Hola Therapy

We get somewhat inundated with requests from international therapists wanting to know how they can move to Mexico and practice here. This includes everyone from interns through to those looking to close out their career in Mexico and transition into retirement. We understand that desire!

Unfortunately we’re unable to provide individual consultations anymore. However we did compiled all our hard-earned tips-from-the-trenches into a PDF that we email out to people who enquire. Now we’ve put it up on our blog so it’s easier for everyone to access.

This is an every changing space with many, many variables based on where you’re coming from, your professional title and training history. So please do leave a comment here or on the blog with your experiences, and help us keep this as live, living and current resource for everyone for anyone that may need it 🤝🤝🤝

Check the bio for the link to the blog.

A lot’s been happening at the Hola Therapy office! This week we farewelled Bianca Santos who has now commenced parental leave. Next week we’ll be sending our love and best wishes to Rebecca Bacon-Ehlers as she begins hers. Clementina was our Games Master as the office was taken over to celebrate, complete with Diaper-Pong and a little chick Piñata. We’re all very excited to be sharing and supporting them during this next chapter.

Bianca and Rebecca will be returning in July and August respectively. During their period of leave, if you have any enquiries about your work with either, please direct them to us at administration.

We are thrilled to introduce Kathy Groewe, our latest addition to the Hola Therapy admin team! 

With a strong background in administration, a passion for numbers, and fluent in English, Spanish and German, Kathy brings valuable expertise and support to our team. Kathy has been diligently working behind the scenes for the past few months, familiarizing herself with our systems and processes.

She will be collaborating closely with Rhianna to ensure a seamless invoicing and payment experience for you.

New Event

Join us for an exciting and informative online webinar on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) Therapy by Rebecca Bacon-Ehlers, Social Worker and EMDR practitioner.

EMDR may be one of the strangest ‘mainstream’ therapies available. It burst onto the therapy scene with a reputation for providing fast breakthroughs for trauma, particularly when years of traditional talk therapy had failed to help. It’s built on the foundation of neuroscientific research, which tells us that trauma isn’t confined to just the verbal aspects of our brains. EMDR involves remembering the painful memory while applying sensory cues such as tapping our shoulders or looking from one side of the room to the other to activate non-verbal parts of the brain

EMDR can be used alone or as part of regular therapy. It is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a first-line treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Hola Therapy
Hola Therapy is a psychology clinic based in Mexico, serving the English-speaking community.

Time: 3pm-3.30pm, 23 January 2023
Location: Online
RSVP: Please register on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com.mx/e/healing-beyond-hurt-transforming-trauma-with-emdr-therapy-tickets-778807663687

Many of you know Clementina as our now somewhat famed Child Psychologist. Her work with children and teens has earned her a reputation amongst the international school parents that has spread far and wide.

Originally from Venezuela, Clementina was the School Psychologist at the American School in Caracas and then joined our team here in Mexico.

Clem has a warmth and capacity to engage young people in a way that allows them to great straight in working on their struggles. She balances kindness & support with stretching young people to learn new skills & reach their potential.

Clemetina typically has a long waitlist however at the moment she has a number of places available. If you’ve contacted us in the past about working with her, this is the time to reach out again.

A lot of people are intrigued by EMDR and rightly so. Removing the need for prolonged therapy or lengthy, detailed, reflective discussions, EMDR can be a relatively fast yet effective model for processing painful life experiences.

Hola Therapy is currently accepting new clients. We are a group of English speaking therapists who live in Mexico. We have adult, children and couples therapists (specialising in cross-cultural relationships) available.
To learn more about us:
We have a blog on mental health and wellbeing or expats living in Mexico: https://www.holatherapy.mx/blog
If you have a question, you can contact us at https://www.holatherapy.mx/contact
Or follow us at https://www.instagram.com/holatherapy or https://www.facebook.com/holatherapy

Contact | Hola Therapy Contact our therapists at Jenna Mayhew Psychology. Enquire about counseling/therapy for yourself or for someone else. Free 15 minute consultations are available with all of our therapists. All enquiries are welcome.

Grief and loss are inevitabilities of life. However experiencing these while seperated by borders or oceans adds an additional dimension.

Join our blog for well-being and mental health tips for expats:

Www.holatherapy.mx/blog

Embracing Mexico When it Challenges your Self Identity by Joe Brockliss I Hola Therapy

https://www.holatherapy.mx/post/embracing-mexico-when-it-challenges-your-self-identity

Hola Updates: Settling in to Our New Space We're coming up to six months in our new offices! If you've been here, you will have been privy to the construction, deliveries and musical-chairs-of-furniture that has taken place. We're now settled in with our six consulting rooms, team room and reception area all up and running. The only thing...

Join us for a free introductory webinar this Sunday on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) by Rebecca Bacon-Ehlers, Social Worker and EMDR practitioner.

Did you know there's over 10,000 mental health apps available?

They can be a great option for expats/immigrants as there are often barriers to accessing therapy. But buyer beware - mental health apps are not yet regulated and false claims are common.

You can learn more in our blog on mental health for expats, written by psychologists and therapists.

Sign up for free at www.holatherapy.mx/blog

Many quotes about men and masculinity have not stood the test of time but this one certainly has.

This week the annual Amnesty International DVC summit was held in Mexico City.

