Episode 106: Healing and Identity: Navigating Dual Cultures and Building a Thriving Private Practice [featuring Jacqueline Garcia]

Show Notes

I'm excited to share the latest episode of the All Things Private Practice Podcast, where I had the pleasure of interviewing Jacqueline Garcia of Therapy Lux. In this episode, Jacqueline opens up about her personal journey as a therapist in private practice, navigating social media, and the importance of authenticity and self-discovery.

Jackie shares some of her struggles in her personal and professional life, specifically about immigrating from Mexico to the United States at 12 years old, and how she has fully embraced her Latina heritage.

Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

1. Embrace your authenticity on social media: Jacqueline shares her experience of showing up authentically on social media as a therapist and how it made a significant difference in connecting with clients and building a supportive community. Highlighting your personality and being true to yourself can have a powerful impact on your practice.
2. Find grace in the private practice journey: Starting a private practice can be a scary transition, filled with ups and downs. Jacqueline advises giving yourself grace and space to feel your emotions throughout this process. Remember, everyone's journey is different, and it's important to acknowledge and honor your own path. Jacqueline brings attention to the discrimination faced by individuals who do not speak a language perfectly. She emphasizes that this discrimination is often masked by expectations of perfection, while many people in our country only speak one language and make little effort to learn another. As therapists, we have a unique opportunity to challenge these biases and advocate for inclusivity and understanding.
3. Use slower periods for self-reflection and growth: When facing slower periods in your practice, rather than panicking or doubting your success, embrace the opportunity for self-reflection and evaluation. Take this time to assess your niche, offerings, and personal alignment. Remember, slower periods can be a valuable chance for growth and perspective shift.

Note from Jackie: 

My name is Jacqueline Garcia, and I am a bilingual, Spanish-speaking Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 7 years of experience working with children, teens, adults, and families. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State of San Bernardino. After completing my B.A., I attended California State University of Fullerton where I earned my Master's Degree in Social Work. My clinical experiences range from mental health outpatient programs, non-profit organizations, field-based community mental health, and private practice. I grew up in Tijuana, Baja California until I was 12 years old. My parents migrated to the U.S. to pursue a better life for me and my siblings. As many of you know, middle school years can be difficult, to say the least. As a teen, I struggled adjusting to a new culture, new language, new friends, new trends, you name it! However, these transformative years made an impact in my life and led me to the path of becoming a therapist.

Jackie's Website: Therapylux.org

Jackie's Instagram: instagram.com/therapylux

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A Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Receptionist for iPad & Therapy Notes!

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✨ Therapy Notes

I would also like to thank Therapy Notes for sponsoring this episode.

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Transcript

PATRICK CASALE: Hey everyone, you are listening to another episode of the All Things Private Practice Podcast. I'm your host Patrick Casale. I'm joined today by Jackie Garcia. She is an LCSW out in California, a big advocate in the Latinx communities, the business owner of Therapy Lux, has an Instagram handle, @therapylux, you might know her on there. She has 65,000 followers, has been in private practice since 2021.

And we're going to talk a little bit about your journey today into mental health and private practice and moving from Mexico to the States, and how you show up for the community that you really are passionate about. So, thank you so much for coming on and making the time.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Thank you, Patrick. That was amazing. That was such an amazing intro. Like, you just went at it.

PATRICK CASALE: I stumble over intros so often when I am like, "What's your business name? What title do you have?" And then I jumble it and it sounds terrible. So, thank you for that.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: That was awesome. You were like DJing to it. That's really cool. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

PATRICK CASALE: You're very welcome. So, I'm excited to have you on here. I follow you on social media. Your content is fantastic and it's very, very, very evident how you want to show up for the communities that you feel very passionate about.

And before we started recording, you had mentioned that moving from Mexico to the States as a teenager was very formative and also very challenging in your life, and kind of led you on this path. So, wherever you want to take us, please start us off and I'd love to hear your story.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Thank you, thank you, Patrick, for allowing me this platform to share bits of my story. My name is Jackie Garcia. I'm a licensed clinical social worker. I've been in this field for about seven-plus years, and I came to the States when I was 11 years old. Prior that, I grew up in Tijuana, Baja, California. I was there up until 11.

