Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonia Albin.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Mexico City and moved to Houston when I was 10, with a dream of living a coastal life and being a marine biologist. I attended the Awty International School and then followed that dream to Seattle, where I studied Aquatic and Fisheries Science and French at the University of Washington. My senior year of college, I had the epiphany that I was not made for research science- as a scientific diver, I had a hard time keeping track of data because I was so enthralled by the experience of breathing underwater in near-freezing temperatures.
I switched my focus from doing science to talking about science and increased my connection to education, the environment, and people. I traveled in Central America and volunteered at schools and research stations, and played a good amount of beach volleyball. I had a traumatic experience and moved to Maine with the intent to heal, working with kids and nature. I worked at the University of Maine’s environmental education center, where I lead canoe trips, taught the local ecology, and built many fires. I transitioned into being the director of an after-school program, an independent educator for local schools, the director of a healing arts collaborative, a karate instructor, a farmer…and a barista (because what millennial hasn’t been a barista?).
Although I felt a deep connection to the land and people in Maine, I returned to Houston to be closer to family and give formal education a shot, but my heart and mind were already directed towards healing. I became certified as a health coach and coincidentally got a job at Center for Discovery, an eating disorder treatment center. I decided to pursue a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and received my license in the first few months of the pandemic in 2020, during which I also got married and had a baby! I have been working in private practice offering therapy to teens and adults in English and Spanish ever since, and I’m excited to be building a business that includes nature as part of the therapy.
In addition to my clinical work, I offer talks and workshops for businesses and corporations, and I volunteer with The Woods Project, a non-profit that provides outdoor wilderness experiences to teens who would otherwise not have the opportunity. I get to go on camping and backpacking trips with amazing people for an amazing cause.
I am happily married and have a 2-year-old daughter, 2 crazy dogs, and a big to-do list for my veggie garden!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path has had its challenges. I am the kind of person who feels very deeply, and I connect intensely with experiences. Many of my life changes were fueled in the search of more peace and happiness. Change typically happens when someone is unhappy with their circumstances. It has taken me a long time to know myself well enough to make choices that keep me in harmony.
I think you’ll also find that most of us in the mental health field are here because of lived experience around mental health challenges- our own or our loved ones.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate under the supervision of Dr. William July, Ph.D., LPC-S. What that title means is that I am licensed to provide psychotherapy and working towards completing my board-required hours of training. Dr. July not only supervises my clinical work but is also my business mentor as I am getting close to finishing those hours and launching my own practice later this year.
My specialties are eating disorders and perinatal mental health- the period of time before, during, and after having a baby. I had my own struggles with disordered eating and postpartum depression and anxiety, so I feel like I can really connect with others who are working through these issues.
I consider myself an expert in change and transformation. I think everyone deserves to be a version of themselves that makes them feel at home. Where there is trauma or mental illness, change can be extremely difficult and painful, and positive change cannot happen without love. I strive to give love and acceptance to my clients as they work towards giving it to themselves.
I am excited to start including ecotherapy in my practice. Space and environment are extremely important to how we learn and process information, and no one knows change better than nature! Nature provides us with real experiences that require a quiet mind, patience, courage, and determination. I’ll be offering therapeutic experiences in nature locally, within Texas, and in other places that can offer more remote wilderness.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most essential qualities to my success are adaptability and awareness. I feel that I’ve really allowed my gut to tell me where to go in life. Regardless of the outcome- good or bad- there have been lessons and wisdom around every corner. I like to think that I’m paying attention!
There are also many factors that we can’t control that have to do with success. I’ve had a lot of privilege in my life, and success would look very different if I didn’t have those benefits. There’s also something to time and place- I believe in serendipity!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soniaalbin.com
- Instagram: @therapy.for.everyone
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-albin-lpc-associate-588285126/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/mindfulnesswithsonia
