Today, we’d like to introduce you to Asia Rodriquez.
Hi Asia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your back story.
Growing up in a military family, moving every year of my childhood, I was exposed to so many different cultures, environments and people. I was always so intrigued by the major differences every time I moved to a new city or country, from behaviors and mannerisms to accents and mindsets. In second grade, during career day, after the psychologist spoke, I decided that I wanted to be a psychologist when I grew up. My reason? Because you can make money listening to people talk about their problems all day?! Sign me up!
As I grew older and explored other career paths and actually learned about what the field of psychology is and the different routes you can take, I realized, wait a minute – I really do want to be a psychologist. While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I began to recognize the impact that severe mental illness and trauma had on my own family. I was drawn to working specifically with domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors and worked in a variety of settings serving this population before I decided to pursue the route to become a therapist. Once I became a therapist, I was quickly faced with the dilemma of working with populations I was passionate about working with while working in burnout-ridden environments and with low pay.
Two years into working in my dream career, I was considering not being a therapist anymore because of the unrealistic expectations of seeing an absurd number of clients every single day. I knew that I always wanted to eventually have my own practice and make my own rules but thought that it would be years down the line. Once faced with the harsh realities of burnout, I began to rethink my strategy and start building a super part-time private practice. In 2019, I started Zola Counseling Solutions as a way of continuing to do what I love but in a way that made sense for me and prevented me from burning out so I could continue to be an effective clinician and still be able to take care of myself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say I’m blessed that there have been a lot of ‘smooth’ seasons to balance out some of the chaotic seasons that come with running a business while perfecting your craft. I describe entrepreneurship as constantly putting out little fires.
There’s literally always something that needs to be done, a problem that needs to be fixed, and a never-ending to-do list. Some of the biggest challenges I’ve had as a therapist running a private practice are insurance payments being delayed but payroll still being due, wanting to provide quality benefits to employees while still growing a business, finding the most efficient and automated way to run my business, all while being sure to prioritize my own health and wellness.
We’ve been impressed with Zola Counseling Solutions, PLLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a small group therapy private practice that specializes in working with people of color between the ages of 20-40 who are going to therapy for the first time. We work with survivors of childhood trauma, domestic violence and sexual abuse, anxiety, stress management, imposter syndrome, and adjustment to life transitions. 98.6 percent of our clients identify as Black, Caribbean or African.
Our clients tend to be people of color who have relocated to DC, MD, or VA for professional opportunities and who may be thriving in their careers but having challenges within their interpersonal relationships. While our office is located in Silver Spring, we serve all of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. We also offer clinical supervision to provisionally licensed therapists and internships to high school and undergraduate students interested in entrepreneurship or mental health counseling.
What were you like growing up?
I was the quiet kid who always had a book nearby. Moving every year of my childhood, I was always the new kid at school and was quiet in the corner until I got comfortable with my new surroundings. Once I got to know you, I was pretty rambunctious, though.
My mom is a very introverted homebody, so I spent lots of time at home in our quiet space, in my own world. I loved Bratz dolls, reading, playing Sims on the computer, and pretending I was a teenager before I was a teenager! I grew up as an only child for the most part, despite having a big, blended family. I loved learning and trying new things.
Pricing:
- Individual Psychotherapy – up to $160/hr
- Clinical Supervision – $55-$75/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zola-counseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zola.counselingdmv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zolacounselingdmv/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zolacounselingdmv/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfWJ1d8d5xBuZOMGNahJ7Kg
Image Credits
Teisha J Photography