And so, I'm 30 now. So, I can say that, like, almost half of my lifetime I've lived in Mexico and now here in the US. So, it's been so interesting to navigate both cultures, like being Mexican and being American, and just kind of navigating those two while still trying to find myself, and while still going to therapy, and healing a lot of generational cycles that were passed down to me.

So, yeah, everything started, you know, back in TJ, I was there. My family faced a lot of adversities, a lot of personal struggles. And my dad at some point after, you know, challenging himself, after changing careers couple of times, he decided that it wasn't going to be the best for us to stay in Tijuana. So, he made the final decision to come to the US. He came first to find a job, to find the living situation. And then couple months later he was like, "All right, like, let's just make the move now."

At first, I was very excited because I'm like, okay, you know, I'm an 11-year-old girl. Okay, change is good. Maybe, you know, going to a new school, making new friends. So, there was like that excitement but once we got here, it was an absolute shit show. Like, it was messy, it was hard, it was very difficult to just adapt to the school setting because it's so different, the systems are so different, everything is so different. The food, the culture.

We landed in Warner Valley, California, which is Riverside County. And I remember the first day when I went to school, my dad walked me to class, and he made sure that I had a friend prior me going to first period. And so he found someone who spoke this language, Spanish. At the time, I probably only knew numbers, A, B, Cs, and colors. Because in TJ they did make it a priority to have like an English class. So, we learned the basics.

So, my dad, you know, like, hooked me with a classmate who spoke the language and she took me by the hand that whole year, that whole year. And she's an, you know, angel sent from the heavens because she helped me learn, like, where my classes were at. I wasn't in ELD yet because it was such a sudden shift and I think there was a wait list at the time. So, I came to pure English classes and I went to history. I'm like, "I don't know the history, I don't know what they're saying." I went to English class, had no clue. And it wasn't until I transitioned into ELD when I was able to kind of understand more of the English/Spanish.

I was bullied when I came here. I didn't know the language, so I didn't really know what they were saying, but I knew that they were talking about me. And so that was a challenge for me. And I was like, "You know what? You all are bullying me right now? Watch me, watch me thrive." So, totally a trauma response.

And yeah, I went at it, I tried really hard to understand the language, and learn the language. And after that, like I said, it was a shit show. I ended up in therapy when I was in middle school, and probably, that was the best decision ever because my therapist at the time really validated my experiences and she made me feel like I had a right to feel the way that I was feeling because of all the sudden transitions and, you know, my brain was just like all over the place. So, that's a little bit about how my journey started here in the US and also what kind of led me to become a therapist, so the impact that the therapist had in me.

PATRICK CASALE: It's amazing to connect with that person at school, and then to connect with that therapist, and to have that support. But I imagine that was so, so challenging to be sitting in these classes and not really having any idea of what was being said or what was going on and having to be a teenager where you're already like, kind of, struggling socially to figure out where you belong, and your identity, in general, and having all of that kind of uprooted, and shifted, and changed. And it sounds like it was a really challenging couple of years at first to really find your footing.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Oh yeah. I copied everything. I was wearing Jordans at some time, I was wearing, you know, the little…. so many trends that they had back in middle school. You know, I'd copy everything because I was like, "I don't have an identity. Like, let me just do what other people are doing right now because that's what's going to help me blend in."

So, I did that for a couple of years and I got into soccer. So, a lot of coping skills that I developed, I got into sports. And, you know, I used to kick it with the Latinx people and that made me feel a little bit more seen. And I went to a very diverse school too, so thank goodness for that because it would've been a shock if it would've been otherwise.

PATRICK CASALE: Sure, yeah, absolutely. If you had stepped foot into mostly a majority of like just white faces, I imagine that would be really, really challenging coming from a completely different country, and then facing bullying, and discrimination, and the language barrier that would've been really hard.

