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

Hi Sabrina, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in the city of Norwalk, California, a suburb in the Southeast of LA county. I’m a first generation Mexican-American woman, and I’m also the oldest daughter of both parents who are also first-born children. You know what they say about the first-born daughter? She’s caring, dependable, responsible and high-achieving etc. (✔️✔️✔️✔️) While I accept and appreciate those characteristics, being the first-born daughter was also pretty challenging. Those challenges and experiences led me to develop a perfectionist/people-pleasing personality that has its pros and cons. Everyday I get to learn and unlearn different parts of those costs and benefits.

Growing up in a mostly traditional Mexican-American household, I never felt comfortable using my voice and sharing my true thoughts, feelings and opinions, which affected how I showed up at school, in my career, and in my relationships. My parents placed high expectations on me, and I was responsible for always having to “set a good example” for my siblings. As difficult as it was to have that pressure placed upon me, I’m grateful for it. It’s allowed me to be disciplined enough to dedicate myself to my passions. Shouldering this responsibility really pushed me to set big goals and dreams for myself, so that my siblings could know they have what it takes to reach their dreams, and further exceed my own.

My childhood experiences also taught me the importance of close connection, humor and resiliency. Some of my favorite memories of growing up are the family gatherings where we’d all be eating food, watching some sporting event and laughing while listening to my dad or my tias and tios telling stories. I also like to think back to the times when my aunt Kim would use my sisters and I as her models and back-up dancers at my grandma’s house. She’d do our hair and makeup and teach us a dance routine so we could have our own photoshoots and music videos! These are the memories I like to hold on to, as they’re a small part of what my family’s resiliency looks like. The overwhelming feeling of love and appreciation I have for my family is indescribable and I feel it has shaped me into the person I am today.

What value or principle matters most to you? Why?

I have a handful of personal values I feel strongly about, but when I really think about it, they all boil down to one overarching value, which is connection. As humans, we all need connection to survive. It’s hard living life isolated and all on your own. Relationships that are formed through authenticity, compassion, humor, love and vulnerability is where it’s at! I’ve seen the effects of what that lack of connection can have on a single person, their family, and how it seeps into their community. I truly believe if we all had relationships like this at home, at work and in our communities, we’d have a society focused on creating well-being and restoration as a preventative measure and not a bandaid over an open wound.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Conscious Healing Therapy is my virtual therapy practice that was just recently launched in July of 2022. In my practice, I specialize in working with high-achieving women and people of color, who are experiencing high-stress and anxiety, depression, difficulty with life transitions, communication issues, burnout and trauma. I help my clients learn to rediscover themselves, utilize their strengths, and live the lives they truly desire.

I had always planned on launching my own private practice but I never imagined it would happen in the way it did and in the timing it did, but I’m glad it happened. I was essentially rushed into launching my own practice and it took me by surprise. I had about 3 months to figure out how to become a legit business owner, create my logo, design my website, get on social media, figure out my finances and think about my marketing strategy, all while continuing to see my clients. Don’t listen to all those 30 second videos that tell you to “just do xyz” and you’ll be a successful business owner…they’re not even telling you the half of it!

Even though it’s been stressful building my own business, I’ve already learned so much about myself and what I want for my business. The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is, everything happens in my own timing and in my own way. Practicing taking things slow and leaning into discomfort have been huge for me these past 7 months!

My aspiration is to be the therapist I needed growing up (and still do) and to create a sense of community with other people with similar experiences. My biggest hope I have for my therapeutic work is that I create a space where my clients feel comfortable to be vulnerable, to be themselves, to speak the words that have never been spoken aloud, to be heard and know their inherent value.

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?
Quality time is one of my top love languages so, here’s what I would do if I had one of my best friends coming to visit. I would create a list of some of my favorite places and have them pick what they would like to do each day. I can be pretty indecisive so creating a list would save us so much time! Here’s what it would look like:

Things to do:
At home yoga or gym before breakfast
Get a massage or go to the Korean Spa (Hugh Spa is my fave)
Hike at Limekiln Canyon Park or somewhere in Palos Verdes
Take a trip to Santa Monica or Leo Carillo Beach
Go shopping at Westfield Topanga Mall
Support small businesses at MidCity Mercado, which is a pop-up hosted by Persona The Shop & Mariscos Marias

Places to eat (vegetarian-friendly):
Futaba Japanese Restaurant in Northridge – my favorite veggie ramen
Claudine Kitchen and Bakeshop in Encino – chilaquiles and the new lemon blueberry coffee cake are so good
True Food Kitchen in Pasadena – perfect for a healthy and delicious ancient grains bowl
Porto’s Bakery in Northridge – go-to order is the Torrejas (french toast), cheese omelette sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s no doubt I am where I am because of the support and mentorship I’ve received throughout my life thus far. That being said, I’d like to give a special shout out to my sister, Natalie. I feel lucky in that my parents, extended family and friends have always been supportive of me, but my sister Natalie has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders! I get emotional thinking about how much she wholeheartedly believes in me (we’re both chillonas)! I’d also like to give a loving shout out to my husband, Miles. Without his support, I would not have been able to leave my underpaying toxic community mental health job to take the chance on myself and launch my own practice! Lastly, I’d like to give some recognition to all the entrepreneurs in my family (you know who you are), because without them, taking this risk would be 1000x more daunting!

Website: www.conscioushealingla.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sabrinav_lcsw

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-viramontes-lcsw-0886a7aa/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conscioushealingtherapy

Other: A free newsletter on mental health, wellness & daily living: https://conscious-healing-therapy.ck.page/links

Image Credits
Headshots taken by Daniel Solares

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