibly fulfilling about realizing that the work I’m doing can multiply through the people I equip and encourage. If I can help another clinician become a better therapist, leader, or business owner, they’re able to go out and serve even more people. For me, that’s where the vision has grown—from wanting to make an impact myself to helping create a community of people who are equipped to make an impact too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I think sometimes people see where you are now and assume there was a clear plan or a roadmap that got you here, but a lot of my journey has been figuring things out as I go.
One of the biggest challenges has been building something I didn’t really have a blueprint for. I didn’t have a business mentor when I started, and I didn’t have family or close friends who had built a private practice or business before me and could show me the ropes. A lot of what I know today, I’ve had to learn through experience, research, trial and error, and simply being willing to figure it out.
Leaving the security of a full-time job and stepping into entrepreneurship was also a huge leap. There’s comfort in having a predictable paycheck, benefits, and someone else responsible for the bigger picture. Suddenly, I was responsible for building the vision, making the decisions, learning the business side, and figuring out how to grow something from the ground up.
But one thing I’ve really come to appreciate is my ability to create community. I’ve always been intentional about networking and building genuine relationships, and that has helped me fill in some of the gaps between what I know and what I need to learn. If I don’t have the answer, I’ve learned to find someone who does. If I need a resource, I’ve learned to build relationships with people who can help me access it. That has been such an important part of my growth.
I’m also someone who tends to see things in my head and immediately think, “Okay, how do I make this happen?” So I’ve had to learn that having the vision is one thing, but building it requires patience, humility, flexibility, and a willingness to keep learning. I’m still very much figuring things out, even now.
I think that’s actually one of the most valuable things I can offer other clinicians and business owners. I don’t position myself as someone who has everything figured out. I’m someone who has been willing to figure it out, ask questions, build relationships, make mistakes, adjust, and keep going. And now, as I build community around me, I’m grateful that I can help make the road a little less lonely for other people who are trying to build something too.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work really sits at the intersection of mental health, trauma, community, and leadership. I’m a private practice owner and founder, and my work has grown beyond traditional therapy into mental health consulting, clinical supervision, mentorship, and community building.
Clinically, I specialize in trauma therapy and create a space where people can process their experiences, develop healthier patterns, and move forward with more clarity and confidence. I also provide mental health consulting for businesses and other clinicians, supervise LMSWs in Texas, and mentor clinicians and business owners who are building their own practices and navigating their own growth.
But one of the things that has become a really important part of my work is creating community. Through Dose of Changes, I’ve created opportunities for people to connect through networking events, mental health workshops, and markets that highlight and support local business owners. I love creating spaces where people can meet someone they may not have otherwise crossed paths with, learn something valuable, discover a local business, or simply feel like they’re part of something bigger.
That’s something I’m especially proud of. When people connect with Dose of Changes, I don’t want it to feel like they’re simply receiving a service and leaving. I want them to become part of a greater network. Whether someone comes to me as a therapy client, a clinician looking for supervision, a business owner attending an event, or a professional looking for community, there’s an opportunity for that connection to extend beyond the initial interaction.
I think that’s also what sets me apart. I don’t just think about the service I’m providing—I think about the ecosystem I’m creating around it. I’m always asking, “Who else needs to be in the room? What connection could be made here? What resource could someone walk away with? How can we make this bigger than just one person?”
I’m a clinician, but I’m also a builder and a connector. I see a need, I can envision what could exist, and then I start figuring out how to make it happen. What started as a private practice has become a space where people can heal, learn, build, collaborate, and connect. And honestly, that evolution is one of the things I’m most proud of.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is building something that means something beyond me.
I want to build something my great-grandparents, my tias, my husband, and my daughter are—or would be—proud of. Something that reflects humility, service, ingenuity, and discipline. For me, entrepreneurship isn’t just about creating a successful business. It’s about honoring the people and the sacrifices that made it possible for me to even have the opportunity to be here.
There are so many people who came before me who sacrificed, worked hard, endured things, and paved a road that I get to walk on today. I don’t take that lightly. I feel a responsibility to do something meaningful with what I’ve been given and to make sure that what I’m building can become a road for someone else, too.
That’s why legacy is important to me. And I don’t think of legacy as simply what I leave behind when I’m gone. I think about what I’m creating while I’m here—the people I serve, the clinicians I pour into, the business owners I connect, the communities I help create, and ultimately what my daughter gets to witness me build.
The beautiful part is that the work itself is an act of service. People are being supported, people are healing, people are finding community, and other professionals are being equipped to serve their own communities. The fact that I get to honor the sacrifices of the people who came before me by creating something that serves other people is incredibly meaningful to me.
And honestly, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but I’m even more excited because I don’t feel like I’m finished. If anything, I feel like we’re just getting started. The cherry on top is knowing that people are being served because I made it this far—and that the vision can continue to grow far beyond what I can see right now.
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy Sessions $160+
- 1 hr Consulting Services $150
- 6 month consultation packages vary- $1500+
- Monthly Networking Events- Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Doseofchanges.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doseofchanges?igsi=MWRnaTl5cHQzbHk5cQ==
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-valdez-lcsw-s-260594165?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
