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

Hi Mary, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As a psychotherapist, my journey before licensure began in a residential treatment center working with eating disorders, then with children and youth at a county funded clinic. After 5 years and becoming licensed 3 years into working for clinics, I started to feel stagnant: I wanted to be constantly learning new therapeutic modalities, making my own choices clinically, and overall just having more autonomy in my practice. I began a private practice while still working for the county, and was immediately invigorated. I felt inspired, I had more choices in who I took on to work with, and the possibilities for training and expanding felt endless. I continued to get certified in various modalities, moving into full time private practice within a year, and have been in my own practice since 2011. Last year, I began to want to expand more and include more body based treatments for clients as an adjunct to their psychotherapy with me. I began my search, which thus far has resulted in me: becoming a registered yoga teacher, enrolling in a 850 yoga therapist training program, opening a trauma informed yoga studio in my practice, and teaching classes. I continue to train in trauma informed yoga, and feel so empowered and energized by this new modality and how it has shaped my work and my business.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am currently a licensed psychotherapist with a private practice in Claremont, CA. I am certified in Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and am an EMDRIA approved consultant for other therapists looking to become certified in EMDR. In addition, I am a certified eating disorder specialist and supervisor, and have extensive training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples. In addition to my work with clients as a therapist, I also serve as a consultant for therapists becoming certified in Gestalt therapy, EMDR, or eating disorder specialties, My recent business venture is blending the world of therapy with yoga, and incorporating body based healing into my practice. After becoming a registered yoga teacher and training in various trauma informed yoga modalities, I decided to open a yoga studio next to my office, where I conduct trauma informed yoga classes for clients, others’ clients, or members of the community. I am enrolled in Be the Change’s yoga therapist teacher program, and work with a trauma informed yoga therapist mentor, who supports me in developing this new area of expertise. The results thus far of clients doing trauma work and attending classes has been phenomenal! Incorporating healing within the body as well as the mind has proven to be effective and powerful in the work with my clients. As I continue to learn more and expand this new practice, I suspect that my work with continue to evolve and change.

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?
Downtown Claremont has many fun and delicious restaurants: Viva Madrid, Eureka, Bardot, just to name a few. There is a vintage record shop, a botanical garden, and the beautiful Claremont Colleges. Downtown Claremont is so unique, and has a small town feel to it, while still being urban.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many! Professionally, I am so grateful for the Pacific Gestalt Institute and their tremendous training program which I have been a part of since 2013. My mentor, Gary Yontef, Ph.D. and co-founder with Lynne Jacbos, Ph.D. of the Pacific Gestalt Institute, have transformed my work with clients and my own personal development and growth. I continue to work with Gary twice per month. I am forever grateful to my entrepreneur husband, Chris Ortenburger (owner of Eyenovation Multimedia and Flying Lap Media) who taught me about running a business, marketing, and always encourages me to follow my passions. Dr. Andrew Leeds, EMDR specialist, taught me more than anyone about adhering to the standards of EMDR, and Dolores Mosquera and her trainings on using EMDR with dissociation have allowed me to help clients move safely through their traumatic memories. I am also so grateful to my colleagues who continue to support and encourage me: Amy Smith, LMFT, Sylvia Soto, LMFT, Nicole Goolsby, LMFT, and many more! For my yoga practice, I am forever grateful to Be the Change Yoga, where I am studying to become a certified yoga therapist. I also could not do what I do and have done without my trauma informed yoga mentor, Aurea Victoria, C-IYAT.

Website: https://www.maryortenburger.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-ortenburger-06831835/

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/insight-family-therapy-group-claremont

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy422rWJUYKlPJsrRx3gUaA

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