Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Garcia.
Hi Carlos, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My parents fled Cuba as political refugees and immigrated to the US when I was two years old. My parents worked hard to give my brother and I opportunities that we would not have otherwise had back in Cuba. I had a good childhood and was always surrounded by family and friends. I did well in school until my senior year of high school, when I just lost interest and felt disengaged. As a result, as most of my friends were applying to colleges or preparing for jobs, I was feeling lost. I decided to join the military because I didn’t think I was “college material.” I also wanted to join the military in order to serve the country that had my provided my family and I with freedom and opportunity.
I served proudly in the US Marine Corps for six years. After being honorably discharged and motivated by the bravery of the first responders in 9/11, I became a firefighter and paramedic. I absolutely loved what I was doing and the fact that I was able to help people every day. However, after seven years on the fire department, I started to feel unfulfilled and realized I wasn’t truly pursuing my dreams. I had always wanted to be a motivational speaker and help people in a different way. I decided to walk away from my career and go back to school to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. A few years after graduating I decided I wanted to work for myself and started my own private practice. I now get to help people overcome who deal emotional/psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. In the last year, I have begun to focus most of my time on public speaking and starting my journey toward becoming that motivational speaker.
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?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. On the contrary, it has been an extremely difficult road. There has been detours and obstacles. There has been many failures and disappointments. There has been plenty of pain and tears. One of my initial struggles was dealing with low self-esteem and low confidence. I was often riddled with self-doubt and just had a hard time believing in myself. Another big challenge for me has been my struggle with anxiety and depression. Life is already hard for most of us. It’s harder when you decide to face the challenges of pursuing your dreams. And it’s even harder when you have to deal with emotional and psychological issues on top of it all. But looking back, I wouldn’t change any of it. I have learned to embrace every one of these struggles. They have made me who I am today. My struggles are what have me so resilient and fearless.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tampa Counseling and Wellness?
In addition, to be a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, I’m also the owner of Tampa Counseling and Wellness (TCW), a private psychology practice in Tampa Bay. We provide counseling and therapy to individuals looking to positively transform their lives. We help our clients unleash their full potential through compassionate counseling and high-performance coaching. We specialize in many areas, including depression, anxiety, and relationship issues, as well as coaching for motivation and self-esteem issues. We also provide services such as psychological evaluations, biofeedback, and career counseling. We work with adults, adolescents and couples.
I personally specialize in working with military veterans and first responders as I’m able to pull from my own past experiences as a Marine and firefighter to help these individuals. We are currently expanding our practice to begin providing other services such as nutrition and wellness coaching, acupuncture, massage therapy, and other services that will focus on holistic health and healing. The vision for TCW is to be the number one provider of psychological and health services in the Tampa Bay area in order to help our clients live better, healthier and more empowered lives. I am very proud of our brand and reputation. We aim to always lead from a place of empathy and compassion. We are also very dedicated to giving back to our community through charitable donations and speaking out against the stigma of mental health.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking is vital. Whenever I’m asked to give my number one strategy for growing a successful business, I say it’s becoming a great networker. For me, networking is about building and fostering long-term business relationships. Networking allows you to build a strong personal brand and reputation. I believe that ultimately, people do business with you because they trust you and like how you make them feel, not because of the particular service or product you provide. It’s all about relationships. It’s also important to surround yourself with the right people. Mentors can help propel you and your business to the next level. They can keep you focus on your goals, help you stay motivated, and be a great source of accountability. Reach out to people you respect and ask them to be your mentor. More often than not, they feel honored by your request and are willing to help in any way they can.
Contact Info:
- Email: carlos@tampacw.com
- Website: www.tampacw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life_doc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifedoc1
Image Credits
Jennifer Alonso Photography
