Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabiana Martin.
fabiana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I finished high school there, but because of the political and economic situation in the country, I made the difficult decision to leave when I was only 17 years old.
Leaving Venezuela was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I left behind my parents, my sister, my friends, my entire family, and everything I had ever known. I truly did not want to leave, but at that time there were very limited opportunities for me to continue my education and build the future I dreamed of.
So, at 17 years old, I came to Miami with one goal: to graduate and create a better future for myself, always holding onto the hope that one day I could go back home.
When I first arrived, I barely spoke English. I started attending free English classes at night in local high schools. Later, I enrolled at Broward Community College, where I continued studying English while trying to adapt to a completely new country and culture.
To support myself, I worked many different jobs. I was a clown at children’s parties, did face painting, babysat, decorated malls during the holidays, and even worked at the college library to help pay for tuition. I was willing to do whatever it took to keep moving forward.
I remember failing Reading and English 101 because one of my professors told me my English was terrible. That moment crushed me emotionally because I had never failed a class in my life. I felt embarrassed and defeated. But instead of giving up, I kept trying.
Originally, I wanted to become a pediatric oncologist. In fact, I volunteered every Friday for four years at Miami Children’s Hospital in the oncology unit. That experience deeply impacted me and reinforced my passion for helping children and families during some of the hardest moments of their lives.
However, I realized that pursuing medicine in the United States would require many more years of school and financial resources I simply did not have at the time. So I decided to apply to Physical Therapy school instead. My GPA was a 3.498, and I needed a 3.5 to get accepted. I missed it by the smallest margin and was denied admission.
That was another painful moment in my journey. But someone told me about Occupational Therapy. At the time, I honestly had no idea what Occupational Therapy even was, but I decided to give it a chance — and it ended up changing my life.
I completed my undergraduate degree and then went on to complete my Master’s degree as well. In 2011, I graduated, and in 2012, I passed my boards and began working in a pediatric clinic.
Over the years, I worked in many clinics and schools, and I also became certified in hippotherapy in North Carolina, which allowed me to open my own horse therapy program on weekends while continuing to work full-time in clinics during the week.
Around that same time, Instagram started becoming popular, and I created a page called Fabitherapy simply as a hobby and a creative outlet. I never imagined what it would eventually become.
Little by little, families started finding me through Instagram and reaching out for help. I began seeing children on the side after clinic hours, traveling to homes and schools, sometimes driving very far distances for very little money. Honestly, many times it didn’t even make financial sense, but I knew I had to start somewhere, and I genuinely loved helping these families.
Then the pandemic happened.
Those were some of the hardest years of my life professionally and personally. I suddenly had to transition to teletherapy, working 12 to 14 hours a day in front of a computer, trying my best to keep children with autism, ADHD, and Down syndrome engaged through a screen. It was incredibly exhausting and emotionally draining. At that time, my husband worked in boat sales, and because of the pandemic, business completely stopped, so our family depended entirely on my income.
At the same time, my employer started paying me late. I remember begging to receive my paycheck, and sometimes the checks would even bounce because there were insufficient funds. It was a very scary and unstable time.
Eventually, I made one of the most terrifying decisions of my life: I quit.
I had no savings, no security, and no guarantee that things would work out. But deep inside, I knew I had to trust myself.
And slowly, things began to grow.
Fabitherapy started expanding organically. More families reached out. More opportunities appeared. I continued working extremely hard, but this time I was building something that truly felt aligned with my purpose.
Today, I am not only an occupational therapist and business owner, but also a mother myself, which has given me an even deeper understanding of the families I serve. I now give webinars, workshops, and talks for parents, teachers, and schools because my mission is to help people understand children through a different lens — especially children who struggle with regulation, sensory processing, attention, or behavior.
I also created a children’s YouTube channel called @fabikids and a Spanish educational platform for parents called @fabitherapy.
Looking back, my journey has been filled with uncertainty, sacrifice, rejection, fear, and resilience. But every obstacle taught me something important. Every difficult moment pushed me to grow stronger.
And today, I can honestly say that I truly love what I do.
That is my story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have faced some incredibly difficult challenges throughout my journey.
First, I came to the United States completely alone at 17 years old. I cried all the time. Even today, I still remember saying goodbye at the airport, hugging my parents and the boyfriend I had at that time, not knowing when I would see them again. That moment stayed with me forever.
Then came the language barrier. I barely spoke English and did not know anyone here. I remember when Hurricane Katrina hit Miami — I was without power for an entire week, completely alone, and all I wanted was my mom. I missed so many Mother’s Days, birthdays, family reunions, and special moments. It was very lonely.
Sometimes I feel like I did not really live my teenage years the way many of my friends did. While they were going to clubs in Venezuela, traveling to the beach with friends, and simply enjoying life at 17, I was working, studying, and trying my best to build a future. My entire focus was finishing school so that one day I could hopefully go back to Venezuela.
Then, in 2011 and again in 2014, I underwent two back surgeries after injuring my back during clinical rotations at a nursing home while lifting patients. Later, I was diagnosed with arthritis and had another surgery at the University of Miami. Today, I have rods in my back.
That experience changed my life in many ways. Eventually, I had to stop doing horse therapy because I could barely stand for more than 20 minutes before my back pain became unbearable.
