Today we’d like to introduce you to Anggie Pedraza-Watson.
Anggie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Venezuela to a 17-year-old mom who had left Peru, following the love of her life. My parents were together until I was about seven, and then my mom and I moved back to Peru. A few years later when I was 15 years old my mom remarried and we moved to Tampa, Florida leaving Peru and now migrating to a new country . Unfortunately, her marriage became abusive, and as immigrants, our legal status became something her spouse used against us. After a particularly serious incident, the police got involved, and my mom and I moved out on our own. Thanks to VAWA, which protects victims of domestic violence, we were able to fix our immigration status and start over.
At that time, I was 17, about to finish high school, juggling classes during the day and a part-time job at Walmart in the evenings and weekends. My mom worked cleaning houses and at a pizza shop in the mall. Adapting to a new country, learning English, and being part of the ESL program was a huge challenge, but I managed to graduate. I always wanted to help people, originally, I thought I’d do that as a law enforcement officer. But I couldn’t afford college, so when a Marine Corps recruiter reached out, I decided to enlist. The military gave me the experience and the GI Bill I needed, and I earned my bachelor’s in Criminal Justice while serving at Camp Pendleton in California.
After I got out, I was close to joining LAPD, but during a social work internship, I realized how much I loved helping people in that way. I moved back to Tampa and worked as a child welfare and teen parenting case manager. Seeing the difference mental health counseling made for young moms recovering from trauma inspired me to go back to school for my master’s in clinical mental health counseling.
About nine years ago, I got married and moved to Houston, Texas. I started working in private practice, which gave me the flexibility I needed as a new mom. About a year ago, I opened my own practice: Ori Hope Counseling. “Ori” means “my light” in Hebrew, and for me, that light (God) has always represented hope. Even when things felt darkest, leaving behind everything familiar, facing abuse, struggling to make ends meet, or learning a new language,there was always some glimmer that kept us moving forward. That hope is what helped my mom and me keep going, and it’s what I try to offer to my clients now.
My practice is all about helping people in the Latino community here in Houston find that same light for themselves. For those who want it, I also offer Christian counseling, because I’ve seen how important it is to bridge the gap between mental health and faith, especially when stigma makes it hard for people to reach out. I believe that even in the toughest moments, there’s always a light,something to hold onto, something that gives us hope. And now, I get to use everything I’ve learned to help others find their own light, too.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly, there have been a lot of obstacles along the way. First, there was the uncertainty around my immigration status. When my mom remarried in the U.S., her spouse who was a U.S. citizen used our immigration status as a way to control us. Living with that kind of fear and instability, never really knowing if we’d be able to stay or what would happen next, was incredibly tough.
Then there was the abuse itself. My mom and I had to find the strength to leave a dangerous situation and start over. That trauma doesn’t just disappear,you carry it with you, even while you’re trying to move forward.
Financially, things were always tight. My mom worked cleaning houses and at a pizza shop, and I worked as a cashier at Walmart after school and on weekends. Sometimes it felt like we were just scraping by, and college seemed almost impossible because of the cost. That’s a big part of why I ended up joining the Marine Corps to be able to afford school and open up more opportunities for myself.
Moving to the U.S. as a teenager was another challenge. I didn’t speak English, so I was in ESL classes and had to work twice as hard just to keep up. Adapting to a new culture, making friends, and finding my place in a completely different world was overwhelming at times.
There were emotional challenges, too. I felt a lot of responsibility to support my mom, both financially and emotionally, even when I was still just a kid myself. Sometimes it felt like I had to grow up overnight.
Even after I finished high school, I couldn’t just go straight to college like some of my classmates. I had to take a different path, working and serving in the military to make it possible. Later on, when I switched from wanting to be a law enforcement officer to pursuing social work and mental health, that meant starting over, going back to school for my master’s, and taking another risk.
One of the biggest obstacles, honestly, has been fighting the stigma around mental health in the Latino community. There’s a lot of fear and misunderstanding about asking for help, especially when it comes to faith and cultural expectations. Stepping into this field meant not just working to heal myself and my family, but also trying to help my community see that there’s no shame in reaching out.
And of course, becoming a mom and trying to balance work, family, and my own well-being is always a challenge. That’s part of why I started my own practice, to be there for my family and my clients in a way that felt right for me.
All of these obstacles have shaped who I am. They made me more resilient, more empathetic, and more determined to help others find hope, even in the darkest moments.
We’ve been impressed with Ori Hope Counseling PLLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There have definitely been times in my life when I felt like I was in a really dark place, just buried under struggles and challenges, to the point where it was hard to see any light at all. That’s actually where the name “Ori” comes from. It’s Hebrew for “My light.” I love that meaning, and it connects so much to my approach as a counselor and my practice mission, and as a Christian, God placed this calling in my heart a few years ago to open a practice where christian counseling can be incorporated in the therapy process.
There’s a verse that means a lot to me: “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28). I really believe that God’s light can help us see things more clearly, whether that’s finding the path forward, gaining wisdom to navigate tough situations, or even just understanding ourselves better so we can set and reach our own goals.
I want people to know that if they’re looking for Christian counseling, here at Ori Hope Counseling we are happy to include that in the therapeutic process. But if not, that’s completely okay too. No matter what, everyone we work with is met with empathy, compassion, respect, and the support they need on their counseling journey. That’s really at the heart of what I do.
At Ori Hope Counseling, we provide services for adolescents, adults, veterans, couples, and families. We help clients work through anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and more. We also support those navigating faith-related questions or spiritual struggles. In addition to therapy, we offer psychological immigration evaluations for individuals and families going through immigration processes who may need professional mental health assessments as part of their legal documentation, We also specialize in trauma counseling for personal injury cases, working closely with those who have experienced accidents or other traumatic events, and providing the support and documentation they may need for their cases.
Our approach is always tailored to each person’s unique needs and goals, whether that means traditional talk therapy, integrating faith, or simply creating a safe and supportive space for healing and growth.
As far as my own specialization and credentials I work as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and Florida, I hold a certification as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), which means I specialized in Trauma, and I am trained in Eye Movement Desensization Reprocessing (EMDR) to process traumatic events.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Honestly, I think the most important quality that’s contributed to our success is keeping my core values at the center of what I do, reminding myself that God is the author of my life, and He continues to guide my journey no matter what, also genuine empathy, people can tell when you’re really listening to them and when you actually care about what they’re going through. For us, it’s never just about checking off boxes or rushing people through a process, it’s about truly meeting each person where they’re at and honoring their experiences, no matter how difficult or complex.
A big part of that is helping clients feel truly understood, not just emotionally, but culturally and spiritually too. For many of our Latino clients, being able to express themselves in their own language and know they’re talking to someone who understands their background makes all the difference. We want them to feel at home, to know nothing is lost in translation, and that their unique story matters.
It’s the same for people who want their faith to be part of the counseling process. For our Christian clients, we’re able to speak in the same spiritual language and incorporate faith in a way that feels authentic and supportive for them.
Empathy is what helps us build trust, and that trust is the foundation for any real change or healing. We want every client to feel seen, heard, and supported, whether they’re coming to us for counseling, an immigration evaluation, or trauma support after a personal injury. That sense of compassion and respect, across language and faith, is at the core of everything we do, and I really believe that’s what makes the difference.
Pricing:
- Individual Counseling $135-165
- Couples Counseling $185-$205
- Immigration Evaluations-Ask for more information
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.orihopecounseling.com
- Instagram: @orihopecounseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Orihopecounseling