It sounds like you really did tap into these coping skills at a early age of like, okay, sports are safe, fitting in, and like masking, and hiding myself, and just kind of conforming to the surroundings is safe, going to therapy is safe. So, like, those are lots of good skill sets at an early age to start navigating, though.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: It was totally survival though. Like, it was survival. Like, now looking back, like, yeah, I tried my best to fit in, but internally there was so much chaos happening. And then on top of that, we had some other family problems that would just impact the whole dynamic. But I felt like, you've mentioned masking, I feel like for a very long time, even stepping into the field I was masking a lot. And it's wild to say that, and you know, since I started my private practice in social media, that really allowed me to just bring my authenticity into it. Like, it's okay if I say some words still that sound incorrect or I mispronounce some things because that's just who I am, you know? Like, I have both, I speak Spanish, English, I'm bilingual, and sometimes my brain mixes those two things together.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah

PATRICK CASALE: It's always amazing to me when we discriminate towards people who speak multiple languages, who don't always get it, "correct" when most people in this country only speak one language. And do not even have the capacity to try another.

But yeah, masking is such a big part of that, right? And you mentioned survival. So, it sounds like your social media journey and the recognition of putting out authentic content and being yourself authentically as a therapist in private practice, what kind of things did you start to notice, like, when you were actually able to show up, and highlight your personality, and be yourself? Like, what did you start noticing, in general, with your clients or on social media?

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, that was a journey in itself. I didn't show up as I am at the beginning. It took me like pauses. I took social media breaks, I would retrieve back, I would come back to it, I would change things. It was a lot of anxiety at the beginning. And I'm glad I didn't give up on it though because I think, it wasn't until reels started coming out, like it was a thing because it was competing with the other platforms. And it wasn't until that reel setting that I'm like, you know what? I felt like I'm just going to go in and be myself. And I started creating reels and that allowed me really to just show up as I am instead of just kind of, you know, posting like a little post that with, you know, scrolling, and stuff like that. I feel like through video it captured my personality.

I started doing content in Spanish too. So, I think that really allowed me a space to just be like, "Oh, okay. Like, there's people out there that can benefit from this and I'm not the only one going through this." You know?

So, a community in itself is very safe. It's guided towards Latinx folks. And through social media, I built the courage to go solo, right? Because I'm like, okay, like, it's going, it's going, let me just take the leap and see where it takes me. And the audience that I was attracting was Latinx. So, that's where I'm at.

PATRICK CASALE: It's amazing how social media can be such a platform for advocacy, especially, for groups of people who are marginalized, or oppressed in our country, or in the world because showing up authentically as yourself, and offering support, and being real about your own experiences is advocacy. And it allows for other people who look like you to say, "Oh my God, this is someone who gets it. And not only does this person get it, they're a therapist and they're also talking about their own shit. Like, what kind of stuff is that?"

And I think that's amazing because I, wholeheartedly, believe in the power of just being authentic, and relatable, and being a human because so often we're told in this profession, like, be buttoned up, and don't show your personality, and don't disclose, and don't highlight this, and don't curse, and don't do this. And it's like, who makes these fucking rules? In reality, people want to know that we get it, that it's relatable, that they can share the human experience of the struggle. And I think that's so, so important.

And it obviously shows because, what do you have? Like, 66,000 Instagram followers at this time? It's pretty amazing. And then you mentioned that created this catalyst for momentum to go solo. Were you at a group practice or a community mental health agency before that?

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, so I was collecting my hours pre-licensure at a community mental health. So, I was a field therapist. That was boot camp.

PATRICK CASALE: Yes

JACQUELINE GARCIA: It prepped me for like life, yeah. And I'm sorry, yeah. So, that was interesting, there's many ebbs and flows and I hit burnout. And once I got licensed, which that test was another struggle, right? Because, again, like my test anxiety, you know, sometimes the way that I process things, my brain is like self-sabotage comes through. And so, I'm so glad I passed it on the first time, I studied a lot. I used TDC, Therapy Development Center for those folks that don't know what that means.

But yeah, so I went to group practice after that. I was there for a year, then pandemic hit 2020, and there was a freeze. Kaiser had a freeze, and it was a group practice contracted by Kaiser. So, even though I got hired, I didn't start. So, I had six-months gap and in those six months, so I was like, "Okay, I need to do something." So, then I started social media, that's where Therapy Lux came to life. And I started challenging myself, I started putting out content, I didn't know what I'm doing. And then it was kind of like a ripple effect after that.