Emotionally, it was extremely difficult. In 2014, I was only 28 years old — young, energetic, full of dreams — and suddenly I felt physically limited. I remember sitting on a stationary bike with back support at the gym, watching older women lifting weights, thinking to myself, “Why me?”
I wanted to wear heels, go out dancing, stay out late, travel freely, and enjoy life without constantly thinking about my pain. But everything became conditional based on my back. Disney? Probably not. Concerts? Only if there were chairs. Even simple things became difficult.
At one point, I became depressed. I felt like I had missed my teenage years, and then just when I finally wanted to enjoy my late twenties, I felt limited again.
But ironically, that difficult season transformed me spiritually.
I started going to spiritual retreats because I was having panic attacks, and during that process I became incredibly close to God. I realized I had two choices in life: I could live with gratitude, or I could live with constant complaints.
So I began reading books by Joe Dispenza, A Course in Miracles, and other spiritual teachings that completely changed my perspective on life. My relationship with God deepened, and that pain ultimately brought me peace, faith, and purpose.
I think loneliness was one of the hardest things I ever experienced — feeling alone in a new country, not speaking the language, driving everywhere feeling lost all the time.
I remember one day my old car broke down in the middle of I-95 during the summer. A police officer stopped to help me, and because my English was still so limited, I tried explaining that my car had overheated by saying, while crying, “The car is hot.” It was South Florida in the middle of summer, so he kindly invited me into his police car to sit in the air conditioning and drink water while waiting for roadside assistance.
Then he explained to me how to get home, and honestly, I did not understand a single word he was saying — but I pretended I did because I was embarrassed. I have so many stories like that from those years navigating the language barrier.
Even during my Master’s program, my thesis was returned to me 54 times before I was finally able to present it at NOVA. One professor told me that I wrote English the same way I spoke Spanish. Back then there was no ChatGPT or AI support. I spent countless hours at the university writing lab getting help from tutors until I finally passed.
Then came the board exam — 400 questions, one minute per question, long clinical case scenarios, enormous pressure — all in my second language. But thankfully, I passed on my first attempt.
Then the pandemic came, which brought another very difficult season in my life. But in many ways, it was also the moment that pushed me to take the biggest risk of my career: leaving everything behind and starting on my own, despite having no savings and no security at all.
We’ve been impressed with Legal Name Martin Therapy Group DBA FABITHERAPY, 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?
Fabitherapy was created from both my personal journey and my professional experience as a pediatric occupational therapist. What started as a small passion project on Instagram eventually grew into a platform that now supports thousands of families, therapists, and educators.
At the core of my work is one simple belief: behavior is communication. Many children are misunderstood, labeled, or disciplined for behaviors that are actually rooted in sensory, emotional, developmental, or regulation challenges. My mission is to help parents, teachers, and professionals understand children through a different lens — with more compassion, connection, and awareness.
I specialize in pediatric occupational therapy with a strong focus on sensory processing, emotional regulation, behavior, autism, ADHD, developmental delays, and parent education. Over the years, I have worked in clinics, homes, schools, teletherapy, and even hippotherapy settings, which has given me a very holistic perspective on child development and family dynamics.
What truly sets my brand apart is that I do not only focus on the child — I focus on the entire family system, especially the mother. As both a therapist and a mother myself, I deeply understand the emotional overwhelm many parents carry. Through Fabitherapy, I try to bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and real-life parenting in a way that feels practical, compassionate, and human.
I am especially proud of the community and trust that has been built organically over the years. Families often tell me they finally feel seen, understood, and less alone after hearing my content. That means more to me than anything else.
Beyond therapy services, I now provide webinars, workshops, speaking engagements, educational content, and online resources for parents, educators, and therapists. I also created two YouTube platforms — @fabikids for children and @fabitherapy in Spanish for parents and caregivers.
Everything I create is rooted in my own story of resilience, faith, sacrifice, and purpose. I know what it feels like to struggle, to feel alone, and to rebuild from uncertainty. Because of that, I approach my work with a level of empathy and authenticity that people genuinely connect with.
More than anything, I want people to know that Fabitherapy is not just a business — it is a mission to help children and families feel understood, supported, and empowered.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I feel like I have lived through two very different phases of life: the version of me in Venezuela, and the version of me in the United States.
Growing up in Venezuela, life was loud, warm, and deeply family-oriented. My mom has 13 siblings, so I grew up surrounded by cousins, aunts, uncles, birthday parties, reunions, trips, and constant togetherness. There was always people around, always laughter, always connection. Family was everything.
Then I moved to the United States at 17 years old, and life became the complete opposite. It was lonely at times, and that experience changed me deeply. It forced me to grow up very quickly, become independent, and appreciate things in a completely different way.
Personality-wise, I have always been very driven and centered. I am the type of person who knows what she wants and goes after it. I do not give up easily. If I start something, I feel the need to finish it no matter how hard it gets. I think resilience has always been a big part of who I am.
At the same time, I have always been very sensitive, empathetic, and connected to people emotionally, which is probably why I was naturally drawn to working with children and families.
I love learning, reading, educating others, spending time with my family, and going to the beach because it gives me peace and helps me reconnect with myself. I also love meaningful conversations, spirituality, and personal growth.
Looking back, I think my experiences taught me to value connection, gratitude, resilience, and purpose more than anything else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fabitherapy.com
- Instagram: Instagram: @fabitherapy https://www.instagram.com/fabitherapy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Fabitherapy YouTube (Kids): @fabikids
