How To Transform Heartache To Healing

Mayra Vasquez, founder of MINDplexcity, is an inspiring example of how painful personal experiences can shape a meaningful career in therapy. People in the industry often call this phenomenon being a “wounded healer—” being called to help others after experiencing personal pain.

Mayra’s path to becoming a therapist began with the sudden loss of her father. In just a few months, he went from seemingly perfect health to needing a great deal of help due to aggressive cancer. This rapid decline left Mayra and her family in shock. Compounding the pain was the cultural expectation of stoicism for men in Latin America, making it difficult for her father to express his vulnerability. The experience of watching him deteriorate, losing his voice and physical abilities, left an indelible mark on her and her family.

“When I was hit with that loss, in the aftermath of losing my dad, it hit my identity as a woman, a daughter, a wife, and I couldn’t make sense of it,” says Mayra. “Almost a year later, my job went away, and it really hit me hard. I went through a period of reassessing, reevaluating, and feeling like I was getting built back up and getting torn down again. My life certainties went away. If you believe something most of your life, and all of a sudden it’s no longer grounding you, it creates inner confusion and turmoil.”

After he passed, as they grappled with grief, Mayra began to get curious about her family's history. She discovered generational issues that had never been addressed, dating back hundreds of years. She also began to see the cultural, financial, religious, and gender influences that were shaping who she was. In response, Mayra decided to embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

Mayra's transformation was both personal and professional as she sought to understand and embrace all aspects of her identity, even those she had hidden. The loss of her father had shaken her beliefs, revealing that her life had been built on uncertain ground. She realized that her identity was multifaceted and decided to embrace every part of herself.

This exploration led her to the field of mental health. Mayra realized everyone’s identity is multifaceted, and that other communities struggle with the same resistance as her family when it comes to addressing generational trauma and having difficult conversations about mental wellbeing.

Today, as the founder of MINDplexcity, she continues to draw from her personal journey to help others navigate their paths to healing and self-discovery. Mayra's story serves as a reminder that even in the face of profound loss and uncertainty, there is an opportunity for transformation and the emergence of a brighter future.

Can you relate to Mayra’s journey? Learn more about Mayra Vasquez here.