Meet Mali Reynoso | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Private Practice Owner

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

Hi Mali, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Something about the mental health field that is important for others to understand is the positive impact that psychotherapy can have on a person’s livelihood, as well as the hurdles that we, psychotherapists, experience and deal with on a daily basis to be in this field.

First of, comes the stigma against mental health. I often hear from clients, strangers and even acquaintances, talk about their own mental health and how they just “deal with it” as if it were just your typical flu. This shows me where we stand regarding prioritizing our mental health and/or understanding the importance of it. It never stops to surprise me to hear how many often normalize and/or minimize their symptoms, struggles, stressors, traumas, etc,. because it has been passed on from generations and it has become the “normal”, whatever that might look like to each individual. If we could only understand the impact our mental health has on our physical health, and vice versa, we would take it more seriously and prioritize it as much as going to the doctor for the flu.

The mental health field was not my primary career choice, teaching was my passion. Once I worked in the classroom, I was able to witness first hand, the struggles that some students were facing. Once I got the backstory and discovered some of their stories, home lives, traumas, etc., their struggles in the classroom made complete sense. I was able to see the impact that their home lives had in the classroom and academics. This is when I made the important decision to change careers and go into the mental health field back in 2011. This huge change changed my whole life, has made me appreciate life even more, has been the most rewarding, and has been the most challenging all at the same time. Being a therapist and working in community mental health, juvenile hall, and now in my own private practice (AAMI Mental Health Services), has been a huge learning experience and very challenging, and rewarding, one in many aspects.

This field has challenged me as a professional, business owner, parent, and as an individual and human being. I can honestly say I have never felt this type of exhaustion, burnout, fear, doubt, and satisfaction all at the same time. It is terrifying to work with someone who is in crisis and who’s relying on you to deescalate a situation to make sure they are safe. Or to hear these stories of horrifying trauma from clients while I control my own emotions and/or triggers to hold a safe space for them. My work is not done after I am done with my sessions for the day, I am left with processing every session, completing documentation, administrative work, billing, returning phone calls and/or emails, etc. Sometimes, I have nothing left for my family and all I can offer and a couple of basic interactions because I am completely depleted. A lot of the time, there is no energy left for socializing. A therapist’s job is not easy, we don’t get paid to “just listen to people” talk, which by the way, health insurance companies do not offer fair compensation for our services (but that is another topic), we are analyzing what is being disclosed, body language, improvising depending on the information that is being provided, providing resources, creating treatment plans, and providing crisis management to keep people alive and give a little hope.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Owning my private practice has not been an easy road. It took years of exploration, dedication and hard work to accomplish where I am today. For a long time, I had two jobs, my private practice included, as I continued to explore the world of business owners and therapists. I went to school to become a mental health therapist, not business owner, so this was a completely different world and has taken many mistakes to be fully functioning.

My journey to being a private practice owner is nonlinear. I had victories and failures, in many different ways and in different occasions. I have relied on some colleagues to provide guidance and their expertise, family and friends for their support and constant cheering, and my best friend, the internet, obtain the most accurate information in this process.

I began to build my private practice back in 2021-2022 right after COVID-19 and saw a huge need in mental health resources. For the first six months, I did not have any clients. Zero. Then, I obtained 1 client and I stayed with a caseload of one for another six months or so before my caseload increased to five clients per week, all while I still had a full-time job, and another part-time job at another practice. After one year of practicing in my own practice, my caseload continued to grow. It wasn’t until the end of 2023, that I took the huge risk of leaving my full-time job and going solo with a caseload of about 20 clients. My caseload has continued to increase with time and has been providing for myself and children.

I started with only accepting private pay, and now, I am credentialed with many different medical insurances such as Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), Kaiser (Northern and Southern California), Aetna, Optum, Anthem Blue Cross, among many others. I have focused on making my services as available as possible to clients by providing them via telehealth and adapting to many of my clients’ needs and schedules.

My private practice has grown so much that support and process groups are now in the process of being offered in order to increase the amount of support and services offered through AAMI Mental Health Services. I am also considering expanding my practice and begin to contract additional staff, but that is just a thought at the moment.

This has not been an easy journey but it’s been fulfilling and it continues to thrive and inspire me to do more.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family has been my biggest supporters. As a single mom, it is not easy to navigate life with a career and children, all while trying to find work-life balance. They have been there to babysit for me, to feed my children when I was in class or overworking myself, and they have been my support system when burnout has been present. My children (Abel and Isabelle) have been my motivation to not give up and keep pursuing my dreams of becoming a private practice owner. My children have struggled with me as I went through the many changes in career, jobs, and extensive hours. They’ve grown with me and I am so eternally grateful to have such amazing, resilient, children. My family (Mom, Dad, my sisters, Abi and Ailyn, and my aunt and uncle, Luis and Paty) and my children, gave me hope, strength and support to be where I am today.

There has also been many other professionals who have supported me during this journey. I have amazing, smart and supportive friends who guided me and have stood by me as I’ve grown. I have had amazing supervisors who shared their wisdom with me and who helped me grow and become a better therapist. There is a special place in my heart for those individuals I had the honor to work with in juvenile hall. You all taught me so much and I hope I was able to make a small difference during that time.

The biggest shoutout is to my clients. I have learned about life and resilience through you. Thank you for trusting me to be part of your healing journey!

Instagram: AAMI_MENTALHEALTH

Facebook: Mali Reynoso (AAMI Mental Health Services)

Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/998691