Hope Torres EdD, LPC, CCTP-II, C-DBT, C-PD

I am a USAF SSgt(E-5) veteran and prior law enforcement officer. I am married and a mother of amazing children. I use my experiences in life (good and bad) to help each individual along their journey through their therapy process. I am honest and up front, I enjoy getting to know each person , and I like people I work with to know me as a person so they feel understood, seen, and heard. I believe in every person I work with and know they are all capable of walking their path with their head held high and shoulders squared.

Remember….being willing to talk to someone when you are in need is an act of self-love.

People are seen as they are and accept them for their individual struggles. Experiences have allowed me to be very empathetic, compassionate, and accepting of the individual differences in everyone. We can experience something at at any time in life impacting us in many ways. I am about taking the journey with you and walking next to you as you grow and heal.

My journey to mental healthcare

First, I come from a past that was not as healthy in childhood or adolescence. I have experienced traumas growing up that had me feeling depression, anxiety, and more. Through these struggles, there is an understanding of hurt and pain and what those can lead to. In the United States Air Force, I was a flight weather forecaster and volunteered with mental health to present to squadrons about domestic and workplace violence and suicide. After helping two airmen who were suicidal get through their struggles and obtain care, I knew there was more I could do to help others.

While in law enforcement as a patrol officer, my eyes were opened more to the darkness all around and the struggles many people face when they have no one they trust to talk to. I have seen the end result of poor therapy and the end result of someone being too scared to try therapy because of stigma or concern of judgment.

I operated a nonprofit for veterans that law enforcement encounters in an active mental health crisis. I have responded to help the veteran in their immediate crisis and stayed with them until they were calm and talking. Many of them struggled between their sessions and had no one to help them in the immediate struggle. Having operated the nonprofit that worked with veterans in mental health crises drives me more to not lose another person to them not getting the help they need.

Over the years, experiences have helped me to show others they are heard and understood. Many people have struggled with finding therapists that heard them and listened to what they needed. I am motivated to let each person be an individual in my approach as I tailor it to them. I work to change the stigma and negatives held towards mental health treatment and make it something that each person I talk to can embrace and feel safe with.