Meet Linda Ruvalcaba | Bilingual Psychotherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linda Ruvalcaba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When you start out working as a mental health therapist, you are usually encouraged to work at a local community mental health agency. These agencies typically provide clinical supervision for your license and will sometimes offer additional clinical training. However, what these agencies also offer that they don’t exactly announce are massive caseload sizes, unrealistic productivity demands, low compensation, and if you speak Spanish, then you also get the burden of doing other people’s work for them.

There was no work life balance when I first started my career as a therapist. It took some time to de-program from the productivity and work demands that I was accustomed to during my time working at a community mental health agency. Also, diving into private practice with only a couple clients on my schedule meant that the fear of not making ends meet would lead me to scheduling people whenever they wanted versus when it worked best for me. I left community mental health completely burned out and miserable. Now, four and a half years into having my own practice, my life is incredibly balanced.

I pride myself in having a schedule that really helps me to thrive in my work and life. I choose to see clients three days a week and only during hours that allow me to show up as my most well rested and energetic self. I enjoy slow mornings where I read and enjoy my cup of coffee. I honor my boundaries around work so that I can tend to the rest of my needs, time with family/friends, etc the rest of the week. Respecting my own boundaries around my work schedule is a gift that I am giving to myself and my clients. They can trust that when I schedule an appointment with them, it is from my own inner consent and will never come with resentment or regret.

What should our readers know about your business?
My established business that I am known for is my private practice — Empieza Aquí Counseling. I offer bilingual therapy via telehealth to adults located in Arizona. I specialize in working with the Latine community, as well as with community leaders and activists. Approaching my work from a values-aligned place has made it quite easy to attract the clients I wish to work with and to build a career that I love.

Entering private practice pushed me to connect with other Latine therapists. Initially, this was to have other therapists to refer to and now it’s to build community. In January 2020, I posted in an Arizona mental health Facebook group about wanting to meet with other Latine therapists at a local coffee shop. I posted a day, time, and location, thinking I would at least have one friend meet me there. To my surprise, people showed up! I hosted this networking space again the next month with more new people! When the COVID-19 lockdown happened, I moved this networking event to a virtual setting and it has expanded since then! In this space, I have connected with well over 100 Latine mental health providers from around the world.

This beautiful community inspired me to start a professional association for the group so that we may have an official seat at the table when we talk about the mental health needs of the Latine community. In November 2023, it became official — Empezando Contigo: Association for Latine Therapists. The purpose of this group is to center the needs of Latine mental health providers so that we can then better meet the needs of our community. We are still in the process of rolling out the membership for this group and I have moved the hosting of my networking event (Networking con Corazón) to now be hosted under the name of the association. It’s been an overwhelming journey to find how to start a professional association with little guidance but I’m excited to make this come to life!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Fortunately, this is something I’ve been thinking about as one of my best friends is coming to town in a few weeks! As a proud vegan, I think many of the places I will be taking her are to my favorite local vegan spots: Dark Hall for delicious pastries, coffee, and vibes; AZ Tacos Veganos for the best vegan Mexican food; Earth Plant-Based Cuisine for my favorite milkshake; and Nami for the yummiest brunch. I guess between all these food outings we will probably do things like go for a hike in the Superstitions, work on some paintings/drawings from Encanto park, and spend some time with my family at one of our homes because family time is always the best time.

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc. that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?  
My family deserves so much credit in my success story. They have always been so supportive, encouraging, and enthusiastic about my dreams that I have pursued. And after recently losing my stepdad 6 weeks ago, I want to give him a special shout out. He rallied for my success from the first day he entered our lives when I was 12 years old. He spoke up for me when schools tried to use racist oppressive systems to keep me from succeeding in school. Whether I was interested in photography, painting, psychology, etc — he was always ready to encourage me, help me to learn more, and promote my work in any way he could. He never questioned my goals or made me doubt myself. He was truly always so proud of me. His presence is deeply missed and his love and encouragement will continue to live on in my heart.

Website: www.empiezaaqui.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/empezando.contigo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/empiezaaquicounseling

Other: www.facebook.com/empezando.contigo www.instagram.com/therapy,girl www.instagram.com/empiezaaquicounseling

Image Credits
Meredith Comfort