Meet Maria “Mica” Istre | Professional Counselor & Latina Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria “Mica” Istre and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria “Mica”, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As a counselor and boss, I value the responsibility of modeling a healthy work-life balance for my clients and employees. Setting boundaries for ourselves can be hard for profession in any caregiving role because we value helping others to a fault. I believe that we must first give to ourselves to be a strong support to others in our personal and professional lives. Schedules tend to help me stay accountable to myself and carve out time to exercise, spend time with loved ones, practice self-care, and eat healthy. There were times this was hard to achieve or maintain and practicing self-compassion and rest were prioritized. One question I ask myself routinely is “What do I need right now/today?”, because we must be flexible to the abrupt changes that can happen. I encourage my clients and employees to be flexible enough to meet their own needs.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Tree of Life Counseling and Consulting offers services to minority communities that are underserved and underrepresented which leads to a lack of access to mental health services. Clients who identify as minorities include ethnic, linguistic, sexual identity/ orientation (LGBTQIA+/ QTBIPOC), and immigrants to name a few. We have prioritized our clinical training to fulfill the needs of minorities, which was a challenge to overcome, but we have been able to reach the highly marginalized and underrepresented communities in multiple states. We serve clients in Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida with hopes of expanding our reach.

We would like the world to know that we have created a uniquely safe place for people of color, LGTBQ+, BIPOC, and all minorities to overcome their barriers that keep them living a meaningful and fulfilling life. We are honored to hold this space and find meaning in helping these underserved individuals, couples, and families. We mean it when we say that we want to “Empower you to grow meaningful roots”!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
While living in Atlanta, I enjoyed the delicious food and local spots like Nuevo Laredo and Little Bangkok. A few chain restaurants were a must such as Shake Shack. The view of the city are night from the rooftop of Ponce City Market were a must see location in ATL. The great hiking views from nearby spots like Stone Mountain are worthwhile to have a brief escape from the city’s hustle and bustle.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to recognize my mentor, Habiba Zaman, LPC who owns North Star of Georgia in Tucker, Georgia. She has been my greatest supporter and advocate as a woman of color entrepreneur. Being a pioneer in my area required specialized training and a unique skillset that Habiba helped me explore and develop while working at North Star of Georgia . I also would like to recognized my past supervisor and mentor Michelle Maggard, LPC-S with Avondale Counseling Services in Avondale, Georgia. She taught me how to better serve my community that was greatly underrepresented and lacked access to mental health counseling services. I am grateful for these two women of color entrepreneurs, counselors, and leaders that have been crucial in my professional development as a counselor, entrepreneur, and local leader in my community.

Website: www.treeoflifecoun.com

Instagram: @tolcoun

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TOLCoun/