I started with my group practice. I learned simple practice and everything that a private practice needed. You know, like a starter kit type of thing. And then after that, I went solo. The transition from group practice and going solo was another shit show. I went back to therapy during this transition because I realized that transitions scared the fuck out of me.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, you made [CROSSTALK 00:16:34]-

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Like, transition, any type of change, any type of milestone, any type of like new chapter it was a trigger. And so I went back to therapy, I'm still in therapy, shout out to my therapist. And that transition I think just really highlighted all the things that I needed to work on too because now, it's like a party of one. I'm holding a private practice, so it's all on me. If I don't show up, I ain't got no job.

So, it really was such an interesting transition that I… it was like a first experience, firsthand. So, yeah, thank you for my group practice, thank you for all my previous experiences because it got me where I'm at today.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, that's a great message because I think so many people, myself included, really struggle with the transitions and the emotional side of being an entrepreneur, a small business owner, and the stuff that it brings up unexpectedly when you quit a job, and the feelings that come up and surface. Like, I don't know what you experienced, but I experienced a lot of like, shamefulness, a lot of abandonment stuff. How could I possibly leave this community mental health job? They need me. I'm a supervisor. Like, my staff needs me. They replaced me in three fucking days. They did not need me.

And it's just amazing when you go out on your own and the narratives that go through your head of like, "I'm not going to be successful at this, I'm not good enough, I'm not competent enough, I don't know enough." All of the emotional self-doubt, insecurities, impostor syndrome that exist for whatever reason, and the perfectionism. You and I were talking about perfectionism before and how your content creation has helped you through some of that.

I remember feeling like, I can't start seeing clients unless I know simple practice in and out. My website has to be perfect. And then all of a sudden it was like this light bulb moment of like, none of this is ever going to be perfect. And it's more important to just show up as a human, authentically, acknowledge that you will make mistakes along the way, embrace them, talk about them, and that's what people want to hear, that's what people relate to.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah. It's such an interesting shift, right? Like, I remember when I was doing case consults I was shaking. I'm like, "Okay, but I've been in the field for this long, why am I shaking right now? Why am I so anxious?" Right? Because it was like, am I good enough? Are you sure? Are you sure you want to go solo? You're not going to have that check coming in, guaranteed check coming in every two weeks. And I'm so glad I challenged myself though. I did a lot of crying through those transitions. And then on top of that, like, life is happening. Like, life never stops. I mean, life, you know? You're not here anymore, but like, life keeps going.

And it was such a scary transition that for anyone who is starting a private practice that is looking into making that shift, give yourself so much grace, give yourself, you know, the space to feel all your feelings, and everyone's journey looks different. Like, I just really want to highlight that. Everyone's journey looks different. My journey, I'm sure looks a lot different than your journey and so forth, right? And so just giving ourselves so much compassion that it is kind of… there's a lot of ebbs and flows. Like, this previous summer because we're kind of still in summer, right? It was like low-key, slow. Like, I'm like, "Okay, y'all forgot about, you know, the healing era? Okay, cool. Y'all are healed?" Okay. But that's great, right?

But yeah, summer for me was a lot slower than my previous summer. So, it's almost like just understanding the ebbs and flows of private practice that just because you have a slow season that doesn't mean that it's going to be slow for the whole year. It does pick up.

PATRICK CASALE: That's so important.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: Because here's what happens, everything you said is so important, having grace, having compassion, going easy on yourself. Like, that's crucial. And I think what happens is you have a slow summer, you start buying into the mentality of like, "Summer slump is here. Do I just discount all of my rates? Do I start seeing people for $10 an hour? Nobody's ever going to call me again?" And then all the chaos goes on.

But if you can absorb it and you can step into that ebb and flow of small business ownership, it's really easy to take a breath step back, and be like, okay, it's slower right now, but is my energy even in alignment with being busier? Am I feeling run down? Is this the perfect time for me to reevaluate my business? Is it a good time to kind of have some introspection about other things that I want to create, or offer, or change my niche? 

Or like all of the things that can happen when we have the space to breathe and like look at things from a different perspective instead of that perspective of like, "Oh my God, I'm the worst business owner in the world and clearly this is not going to work." And all of the things we can tell ourselves.