Clementina and I, on behalf of FD Consultants (Fiona Dunkley) were invited to provide training on trauma and vicarious trauma for staff and volunteers from around the world as part of Amnesty’s commitment to provide mental health support for those who contribute to their investigations. We also had the opportunity to learn about using satellites, digital verification processes, and data bases for the clandestine graves in Mexico () for verifying human rights abuses and holding those responsible accountable.

We’re very grateful to FD Consultants and Amnesty for the opportunity to be involved in the summit and this crucial work.

Our blog on the presentation for Amnesty is coming soon.

Finally, thank you for hosting us Universidad Ibero

Bianca Santos began practising with Hola Therapy this week. She’s offering a hybrid of in-person and online sessions (this is a shot from her computer for online sessions). Three days are already full but she still has almost two full days available. There will likely still be places available for the next 2-3 weeks, however as slots fill up less flexibility is possible. If you need specific days or times it’s worth enquiring sooner rather than later and we’ll do our best to give you your preferred time.

Welcome Bianca! Truly international, Bianca has traversed the Philippines, Australia, USA and now Mexico. She works with teens and adults and has a special interest in LGBTQI+, neurodiversity, trauma, and substance misuse.

Bianca is available to see clients from September onwards, in person and online. You can see her full bio on our website.

Mark Twain strikes again!

In my early twenties someone told me that we usually regret what we don’t do, rather than what we do…do. Even if we fail we’re left with the satisfaction of having tried rather than the disconnect of never knowing. It became somewhat of a guiding philosophy for me and since then I’ve often noticed it playing out in other people’s lives.

I was excited to see this research into the idea. The study included over 22,000 people and followed up 6 months after they made all kinds of decisions - leaving a job, moving house, starting a business, ending a relationship, through to lighter decisions like growing facial hair. The results fell overwhelming towards taking action.

“A good rule of thumb in decision-making is, whenever you cannot decide what you should do, choose the action that represents a change, rather than continuing the status quo,” says University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt, who conducted the study.”

Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness Get access Arrow
Steven D Levitt
The Review of Economic Studies, Volume 88, Issue 1, January 2021, Pages 378–405, https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdaa016
Published: 19 May 2020

Not our best photos but Clementina and I have been keeping busy presenting to parents and teachers on Anxiety in children and teens. Taking a “lifespan approach” helps us see the factors that contribute to the development of an anxiety disorder and to offer support and intervention as early as possible, often changing the trajectory of what would likely otherwise be a lifetime of anxiety as Anxiety:
a) Often emerges in childhood /adolescence
b) Typically runs a chronic course throughout the lifetime (it may wax and wane but tends to continue throughout life without intervention)
c) Early intervention is important (even more so for social anxiety) and
d) Can be effectively addressed using evidence based interventions such as CBT

Thank you and for having us and for sharing the amazing care and attunment that the teachers offer to their students academic AND emotional well-being, as well as everyone who attended sessions at our office in Polanco.

If you are interested in a workshop please reach out to us via the link in the bio.



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It’s much easier to change our patterns once we know and understand them.

Despite working in my office everyday this is still where I spend most of my time. On Zoom! The perks of online therapy were evident long before the pandemic however the party line was often that therapists needed to be able to see and respond to client body language in order to achieve the best outcomes. The research showed us otherwise and I’d always felt this line was more a reflection of the inflated egos of therapists (making ourselves and our interpretations very important in the process of a client’s changes) rather than fact-based. Now I think there’s little debate left about the benefits of online therapy. However I do maintain it’s not for everyone and it’s not for all points in time. Sometimes online work just really flops compared to face to face. I like having the option of both and a combination can work really well too. Whatever you choose, do the therapy that works for you and your lifestyle 👩‍💻🧑‍💻☕️🌺

Even as a therapist I strongly believe this statement. Therapy alone doesn’t change people. People change people. Maybe it’s therapists genuine care and having that experience of an accepting, stable relationship. Maybe the therapy helps someone gain insight and make decisions that move them towards the kinds of relationships that will provide healing and joy. Maybe the therapy helps prevent a pattern of self-sabotaging the good thing that’s are already going in life. We are a relational species and it’s these relationships that bring us both harm and healing. And sometimes, maybe the healing comes from relationships that have nothing to do with therapy but are ‘therapeutic’ in their nature. This is especially true for children and young people who respond so well to the adults in their lives creating a ‘therapeutic environment’ rather than sending the young person to do an hour of therapy a week if it is conducted in a way that is kept isolated from the rest of their lives. No matter if it’s children or adults, we are able to thrive when we are experiencing love, support and understanding from those around us.

We had a fantastic time at our seminar on Anxiety Across Development: 0-18 years. It was a packed out event and we spoke about all things children, anxiety and pandemic. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the group but we managed to get this one with special guest at in our office afterwards.

♠️♥️♣️

In order to reduce worry it’s important to identify our own meta-cognitive beliefs (our thoughts about our own thoughts) that tell us it’s important or useful to continue to worry. What are yours?

I travelled to and took advantage of the holiday to pick up some new and second hand books in English, heading to the iconic As I browsed the Mexico books in the International section I picked up and put back a few, until I came across this one which drew me right in. It wasn’t until I was halfway through the blurb on the back cover and it referenced the author “David Lida” that I realised it was written by our very own therapist at Hola Therapy, David Lida!!! Of course I bought it and brought it home and it now lives in the office in Mexico City. It’s so good it should be a prescribed text for anyone wanting to move to Mexico. I now default to David for expertise on everything from restaurants to architecture in our beautiful city. If you haven’t read it, do yourself a big favor and pick up a copy (or come by the office and borrow ours ☕️ 📕).