Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena “Lory” Toledo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lorena. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2008, a professor at Miami- Dade College- MDC mentioned that MDC had a program called service-learning and he would like for some of his students to participate. Since I’ve always enjoyed volunteering my free time to help out in the community, I quickly raised my hand. After looking over a big list of different agencies, I chose “Victim Services (aka Trauma Resolution Center- TRC). I quickly fell in love with the mission/ vision of the agency and knew that I wanted a future at TRC. I volunteered for two years until the office manager called and told me that there was a position that he would like for me to apply. I left my teaching position at a private school and I was hired as the Receptionist/ Administrative Assistant. During this time, I participated in the TIR -Traumatic Incident Reduction workshop and it changed my life. I became a facilitator (clinician) to work towards my certification hours as a part-time. The feeling that I received after providing a safe place for someone to process their traumatic incidents and watch them complete that process and feel better is indescribable. This motivated me to get more involved in the agency and in the clinical setting. After completing my eight clients, I started to conduct intakes and psycho-educational groups at the three locations we had. Two years later, I became the program coordinator which exposed me to the administrative side of the agency and my relationship with the founder and former Executive Director started to grow close. She quickly became my mentor. In 2014, I became the Administrative Director and I really fell in love with the business aspect. If you were to ask anyone to describe my top qualities at this time, they would say “Passionate, Thick-Skinned and Humility”. In 2017, the former Executive Director happily retired and I was hired as the Executive Director by the Board of Directors. In the short time that I’ve been ED, I’ve expanded our program, funding and the agency has established new partnerships within the community. I’m looking forward to the future of TRC with my team.
“The mission of the TRC is to provide relief from traumatic and accumulated stress.” The main services of the agency include client-centered, individual trauma-specific treatment and psycho-educational groups. Our holistic services include Eastern practices such as breathwork, yoga, and meditation, as well as medical services, acupuncture, massage, and advocacy. We also provide court evaluations and expert testimony for refugees and victims of violence. Community Resiliency programming includes training trainers in the community on simple, but powerful stress relief techniques. School-based programming includes the Yoga Ed curriculum, individual treatment, tutoring, art, and service projects. We provide training in our agency model to other agencies, healers and mental health professionals. In supportive housing and residential settings for youth, we provide trauma-informed psychosocial rehabilitation.” (2008 mission statement)
Has it been a smooth road?
I think if you ask this question to any businesswoman, they will quickly tell you “hell no”, there is no secret to success. There is this quote from Jim Rohn that I have in my bathroom mirror that says, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.” I’ve chosen to run my days! Sometimes running can be exhausting but you have to keep that momentum in the non-profit world.
Since I work in the non-profit sector, the fear of not having a job or a paycheck when the grants expired was always stressful. Back in 2014, the former management team at TRC met with a group of us and told us that TRC lost several grants and they will be letting go of some people. You can only imagine the chaos that this meeting created with the staff. Everyone was stressed and worried, basically “fighting” to keep their positions. After this day, I learned to always have a back-up plan and of course a savings account.
This is when I promised myself that if I was ever in their position, no one in my team will need to fear this happening to them. I’m happy to say, that under my leadership, my staff has been paid in a timely manner and our meetings are about expanding our program.
I’ve had to also put up with rude comments throughout my career, if it wasn’t because of my age (I became CEO at 29), it was because I “climbed to the top” to quick or some people felt that I was not qualified to be the CEO of TRC.
Needless to say, the agency has doubled in clients, clinicians, funding and community partners than ever before, so I would say I am pretty qualified. Mic- drop
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As the CEO of the Trauma Resolution Center- TRC, I oversee all administrative functions and programs. I excel in developing, translating and aligning strategy with the organization’s vision and goals… building internal/external coalitions and consensus at all levels … driving transformational change resulting in financial and operational growth. Using these skills to implement growth, teamwork, and positive communication within the agency to provide our clients with top-notch services.
TRC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization is best known for helping people of all nationalities and ages suffering from diverse trauma recover fully from their experiences and lead lives without traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. We have helped at-risk kids recover from their trauma and find their inner strengths. We have helped people in Drug Dependency resolve long-term patterns and lead healthy lives. We have helped veterans, human trafficking victims, torture victims and everyone in between to find peace in their lives.
Our holistic services have proven to be very effective in helping people integrate traumatic memory and assist the body in longer-term healing.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Unfortunately, yes.
I wished our world would not need any Trauma-specific treatments, but if you go through one I highly recommend a trauma-informed- client center like TRC. Before I go any further I would like to go into what is trauma?
Trauma is an actual or perceived threat of danger/loss or event and overwhelms a person’s usual coping ability. Trauma varies from person to person. Trauma can occur in a few ways, one single event, series of events, long term, sudden and unpredictable experiences, traumas that recur or are thought likely to recur, traumas that occur in early years before the personality is fully integrated. As you can see, trauma can happen to anyone.
The counseling process is, in many ways, like an educational experience. You not only learn more about yourself but also acquire new skills. Sometimes, counseling involves learning more about a particular condition (e.g., depression, anxiety, eating disorders) by which a person might be affected, so that he/she can better understand treatment options. Our goal at TRC is for our client “To become a renewed and enhanced ‘you’ – no longer a victim or survivor. The negative energy of the trauma is transformed into new energy for life”.
Pricing:
- Self- Pay sliding scale $ 60- $150
Contact Info:
- Address: 4343 West Flagler St #503
Coral Gables, FL 33134 - Website: https://www.traumaresolutioncenter.net/
- Phone: 305-374-9990
- Email: info@thetrcenter.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Trauma-Resolution-Center-TRC-156156051865257/
Image Credit:
Makeup- Darsys Makeup & Hair; Photos by: Studiobylala
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