So, I'm so glad that you named that. It's really important to embrace the ebb and flow, and it's like a rollercoaster ride of owning a small business. I don't think I would have it any other way, but I do think it's really important to acknowledge that it's not always glamorous, it's not always stress-free. There are a lot of days where you're questioning every decision you've ever made. And I think that's totally normal.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, yeah. I was so grateful to be aligned with other therapists who I met through, like, my community mental health agency and my group practice that we all kind of decided to start private practice around the same time. So, we utilize that space to help each other, right? Because I mean, there's a whole legal side of it, right? Like the S-corp and, you know, you got to make sure that everything is solid.

But I was very fortunate to have many colleagues to piggyback on my stressors and ask questions. And I still do. It does feel a little bit lonely, right? Like, I think it's, you know, party of one for me, you have a group practice, I hear you. But now that it's just, you know, me going solo, I had to gather a couple clinicians for a consult group, you know, and still have that space to have consultations if we are struggling interventions, right? Like, it's so neat to pick on people's brains, and present cases, and just have that community aspect because private practice sometimes feels really lonely. Like, you have to find your own motivation, and you have to, like you said, like we have slow seasons. That could be an opportunity to start projects and to tap into other things that maybe, if we're busy, and on the go, we don't really have the emotional capacity to, like, even think about.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, yeah, that's so well said. I think having your own sense of community in this journey is really important, really crucial, to bounce ideas off of people, to have support when things are feeling like a struggle because you're right, if you're on your own and you're in solo practice, you're siloed. Like, you don't speak to a lot of other people throughout the day or the week unless you intentionally go out of your way to network or connect or reach out. Otherwise, you're like, I saw six to eight clients today, I don't, even know who else I've spoken to. And your brain is fried at the end of the day, and you just need time to recuperate. So, having that community, that consultation group, that support group, anything like that is so, so vital.

And I think we often like lose sight over the fact that we started these practices or businesses because we wanted more freedom, more autonomy, more time. And so often we recreate our agency job environment. So, like for me, I also play soccer and there's pickup in Asheville every day. And I'm like, I never go and I own my own business, I set my own hours. Like, I never do these things. So, really important to, like, during these slow periods, to zoom out of your business almost, instead of being in it all the time and just reevaluate what's important to you as well.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah. It's so funny that you bring that up. I remember having a conversation with someone about this, like, I'm so scared to go into private practice knowing that I'm going to have like, flexible time, right? What the fuck am I going to do with my life? Like, I was seeing 40 clients when I was at a group practice, I was seeing like 35, I mean, I was living by myself, so I'm like, okay, I need to like really work so I can pay my bills. I mean, rent is expensive in LA, right? But that was a fear, like, okay, so that means that maybe I can cut my time to half of what I'm working, and what am I going to do with the extra time? I was so scared of that. And it was, again, such a transition, a shift that took time. But now, like, I prioritize me.

Like, private practice has allowed me to do home projects, you know, like put a wallpaper on, and have plans, and take care of them, and go play soccer, go join a boxing class. Like, it almost like allowed me to really emphasize self-care when in the past I still did it, I still tried fitting in self-care, but I was hitting burnout most of the time.

So, I'm so grateful to be in this space and to kind of, like, rewrite that hustle culture mentality to, you know, like, it's okay to slow down, it's okay to watch Insecure on a, you know, Sunday all day.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: I hope everyone can take that in because that's so important to hear. And I've done that myself. Like, when I started my practice, and I would look at my calendar, and I'm like, "I have all this free space. What do I do? How do I fill it?" And eventually, you're like so happy when clients cancel and you have free time, which is a good indication of like, you're burning yourself out, you're doing too much. So, really trying hard to fill your weeks and your time with the things that you enjoy that because small business ownership exists because you probably wanted more free time, or more autonomy, or more creativity time, or more travel time, or more flexibility. So, don't recreate the exact scenario that you try to get away from.

I want everyone to really hear that because so often we do this, and I hear this from my coaching clients constantly of like, how do I reduce my hours? How do I step away? How do I raise my rates so I don't have to work as much? And it's just important to really have some introspection in this when you're thinking about your processes, and what you want your week and your month to look like.

