Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Ponce.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I have always wanted to be a helper. Since I was a kid, I felt empathy for others and knew that it was my calling to help make life just a little bit easier for others. I graduated with my master’s in counseling in 2012 and have since worked in quite a few places! I started out working in community counseling with children and eventually worked my way through rehabs, hospitals, and residential treatment centers. I now own a private practice where I employ three amazing therapists. We focus on trauma and anxiety but also love to work with addiction, existential problems, self-worth, and pretty much anything!
I never really intended to be an entrepreneur and imagined myself working my way up through a corporate therapy position, like a treatment center. When the pandemic hit, the need for private practice counseling was so much stronger that I felt the need to leave my full-time job and just serve the local community.
Funnily enough, I loved the business side of things just as much as my work with people. I have been trying to find ways for us to give back as a company, like helping with the Keep Sugar Land Beautiful program and giving presentations at the local library. I also have started a mental health blog called The Anxious Ladybug, where I give free information to help people heal outside of therapy.
In my free time, I also teach yoga classes at Yes Yoga and am the mom to an energetic 3 1/2-year-old son, Noah, and two beautiful dogs.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would say that the road has been smooth when I’ve trusted the process! My husband had been encouraging me to focus on my private practice for years, but I let fear and comfort keep me at jobs that didn’t quite suit me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been hard work to build the practice, and my “do-it-myself” attitude has sometimes made things harder than they needed to be. Professionally, I’ve learned to ask for help and not reinvent the wheel!
Another thing I’ve learned to make things go smoother was to recognize that we are the average of the people we spend the most time with. I spent too much time focusing on people that didn’t believe in me or weren’t kind to me. As soon as I shifted my focus to the people that were encouraging and supportive, things really began changing for the better.
The last real challenge was adjusting from a working woman to a working mom. I know tons of people do it successfully, but it was much more difficult than they let on! I absolutely love being a mom and am grateful to have a supportive group around me, AND it took me about two years to get used to it!
As you know, we’re big fans of Nicole Ponce Counseling and The Anxious Ladybug. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a mental health therapist. I own a private practice where I provide therapy for adults and supervision for new professionals. I also provide individual trauma-informed yoga sessions as a separate service. I employ three great therapists who work with adolescents and adults and are also trauma-informed.
What sets us apart from others is that we meet people exactly where they are and don’t shy away from issues that others might see as difficult. Collectively, we have worked in jails, rehabs, residential centers, and hospitals, so we are experienced in issues that may seem more severe. We work hard to provide a judgment-free zone because we know that people only grow when they are able to explore themselves fully.
We are private pay and recognize that therapy can be expensive. We offer sliding scale rates and do our best to work with what makes sense for the individual. Additionally, we don’t have an administrative team, which may seem like a downfall, BUT you have direct access to your therapist when needing to reschedule, check on homework assignments, or need to request to come in sooner.
Outside of the practice, I am a writer for the Anxious Ladybug Blog. The intention of the blog is to break down mental health concepts for the everyday person to better understand themselves and find healing.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I would describe myself as happy-go-lucky and a caretaker. I’ve always loved being around people and getting to know them. Even when things were tough in the home life, I generally stayed positive. I did have an “emo” phase in high school, as many millennials did, but it mostly included eyeliner and alternative rock. On top of that, I would say I was always driven. My socializing definitely got in the way of focusing on grades, but I always had my goals and was working toward the future I wanted. I hope to eventually be more present and less goal-oriented, but it’s not quite there yet!
I have always been a reader, a writer, an artist, and a lover of learning. If I could get paid to be a student, I would definitely choose that as a career path!
Pricing:
- 160.00 for my personal rates
- $75-120 for my employees’ rates
- $100 for individual yoga
- My blog is FREE
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicoleponcecounseling.com and www.theanxiousladybug.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleponcecounseling/
- Facebook: facebook.com/nicoleponcecounseling
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicoleponcecounseling
- Other: tiktok.com/@theanxiousladybug
