Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Mica MEd, LPC-S and Camille Mica PhD, LPC.
Hi Natalie and Camille, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I (Natalie) look back, my journey into therapy really began with my own pain. At first, I was just determined to make my suffering mean something, for it not to be wasted. Over time, I realized that the very things that broke me open also gave me the compassion and understanding to sit with others in their darkest moments. That realization led to my clinical training as a psychotherapist, which has allowed me to expand and deepen my work. I have studied existential, psychodynamic, and Jungian psychology and trained in Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Brené Brown’s Shame Resilience Theory. I am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Level 3 Certified IFS Therapist and a Certified Daring Way TM Facilitator. In 2018, I moved my private practice, Restore Psychotherapy & Wellness, from a small, rural area into Houston. I welcomed my daughter, Camille, as a psychotherapist in 2022.
From an early age, I (Camille) found myself immersed in empathy, compassion, creative expression, and the call to be present with others in the midst of their suffering. I longed to support healing, transformation, and development. Eventually I attended Meridian University in California, earning my PhD in Psychology. My background largely involves working to address human trafficking through various nonprofit roles involving community engagement, advocacy, mentorship, and accompaniment of survivors. My initial clinical practice in California was in a psychodynamic clinic. Over the years I also completed training in additional modalities such as trauma-informed yoga, expressive arts therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Authentic Movement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to move back to the greater Houston area, became licensed to practice counseling and psychotherapy in Texas, and joined my mother’s private practice in Houston. I currently practice with a depth-oriented relational approach, integrating psychoanalytic theory, Jungian psychology, Internal Family Systems Therapy, and relational cultural theory.
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?
(Natalie) As with any entrepreneurial endeavor, there are always struggles. Having clinical skills is not the same as having entrepreneurial and business skills. Starting out, I learned how to do everything in the business myself, from business formation, finding office space, setting up billing and financial systems, writing website copy, learning SEO strategies to rank on Google, marketing, setting up an electronic practice management system, and more. I not only had to work in my business, but on it as well, and learning to balance it all was a challenge. In addition, therapist have responsibilities and encounter struggles in our personal lives as well, and it has been hard sometimes to balance caring for others and my own self-care. I am so very glad I stayed with the process. I love my business and my work with clients!
(Camille) Being a psychotherapist has not been a smooth road by any means! Because I am quite sensitive, there were times I doubted if I was cut out for this field. Early on, it was difficult to tolerate moments of uncertainty and conflict in the therapeutic process. I worried a lot about making mistakes. However, staying with the process and seeking to foster openness and curiosity were vital. I needed to remain in authentic relational contact through the difficult – even intense – experiences, which allowed me to stretch and expand. This is the kind of growth that we hope patients can also find in therapy. Therapists struggle too, and it is through the struggles and pain that we are able to more closely attend and be empathically present with our patients.
As you know, we’re big fans of Restore Psychotherapy & Wellness. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We believe therapy is more than relief from suffering. Healing is at the core, of course, but we see therapy as so much more than recovery. It’s about transformation. It’s about helping people step into their own becoming, grow more deeply into themselves, let go of old stories, discover new possibilities, connect more deeply, and begin living in ways that feel freer and more authentic.
Depthwork and creative, and artistic expression are fundamental in our therapeutic practice. Many people do not realize that poetry therapy, dance therapy, and expressive arts therapies are all legitimate and well-researched modalities that can be integrated in psychotherapy. We often encourage bodily awareness, meditation, and journaling. Therapy sessions somethimes include reading of poetry with metaphors, images, and themes relevant to our focus. Storywork, visual art and image-making are helpful and inspiring for those who feel drawn to these modalities of expression and exploration. All of these go along with dreamwork, active imagination, and inner dialogue or “parts” work (such as IFS). Furthermore, Natalie facilitates Daring Greatly TM, Rising Strong TM, and The Gifts of Imperfection TM retreats, groups and workshops and Narrative Therapy story groups. Camille facilitates expressive arts groups and also offers a practice called Authentic Movement.
It’s an honor to walk beside our clients on their journeys, offering a safe and supportive space for exploration, healing, and transformation
What’s next?
We find ourselves dreaming and discussing new offerings such as intensives, workshops, and potential retreats. While we do not have anything planned at the moment, we both have large imaginations for ourselves and our clients. We look forward to where all this imagining might take us.
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