Meet Angélica P. Beltrán-Rentería | Licensed Clinical Social Worker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angélica P. Beltrán-Rentería and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angélica P., how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Like everyone else, my life changed significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in my work-life balance. Before the pandemic, working as a mental health provider in a community health clinic involved having a thirty to fourty minute commute each way to be in an office five days a week, for eight hours a day, and often spending long days to meet deadlines and patient needs. Often I would get home late, and my time with family was limited. However, on March 13, 2020, I received an email from the organization’s Executive team informing us that we would all be starting remote work immediately. I never imagined the impact remote work would have on my work-life balance. The ability to provide therapy remotely as an employee led me to open my own practice. I own and operate Latinx Counseling of the Desert, which offers counseling services via a secure online platform for anyone in California. As a Spanish-speaking clinician, I primarily work with the Latinx community. Starting my own practice has allowed me to have a better work-life balance by becoming more financially independent. Not only am I growing as an entrepreneur and helping my own family, but I am also working on meeting the mental health needs and reducing the stigma in our community.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California since 2016 and have worked with various vulnerable populations. To name a few, I have worked with at-risk youth, chronically ill individuals, foster children, terminally ill adults and children, and immigrants seeking legal status. In addition to running my own online practice, I also hold a position as an Adjunct Instructor and Field Instructor in a graduate school, helping prepare future Social Workers. I believe I have a passion for my career. Many interns and students have joked that I can sell anyone on social work – I simply speak from experience and pride. I enjoy helping others, and making a career is a plus. My father always said to seek a career where I never worked a day in my life, and I have to say that a career in social work has given me that. I won’t say that pursuing a career in social work is easy, but thanks to the support of my family, I was able to obtain my career. I learned that if you have a passion for something, you will put in the time and effort to earn it. To the world, I want to say not to be scared; find your passion and go after it! Like Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing worth having comes easy.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend and I live over 80 miles away from each other, so when she visits, I plan to make it a fun trip. What we do really depends on the time of the year she visits. For starters, I live five miles from the Empire Polo grounds, where the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is held annually. So, visiting the Empire Polo grounds is a must if she comes during the festival season. The Coachella Festival, as it’s best known, is full of fun music, art exhibits, and delicious food – we always have a great time. The festival also takes place during the summer, which can often mean we have three-digit weather. I ensure we have plenty to drink, sunscreen, and cute outfits. If my best friend visits any other time of the year, we will walk down to Old Town La Quinta, which has delicious restaurants and a local brewery, and on Friday nights, they often have live music. Where I live, there are also hiking trails one can do and reach points where one can enjoy gorgeous views of the Coachella Valley. A good hike with a beautiful view will also make it to the itinerary. Overall, we have tons of outdoor activities and fun places to visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents immigrated to the United States in the late ’80s from Mexico, making me a first-generation Latina. My parents often said they wanted their children to have better opportunities and did what they could to move to the United States to give birth to their children. My mother was primarily a stay-at-home wife, and my father worked various blue-collar jobs before securing a career as a Salesman with Bimbo Bakeries, USA. As a Salesman for Bimbo Bakeries, my father’s day started at 3:00 am. He would begin his day by loading the delivery truck with Gansitos, galletas, and miscellaneous bakery products he later delivered to grocery stores. His days often did not end until 6:00 pm. Working constantly over twelve-hour days, my father would come home tired but always made time for my mother, brother, and me. My father earned only a high school education in Mexico. He always emphasized his desire for his children to obtain a college education, work less physically demanding jobs and have better work-life balance. My father always said he loved his job but stated working long hours kept him away from the family more than he’d like. I recall my father working Saturday mornings, and when my mother would plan birthday parties for my brother and me, my father would make strong efforts to show up as early as he could because he wanted to help set up. Many of the pictures of those birthday parties show my father wearing his work uniform as we set up. Despite his intense work hours, my father always had family as his priority. Thanks to my father’s efforts, I had the opportunity to go to college. I’ve earned a graduate degree from the University of Southern California, granting me a career less demanding than my father’s and allowing me to be more present for my family. In 2020 I started working remotely, and that year we also learned of my father’s terminal cancer – he was only 56 years old. Because of my father’s efforts to provide me with better opportunities, I have a career that allowed me the ability to be present during his final days. I worked from home while my father was in the next room being treated by his hospice team. Although we lost my father in August 2020, I will never forget his efforts, love, and life lessons of always making time for family. So it’s my ‘apa who I give credit for paving the way for opportunities for myself, my brother, and our future generations. I love you, pa!

Website: www.latinxcounselingofthedesert.org

Instagram: latinx_counseling

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelicapbeltran/