Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Vargas.
Andrea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was about 10 years old, I read about child abuse for the first time, I knew at that very moment I wanted to help children. Whenever I was given the choice to research a topic for school, I chose child psychology. The more I found out, the more I was determined to learn.
In 2002, I obtained my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Florida International University. I also worked at a public elementary school and later for a psychologist. I volunteered tutoring kids in foster homes, mentoring at-risk youth and at a child advocacy center.
I completed my Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling at the University of Miami in 2006 while working for a children’s mental health agency as a case manager. During my practicum, my first case assignment was of a child with behavior issues at school. I decided to set up a “classroom” using puppets in the playroom and we role-played appropriate behaviors. It was fun and very reminiscent of my own pretend play as a child. For me, it made more sense to use play to help him learn new behaviors instead of just talking to him. It worked, he began doing better in school and he enjoyed coming to see me. My supervisor told me that what I was doing was called “Play Therapy”. I was delighted to hear that something that came so naturally to me was something I could use in my work to help children. She encouraged me to pursue it further and I did.
Once I graduated, I transferred over to a therapist position at the mental health agency, providing in-home and school-based counseling services to children. For six years, I worked in a variety of grants and programs like intensive therapy in home and in school, therapy specific to recently immigrated student in Spanish, crisis intervention and ran substance abuse prevention groups in the community. I worked with so many wonderful children and their families, got to know their stories and did my best to learn healthier ways of coping. It was at that agency that I also began my training in Play Therapy. I was a “mobile” therapist and the trunk of my car was where I kept all of my play therapy supplies, board games, puppets, arts and crafts materials and my little portable dollhouse. One of my goals was to have my own office and have a comfortable play therapy space to offer my clients. In 2012, I officially opened my private practice in Weston, Florida. It was the best decision I ever made! I recently moved offices to have even more space to accommodate more play therapy materials; my sand tray and the sand tray miniatures. I am now able to offer my services to families in a way that I have always dreamed of.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Looking back, I believe that everything needed to happen the way it did. I think when you are presented with obstacles that you overcome, you appreciate success more. Pursuing my passion, getting my degree, find the work experience was relatively easy. My journey to where I am currently in private practice has had some twists and turns. I always had a vision of the private practice office I wanted to have. When I was ready to take the leap into private practice and leave the community mental health world, I definitely hit some bumps. I needed office space and some guidance while being independent. I didn’t find anything that felt right for me while I lived in Miami. My personal life took precedence and I got married and moved to Broward. My husband being my biggest supporter encouraged me to try out private practice again. While I worked briefly for another community mental health agency, I went on my search and found a few leads. Ultimately I decided to join an established group practice as an independent contractor. The owners Monica Arroyo, LCSW and Shawnda Burns LMHC at West Broward Counseling Center are so amazing, they mentored me and helped me jump start my practice. In less than a year, I made it my full-time job and left the agency. I was comfortable for a while, the in-house referrals, my Psychology Today, listing and the insurance panels referrals kept me full. I became a mom and finding the time to work on marketing or networking was hard. Social media for business marketing was becoming a thing and this became my way to network and learn about marketing. I met other professionals in the field that inspired me and my goals for my career began to change. I wanted to be home more with my little ones and needed to make so changes to my practice. I wanted to focus on finishing my play therapy certification. I fell in love with sand tray therapy (a specific play therapy technique), I realized I would eventually need more office space for the sand tray materials needed. Coincidently, I met Libby Andress LCSW, now a colleague and friend, and she mentioned office space availability in the area. My hubby, again, nudged me and I went for it. I signed the lease and was ready to move in. Unfortunately, life threw me a big curve ball I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I moved into the new office anyway but scaled back and limited myself to a manageable part-time caseload. For about six months, while I tried to focus on my treatment and healing, I was forced to sit out on a lot of networking, trainings and marketing opportunities. I even had a few other health issues and personal things come up after I was done with treatment but I have finally got into a good groove. I am feeling great now and I am so excited to finally have the energy to able to focus on my career and goals again.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in child and adolescent counseling and attachment-based trauma. For over 10 years, I have helped hundreds of children learn healthier coping strategies to deal with their behavior, anxiety, depression and challenges in their lives. My practice is located in Weston, Florida and I served children of all ages, teens and college students. I am the only Child Therapist in West Broward certified as a Play Therapist. I help children heal and develop healthier ways of thinking, behaving and coping using therapeutic play. I also help families learn to express their emotions, problem-solve, and communicate better using playful interventions. I help teenagers develop better-coping skills to overcome difficult life situations, improve their self-esteem, manage stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety. I give parents the insight, feedback, and tools they needed to better support, communicate and reconnect with their child. I offer FirstPlay, a developmental play-based program tailored for infants ages 0-2 and their caregivers seeking to strengthen their bond. Lastly, I provide college students (ages 18-21) therapeutic support throughout the process of adjusting to college life and the transition into “adulting”. I offer video counseling to students across the state of Florida and for busy parents. I am bi-lingual and offer therapy in English and Spanish. I am also a Qualified Supervisor for Mental Health Counselor Interns and as a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, I help clinicians that work with children become credentialed as Play Therapists. I am an advocate for enhancing connection with children through play.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Wow! If you had asked me that question a year ago, I would have given a completely different answer. This past year has one of the most challenging, today I can respond by saying yes, I am extremely lucky. I am lucky to be alive, healthy and to have family and friends that truly care about me. I am lucky to have a passion that I can call my career. I feel so honored and privileged to offer my space to children and families where they can feel comfortable and work on healing.
I am lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from my experiences, including mistakes and continue to work towards new goals. I am lucky to have met all the people throughout my life and my career path. Each person I have met has in some way impacted my life, whether they challenged, supported me, or connected me to someone else. Lately, I have been reflecting a lot about life and my purpose in life. Over the past year, I have been tested in so many ways, I am truly stronger because of it. I am more confident that I can deal with whatever comes my way in my life and in my business.
Contact Info:
- Address: Andrea Vargas LMHC
2625 Weston Road
Weston, FL 33331 - Website: https://andreavargaslmhc.com/
- Phone: 954 660-3548
- Email: andrea@andreavargaslmhc.com
- Instagram: @instagram/andreavargaslmhc.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreavargaslmhc/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-vargas-22798547
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