Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Calderas.
Carla, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been interested in helping people but I just didn’t know it when I was younger. I remember being in elementary school listening to my friend’s problems and being very observant. I guess there is something in me that makes people comfortable and able to open up and share their feelings with me.
As time went on, I got into singing and dancing and the songs that I would enjoy singing the most were usually uplifting and motivational songs. I believe we are here to learn and to help each other. I believe I was helping others through music too, as well as from just being a good listener.
We all know how tough High School can be and how many students are pressured to pick a career. I let myself deviate from my path and picked business as my major when applying to colleges. Once I was in College and began taking business classes, I realized I had been faced with a learning experience. I felt that business was not fulfilling me. I decided to take a semester off from college and explore my options.
During that time, I began to meditate and invest in myself. I had the opportunity to help others through volunteering and learn from authors such as Og Mandino (one of my favorites) and Dale Carnegie. By taking this time off, I remembered that my true calling has always been helping others. By that point, I had already started to look into Psychology and Counseling. I learned that I had to have at least a master’s degree to be able to practice in that field. Since I had to put myself through college, I found it difficult to get a master’s degree right after a bachelor’s degree. I decided to go back to college and study education! This way, I was still going to be able to help others like parents, and students, and have weekends and breaks off to attend graduate school.
As I had planned, I became an elementary school teacher and enjoyed making a difference in students’ lives. I attended evening and summer classes to earn a master’s degree in Professional Counseling. After teaching, I became a school counselor. I was interested in getting clinical experience and I later got a job at a psychiatric hospital and after that at a counseling private practice in the Houston area.
In February of 2019, I opened my own counseling practice, Calderas Counseling. I feel very proud of myself for having the strength and perseverance to accomplish this and for having an open heart and open mind to learn from others. I also feel very thankful and blessed because I get to do what I love, which is help others be their best self. I feel like I have been preparing myself for this my whole life and I am excited to continue to grow my practice and continue to Change the World One Person at a Time.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I believe we are faced with challenges so that we can learn from them and we can serve as motivation and example for others. I had people tell me: “teaching isn’t for you” and “private practice is really hard, you might not make it.” I also had people in the school system threaten me when I would stand up for students or parents. And like many, I was bullied. I believe all of these experiences make me a strong and empathetic counselor and human being. I can truly relate to my clients because I have been there. Struggles are part of life. If you are struggling right now, reach out to someone. You are not alone and we are in this together. Stay true to who you are and don’t let experiences dim your light.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Calderas Counseling – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am proud of our company values: balance, respect, and love. We aim to have a balanced life. We respect ourselves and the people around us. We love ourselves and show kindness and compassion to others.
These are some things that set us apart:
- Our specialties: teens, couples, anxiety, and depression.
- We are committed to providing quality mental health services by education ourselves and attending training, leading by example (we practice many of the coping skills and techniques that we talk about).
- We don’t see more than 5 consecutive clients per day so that we can be focused and alert so that we can provide the quality services that clients deserve.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our plan is to continue to help others and advocate for mental health and the impact it has on our well-being. We have exciting things coming so make sure you follow us on social media and that you subscribe to our website. In the near future, we will be adding highly qualified therapists to our team so that we can continue to help individuals and couples struggling with depression, anxiety, and stress.
Pricing:
- Session cost ranges from $114-$224, depending on the length of time and the therapist you see.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8900 Eastloch Drive
Suite 110F
Spring, Texas 77379 - Website: https://www.calderascounseling.com/
- Phone: (346) 314-0022
- Email: info@calderascounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calderascounseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calderascounseling/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaldCounseling
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/calderas-counseling-spring
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/calderas-counseling/?viewAsMember=true
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