Meet Carla Avalos | Licensed Clinical Social Worker

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

Hi Carla, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Finding work-life balance is a continuous learning experience for me even now for numerous reasons. As a first-generation Latina being born and raised by a single Salvadoran immigrant mother in Los Angeles , I grew up with the mentality of always hustling to achieve my goals and continuously giving my full attention to any of the jobs that I had. I’ve always found passion and drive in helping others which is how I became drawn to pursuing a career in the mental health field. Working in the mental health field as a therapist is both extremely rewarding and yet It can also be emotionally challenging at times because while I may do very well in taking care of my clients, I can often forget to check in on myself regarding how I’m balancing everything. Looking back at my younger self, part of my motivation to working very hard at anything that I set my mind on was due to fear of disappointing others including my mom if my goals didn’t work out for whatever reason. However, within the last two years, I’ve gravitated more towards finding ways to make time for myself and not feel guilty for prioritizing my own needs in order to establish a healthy work-life balance.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is doing part-time private practice while balancing a full-time job as a Mental Health Clinical Supervisor for Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. I was born and raised in Hollywood by a Salvadoran Immigrant mother who taught me from a very young age the importance of working hard to pursue anything that I set my heart and mind on because she believed I was capable of achieving anything I wanted.

I started my part-time private practice in September 2021 called Nuevos Caminos Therapy where I provide individuals and couples therapy who are experiencing a variety of emotional challenges related to attachment issues, boundaries, depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, generational and racial trauma, family conflict, life transitions and women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

I’ve definitely experienced a few bumps in establishing my private practice as far gathering information on how to start a business , consulting with colleagues who are currently in private practice regarding how to market yourself to obtain clients and budgeting time in my already busy schedule to launch my practice. However, I’m so thankful for my mom, my friends, my boyfriend and fellow private practice colleagues who have been super supportive and encouraging to keep going when I felt overwhelmed and stressed out. Seeking out support and guidance during this process of starting my private practice is what has helped gained a little confidence in my ability to provide effective treatment and services to my community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the best things that I love about living in Los Angeles is the diversity of languages and cultures which also gives ample opportunity to explore numerous museums , restaurants and historical landmarks that make Los Angeles a much desired destination to visit from people all over the world.

Whenever I have family or friends visiting from out of town, the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles is one of the first places that I like taking visitors because not only is It a historical landmark but It has an eclectic mix of food options from Salvadoran food to Japanese Food which I feel is a good representation of the diversity of Los Angeles. From there, I’d take my visitors to the Natural History Museum, Exposition Park Rose Garden and California Science Center which are all located across the street from my graduate school Alma mater, University of Southern California.

For an afternoon coffee session, I’d drive my visitors towards Larchmont village which is located south of Hollywood and take them to my favorite coffee shop in the area, Bricks and Scones for an iced coffee and a matcha white chocolate scone. For an early dinner, I’d take my visitors to the best Thai restaurant in Hollywood and also a long established place called Palms Thai restaurant for pad see ew, Tom Yum Soup and pineapple fried rice. And dessert is extremely important to end any meal so we would end our food adventure with Turkish coffee flavored and saffron rose water ice cream from Mashti Malone’s which is a Persian owned ice cream shop since 1980 where they are well known for their exotic ice cream flavors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I attribute my successes in my life to the guidance of my mom, my close friends, my partner and my colleagues in the mental health field as without their love, patience and support, It would’ve been very hard to achieve my goals in life, I’m very grateful for my support system as being a first generation Latina, It can feel very scary and nerve wrecking to be the first one in your family to obtain a graduate level degree, establish a stable career and break generational trauma patterns because you can very easily doubt yourself about your ability to feel successful and accomplished. My support system has given me the confidence to keep my head up and continue pursuing my dreams and passions even when life throws you a few curveballs.

Website: https://carlastherapy.clientsecure.me/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuevoscaminostherapy/