Meet Monica Gavilanes | Social Worker & Psychotherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Gavilanes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Often times when we think about social impact our minds go to ways in which we can support a large group, community, or have the biggest reach. In my work as a psychotherapist and social worker, I am guided by my values of social justice, respect of ancestral healing, and honoring/protecting our culture. I believe that if we want to create a large impact we cannot overlook the internal work that needs to happen on a personal & individual level.

I intentionally only work with people of color and those from marginalized communities because of the complex trauma that we have had to navigate and have internalized. This adds to the ripples of the societal issues we see today.

If I am able to support my clients in understanding how their personal story has been informed by socio-political global history, it creates opportunity for personal experiences to connect itself to the larger community. Intentional exploration around the ways trauma shows up in your story opens the door to unlearning many ideologies that drive our states of anxiety, depression, or shame.

This type of personal work is how we begin to shift away from intergenerational trauma, which is a manifestation of larger societal harms. Meaning, individuals get to move toward whole health. This ultimately can lead toward community health which is one of the pillars of my work.

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Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I operate a private therapy practice in NYC. I believe one of the main aspects of my work that sets me apart is I understand my niche. Many clinicians cast a wide net of support, and I feel this is actually a disservice because you cannot be all for everyone. My niche means I am self aware enough to know I am best of service supporting people of color whose trauma has manifested in self-sacrifice, caretaking, trouble with boundaries, guilt, and anger. I am very proud of this because it was my own journey with these challenges that brought me here and I can now pay it forward.

I have been in the social work sector for over 10 years now, spending many of those years in different capacities between non-profits and city government agencies. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I decided to quit and work for myself. Truthfully, the decision to do this was easy, but the learning how to be an entrepreneur is an ongoing learning process.

I overcame the fear of this dive by making sure I was reading as much as possible, connecting with others and having no shame in admitting when I didn’t know something or needed help. I was authentic and chose not to fake the funk early on for the sake of my brand. I wanted my brand to be rooted in authenticity. This is actually one point I would want to the world to know about my brand, it is the idea that the antidote to shame is not confidence but honesty. My story is one of the how we can all step into fearlessness when we do the healing work to become rooted within ourselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to eat, laugh, and take in creative work. I would probably take them to a few of amazing vegan restaurants across the city and spend a day at Flushing Meadow park in Queens. I’m from Queens, NY and there’s a reason it’s called the world’s borough. In this park alone we can tap into a bunch of cultures. We have the options to get on some boats, rent bikes, picnis, go to the Queens Museum, or just walk by the famous globe.

We would definitely find time to hit a comedy show. There’s a lot of new comedy events curated in Brooklyn now featuring some amazing black and latinx comics. If the weather is nice, there’s a nice rooftop pool at The Rockaway Hotel with a view of the beach so we could make a day of that as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to the many Black and Indigenous healers I have had the privilege of learning from and working alongside of. It was the direct and indirect efforts of all these people that affirmed within me I didn’t need to align with the accepted clinical frameworks and I could go back in history to learn how our communities healed before diagnostic manuals. All these experiences with my peers fertilized the soil where my self-trust could grow. My loved ones, such as my mom, family, friends, and partner have also been pivotal because they have proven how individual healing can shift the dynamics of a group.

Website: www.rootsandalchemypllc.com

Instagram: @rootsandalchemy

Image Credits
Photographer: Wilber Polanco