Editorial Team
When You Know Exactly What You Want And Who You Want To Be But Things Get In The Way written by Dulce Orozco, LMHC.
You are a change-maker; it’s in your nature. You make things better for everyone else. However, even though you have a clear idea of the person you want to be and the changes you want to create in your own life, it feels that many things, expected and unexpected, keep getting in the way, and you hit that wall that prevents you from moving on once again.
After working with many women of color, mostly from immigrant families like myself, I realized that for most of them, those “things” that constantly get in the way are: just YOURSELF. I know that this may sound harsh, but your old thought patterns, what you saw growing up that you learned to view as expected, that guilt that you feel whenever you want to put yourself first; that is what keeps getting in the way.
A great quote by Jenn Sincero says:“The walls of your comfort zone are lovingly decorated with your lifelong collection of favorite excuses.”
Ouch, right? What are some of those excuses that keep getting in your way?
Practicing exercises like these will help you pass this wall whenever that “thing” that prevents you from getting where you want gets in the way.
Dulce’s first language is Spanish, and she is also fluent in English and Portuguese. Dulce has extensive experience working with individuals who themselves and their families are not native to our country. Because of her personal and professional experience, she is fascinated by culture’s role on our mental health and how we perceive ourselves. She works using mindfulness, whole-body integration, self-compassion, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
She provides an environment offering the connection, trust, and safety to help individuals achieve greater resiliency and empowerment. She currently has a private practice where she works remotely with adult women who feel like outsiders and have a tough time taking care of themselves. Dulce also does corporate engagements and urges corporations and organizations always to give mental health the importance it deserves. Lastly, she has been doing Immigration Mental Health Evaluations for the past four years. When she is not working, she is with her young daughters trying to savor their childhood as much as possible.