One thing I do want to hit on before we end is you mentioned how content creation allowed for authenticity and to work through some of that, like, fear, and insecurity, and perfectionism. Can you talk a little bit about that for yourself?

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah. I was a perfectionist, I still I'm sometimes, but it's just a journey, right? Like, just really stepping back and learning who you are. I think it's my best advice into, like, why do you want to be perfect, you know? Like, what's behind that though? What's the underlying factor behind that? Are you scared to fail? Are you scared, like, what are people going to say?

And so, I really want to, like, this is where I'm really going to highlight my own healing journey. When I started social media, when I started private practice, it was around the time where I went back to my therapist who I ghosted at some point. But, you know, I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to really dig into the healing stuff because I was in survival and I would think 40 clients a week. So, you know, we're in a field of serving others, right? And so sometimes as cliché as it sounds, we're serving other people, but are we even serving ourselves?

So, I really worked through that fear and that self-sabotage in really understanding the root of the problem. Like, it took me back to my childhood. And again, like everyone's journey looks different, but I really struggled with people pleasing, I struggled with perfectionism, right? Because of the chaotic environment that I grew up in for most of my life. So, this fear of like, I can't mess up because then that means that I suck, right?

PATRICK CASALE: Right.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: And yeah, like it was really going back to exploring those narratives of exploring the why, the root of the cause, and which allowed me into tapping into my feminine energy. And like really just emphasize that what it also means to who am I when I take off that hat? Because I'm a lot more than a therapist. I'm a human who is still trying to figure shit out, who is still trying to figure relationships, who is still trying to find self-love, and what that means for her. Like, all these other avenues that came from, like, challenging myself and stepping outside of my comfort zone, and really exploring what that life looks like for me. And even exploring like, why you got to keep busy? Why do you always have to have something scheduled Friday, Saturday, Sunday? Right?

So, really leaning into the pockets of like, why is this behavior coming? What's the underlying factor of it? So, yeah, like my own healing work has been a part of all of this social media, getting merch out, like having the opportunity to tap into these new spaces that I thought I never could in the past.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: It's wild to say.

PATRICK CASALE: Do you ever think four or five years from now, well, four or five years ago that you'd be sitting here saying that?

JACQUELINE GARCIA: I mean, where was I at five [INDISCERNIBLE 00:33:101] my life was messy. My life was…. a lot of mess came, you know? I'm proud of it, you know? It is what it is. I accept it. But honestly, like, I knew that I've always wanted to have a private practice. I didn't know it was going to look this way. I didn't know it was going to be this like colorful, and fun, and it really just show up as I am. I knew that I wanted a, you know, because back when I was doing my bachelor's and I took a social work 101 class before even me choosing to go into this field fully, right? I remember one of the speakers was an LCSW. And I was like, oh my gosh, she's so dope. Like, she's a woman. Like, she has a cute outfit on, like, she's dope. Like, I want to go into that too.

And so that's where it sparked that idea. But I never thought that it would be social media. I mean, grateful for social media, grateful for all the social media platforms because if you use it right, it can really provide. Yeah. I'm grateful to be alive in 2023, for sure.

PATRICK CASALE: It's a good message for sure.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: And I like that you own the messiness of life because that is life in a nutshell.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: We can pretend that it's perfect and pretend that it's all, you know, whatever is on social media is. You know, there's never an issue, everything's never a struggle, never a challenge and the behind the scenes is chaos. But in reality, if we can just be honest about our day-to-day, I think that relatability is accessibility. And I also think we attract what we put out into the world too.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely, yeah. Even this conversation, Patrick, right now is really just inspiring, right? To be in this space because before we jumped into this space you shared how you have a lot of projects going on, you know? And I look up to people that have that will, and have that creativity. And I mean, I've always wanted to even think about like, podcasting, right? But that's a cool lot's commitment, you know? So, thank you for inspiring me and just having this conversation. I haven't done a podcast in a while. And every time that I come into a podcast space, it's so neat, it's so cool to just kind of get to know one another and just get to share bits of our story, right? So, thank you, thank you for inspiring me.

