How One Therapist Built a Cultural Bridge: Lessons from Tucson Therapy and Consultation

Most therapists don’t come from business or technology backgrounds and this can be a challenge to starting a private practice. Some of the most compelling stories come from practitioners who identify deep, personal needs in their communities and build solutions from the ground up. In this piece, we explore how Rosario transformed her experience as both a parent and practitioner into Tucson Therapy and Consultation, a practice bridging critical gaps in mental healthcare accessibility.

An Unexpected Path to Counseling

When Rosario’s son was diagnosed with autism at 15 months old, she wasn't thinking about becoming a counselor – she was thinking about being the best possible advocate for her child. At the time, she was a K-5 teacher with a master's degree, on track toward her dream of becoming a university professor.

"I knew that as a teacher I would be able to provide him with a lot of the pieces of the education," Rosario recalls. "However, I felt that I needed to be able to do more for him." This pivotal moment led her back to school to become a licensed professional counselor, a decision that would eventually shape her unique approach to mental healthcare delivery.

Building Deep Domain Expertise

What followed was two decades of immersion in every aspect of developmental and mental health services. Rosario worked across multiple counties, collaborated with specialists from geneticists to neurologists, and developed expertise in supporting families dealing with rare conditions. "I learned a lot from the doctors, the geneticists, the developmental pediatricians, the neurologists, the GI doctors," she explains. "I can now provide that as a resource to parents.”

Her most valuable insight came from identifying a critical gap in the market: the need for culturally competent, bilingual mental health services.

The Cultural Complexity of Mental Healthcare

Rosario's background as a Peruvian immigrant who arrived in the U.S. at age five gave her unique insight into the layered challenges facing Latino communities seeking mental health support. She identifies several key barriers:

1. Identity and Acculturation Challenges: "If you're an immigrant that has immigrated to the United States at a very young age, you're able to acculturate and kind of go back and forth. But some of the issues you may have are forgetting your roots, who you are, where you come from."
2. Language and Cultural Disconnects: Many first-generation Americans lose connection with their parents' language and culture, leading to identity crises particularly during adolescence.
3. Traditional Beliefs and Stigma: "In South America, if a child is born with a disability, you in the past have tended to hide them... Part of it is feeling shame as if I did something wrong."
4. Complex Religious and Cultural Practices: Many clients navigate multiple belief systems, from Catholicism to traditional healing practices, requiring a nuanced approach to treatment.

The 20-Year Runway to Launch

Unlike many founders who rush to market, Rosario took a deliberately measured approach to launching her private practice. "I think I was just waiting for the right moment," she explains. Now that her son is 21 and semi-independent, she’s ready to "pick up where I left off" at age 26.

This patience proved to be a strategic advantage, allowing her to develop:

• Deep expertise across multiple conditions and treatment approaches
• Strong relationships with medical professionals and community organizations
• Intimate understanding of the challenges facing both English and Spanish-speaking families
• Maturity and resilience necessary for entrepreneurship

Key Lessons for Starting a Private Practice

Rosario offers several counter-intuitive insights for others considering similar ventures:

1. Question Your Timing: "It may not get done very fast. It may take a couple of months. It may take a decade or two for me, and that's okay."
2. Build Your Risk Tolerance: "Being able to take the risk, knowing that, hey, this could be the best thing or this could not be the best thing."
3. Plan for the Unknown: "Yes, you can work off a checklist or a task list, but there are certain things that come in life you're not going to plan ahead for."
4. Always Have a Plan B: "If you're a very anxious person, have plan B."

Looking Ahead: The Future of Culturally Competent Care

As Tucson Therapy and Consultation grows, Rosario remains focused on addressing the complex mental health needs of her community. Her father's advice continues to guide her approach: "You need to be hungry to go get things and have ambition and a vision of what it is that you want to do."

For therapists looking to start the private practice journey, Rosario’s experience offers a powerful lesson: sometimes the longest path to launching a venture can be the most direct route to solving complex community needs.

This piece is part of our ongoing series examining the different paths that therapists take to private practice.