Meet Carolyn Comas | Mental Health Therapist

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

Hi Carolyn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to be in more control of me. For so long I was working for others and representing their visions. While sometimes my visions would align with theirs I knew I had something more and special to offer. Starting my own practice gave me the freedom to market myself to the actual demographics of people I wanted to work with and to help.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When you tell people you are a therapist they right away want to tell you all of their problems. When you tell them that you specialize in the treatment of eating disorders and body image a lot of them take a step back. It can be a little scary to acknowledge that maybe the relationship you have with food or your body might not be so “perfect.” I chose this speciality because I was struggling with an eating disorder that felt relentless. And, the fact that I was in a larger body, felt like I couldn’t recover until I fit societies standards of what our bodies should look like. When I discovered that there is a world where health is not determined on body size (aka Health At Every Size) and that fat bodies get the right to exist it changed the game of recovery not just for me but for the clients that I work with. The struggle is having to undo belief systems that are ingrained to us in our core. And these beliefs perpetuated by a diet industry that rakes in trillions of dollars a year. I don’t just explore deep core beliefs for my clients but I am also their advocate when it comes to getting proper medical care or having more representation in public spaces.

Eating disorders are not a thin white girl’s disease. In fact, majority of eating disorders (and yes even the restrictive ones) affect people of ALL SIZES, genders, and color, nationality, etc..

I have learned in my work that everyone has a story and everyone has a path they want to take. My job is to hold space to listen, to cry, to grieve, to advocate, and to get you to the badass that you are.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a water girl. Pisces to the core. This trip would definitely include some morning stand up paddle boarding out in Marina Del Ray follow by a lazy beach day either at Venice or up at Will Rogers State Park. I’d definitely recommend grabbing bikes and taking the path along the beach to get there from Venice too.

Another gem that I love is watching the sunset up in Griffith Park and then hanging out by the observatory at night to watch the city glow.

Lastly, because it is my passion, checking out the Pickwick Ice Rink in Burbank for a skating session. As a figure skater for the past 25 years or so, it is definitely one of the best places to beat the heat in LA!

For drinks, Tiki Ti in Los Feliz is a must. Food is difficult because I love food and LA is a food town. Let’s stay in the area and grab Casita Del Campo for some amazing Mexican.

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 someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This might sound a bit weird, but I don’t think I would have become a therapist if I hadn’t gone through the struggles that I had in my life. So a shout-out to the kids in middle school who made me feel less than, Ya” ll sparked me onto a journey of self love and respect I don’t know if I would have taken if it hadn’t been for your incessant bullying. But an even bigger shout out to my first therapist, Barbara, who listened to me and never made me feel ashamed or bad. She gave me space to be who I am. And in turn, she also helped my family show up for me the way I needed and I am forever indebted to the unconditional love and support that I was given from my parents.

Website: https://carolyncomastherapy.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-comas-lcsw/

Image Credits
Hannah Benet – @hannah_benet (skating photo)

@azziesphotography (professional headshots)

@staciaphotography (stacia ruth- headshot yellow top)