PATRICK CASALE: You're very welcome. And what I would say to you, and everyone listening about podcasting, and coaching, and retreats, and private practices, it's just about getting started. It really is about getting out of your own way and just getting started. I know when I wanted to start this podcast, I mean, this November will be two years, we just really stepped episode 99 this week. We have about 55 in the queue that are recorded. Consistency is key, for sure. But like, I shied away from it and held off on it for so long because it was like, I don't know how to do it. But then if I look back at private practice, I didn't know how to do that either. And I think those are the things we tell ourselves to prevent ourselves from trying something new. It's like, "I don't know how to do it. That feels safer than trying and failing."

To all of you listening, if you want to start a podcast, it's honestly quite simple. So, I would really recommend that if you have these goals, these aspirations, and you want to get your message out to the world, there are people who want to hear it. For those of you who are trained in the mental health field, you have so much to offer, you have a message to share, you have your own story that brought you here, and it's really important to try to just get out of your own way by just getting started. And that's the biggest piece of advice I can give.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah. Sometimes that's the struggle though, right? Like, when do I start? When do I start? But once you start, you just figure it out as you go. I think that's with anything in life though, right? Like, I mean, I'm not a parent yet, right? But I'm like, I see my younger… I mean, I'm the only one in the family. I live by myself, but I have Latino family, right? And everyone got kids, and I'm the only one with no kids.

And I have Zoe, I have my pup, right? But I'm like, even parenthood, right? Like, I ain't got no manual for that. And I'm like, where's the manual? Like, where? Because it's beautiful to be a [INDISCERNIBLE 00:38:21], to be an aunt. I'm all for this role. But when it comes to, I think just anything, right? Like podcasting or starting your social media platform, there's going to be a lot happening behind the scenes. Just continue showing up, continue showing up. That's the learning curve. There's going to be a learning curve for anything. Yeah, so.

PATRICK CASALE: That's a great message. I think that's a perfect endpoint for us today. Really, really valuable advice and wisdom. And I really appreciate you coming on and sharing some of your story because I think it's so important to show up, and be authentic, and talk about the struggle, and talk about the growth that happens when it's messy. And I think that the imperfect action of like building the plane as you fly it with anything is really important to try to move into that mindset instead of feeling like I can't get started until I've perfected it. I cannot try it until I've perfected it. And my advice is that it will just never be perfect.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: It will never be perfect no matter how hard you try. And that's okay, and that's okay.

PATRICK CASALE: It's absolutely okay.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely okay and absolutely normal. And I assure you that if you're listening and you're like, "Oh, you're calling me out." You're not the only one that feels that way. And I've been there. I would say I'm a recovering perfectionist, but there's still perfectionistic qualities and tendencies that exist, but just allowing myself to be authentic, and show up, and just talk about the humanness of just entrepreneurialship is, and just going through life. I mean, life is struggling and it's okay to own that. And it's okay to talk about that even if you are a therapist and even if you are a mental health professional.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah. Life will always be lifeing, so, you know, stay on that surfboard, like Beyonce said, surfboard.

PATRICK CASALE: That's right, yeah. That's very true. Jackie, it's been a pleasure having you on. And please tell the audience where they can find you and you know, I know you sell merch, I know you have other offerings, so please share that with the audience, too.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Yeah, you can find me on @therapylux, all my social media platforms. And if you go to my IG, I usually stay pretty active on Instagram. That's like my main platform, social media platform. You'll find my Linktree, and you'll find all my website, if you want to work with me, my merch, if you want to, you know, buy merch, it's definitely… those pieces have been such a healing space for me too. So, a lot of love went behind that, creating that. And yeah, so you can find me there. I can't message you back, you know because of the disclaimers. But if you want to share some words with me, I'll definitely validate you and see you. So, thank you, Patrick, for having me. This was very lovely.

PATRICK CASALE: Thank you so much for making the time and coming on.

JACQUELINE GARCIA: Thank you.

PATRICK CASALE: And to everyone listening to the All Things Private Practice Podcast, new episodes are out every single Saturday on all major platforms. Like, download, subscribe, and share. We'll have all of Jackie's information in the show notes so that you have easy access to find her social media accounts, merch line, and other offerings. Doubt yourself, do it anyway. And we'll see you next week.