Today we’d like to introduce you to Marianne Cortes.
Marianne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Following my natural interests and being led by certain experiences have directed me towards a career as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and eventually seek to establish my private practice for psychotherapy. In general, I’ve always loved to hear stories of resiliency and was fascinated by topics of motivation, behavior, human potential and personal development since as far back as I can remember. When I got to college, I chose to study psychology because the coursework interested me and I had been exposed in high school through a class but for some reason at the time my impression was that I wasn’t going to get much practical use of a psychology degree, so my expectations were set low. I just wanted to study, graduate, and be out (of college) as quickly as possible. Once I was approaching graduation, I started considering graduate school but hadn’t considered becoming a therapist. At the time, I was doing well in school and had a great job within the university yet my personal life was going through some rough moments. On my college transcripts and at work, I appeared responsible, hard working and dedicated. Yet, in my personal life, I was making a lot of poor choices. Eventually, I met some counselors and therapists and it was like a lightbulb went off in my head and I decided to seek a master’s degree in mental health counseling.
Fast forward a few short months after graduation and I’m feeling confident and going into what I thought would be an amazing interview with the graduate admissions board for the master’s degree program I had applied to. At the interview, I was unexpectedly faced with needing to elaborate on the answers I had provided on my graduate school application. At 22, I had already been arrested twice for driving under the influence and one of my cases was still open in court when I applied. I was a walking contradiction. I ended up needing to unwillingly postpone my studies. I used that time to focus on some personal mind-body detoxing and continue the personal growth journey that had woken up at 21 after my first incident. I went to therapy, sat through a lot of court mandated requirements, and just surrendered to the lessons Life was trying to teach me at that time about uncertainty, trust, humility and gratitude —lessons my 22 year ego needed to experience.
I entered my graduate studies in mental health counseling in 2007 with the perspective that for reasons beyond my understanding, Life had been gracious towards me and I didn’t want to take any moment or opportunity for granted. Since graduating, I’ve been involved with different types of non-profit settings as a therapist and in supervisory roles for programs that serve the mental health needs of children and teens. I’ve also been involved with non-profit program development and have a passion for supporting work that seeks to improve the economic, health, and educational opportunities for underserved communities, especially as it impacts children and families.
I’ve been in private practice since 2013 where I exclusively focus on individual work with adults –which is a nice balance to my non-profit involvement with youth. Mindfulness plays a big part in how I take care of myself and I find the clinical evidence on the benefits of mindfulness and meditation to be impressive. Introducing my clients to mindfulness skills for everyday stress and change has become foundational to my work with adults in private practice and the skills I try to teach young kids and teens.
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?
I currently oversee mental health services for a migrant youth program at a non-profit, maintain my growing private practice and am the mother of two young and energetic boys, all of which make for an interesting challenge that is hardly ever ‘smooth’! However, I can’t deny that I’ve had what I consider great opportunities and a lot of social support since day one which helps tremendously.
In general for most beginning businesses, decision making as it relates to time and resources is something that is not always easy to navigate. I’ve had to be very judicious about the systems, pieces of training or programs I want to invest in to grow. Consulting and staying connected to other professionals and business communities has helped me. Business development is ongoing, and there is always something new to learn. Sometimes it can be a feel like an overwhelm of information. Staying committed to my self-care is also not always easy, but it’s a very important piece that I’m committed to. It’s the only way I can show up effectively and have a buffer on the stress that comes along with the different roles I have.
I’d say the toughest struggles related to my work has mostly been in the non-profit world where funding for awesome programs was either scarce or provided by managed care companies where I needed to advocate and challenge systems that I felt were not aligned with my values and ethics as a professional.
Other than that, I try to take things one day at a time and with the understanding that challenges are inevitable from time to time, change is constant, and you have to stay open to learn and adapt.
Tell us more about your practice.
Silver Tree Therapy is my solo private practice. I provide individual psychotherapy for adults, supervision for Florida registered mental health interns and offer private workshops on mindfulness skills for stress management and building relationships.
I understand the busy pace Miami can have and the value of convenience. I offer Saturday availability when possible and remote or teletherapy for Florida residents who are unable to attend the office in Coral Gables.
I specialize in working with adults who are experiencing difficulty with personal relationships: unhappy with relationship patterns of co-dependency, issues with emotional intimacy or whose childhood trauma or abuse has impacted how they relate and attach as adults. I also specialize in helping burnout professionals whose stress has begun to affect their emotional or physical health.
I’m a natural helper, resourceful, and put heart into my work. At the same time, I’m also realistic so if someone’s concerns would be better addressed by considering other complementary or specialized providers, I try to help by educating on the existing options for their concern. I believe people deserve to feel well and be informed of choices. Time and presence go a long way, even if I only shared a brief consult with someone, I’ve received a generous amount of word of mouth referrals from those individuals which is something that makes me feel both proud and grateful.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t attribute luck to describe my experiences in life or business.I think you can make your own “luck”. I think using the word luck can undermine hard work or make it seem like we’re a victim of circumstances (in the example of bad luck). What I do know is that being genuinely kind to others, practicing gratitude and trying to be clear on what I want keeps my ‘vibe’ high, and things tend to work out favorably that way. Also, whenever something doesn’t work out or things seem to be falling apart, there is always an opportunity there to expand or learn. There’s always a silver lining–even if it’s just a sliver. We just have to pay attention.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4601 Ponce de Leon Blvd Suite 260
- Website: www.silvertreemiami.com
- Phone: 305-440-1331
- Email: marianne@silvertreemiami.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonbloomed/
Image Credit:
Eva Hart photography
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