Today we’d like to introduce you to Martha Lilia Soto Ceballos
Hi Martha Lilia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I was developing and setting the foundation of my business, I knew that it had to align with my values & principles because I wanted to continue to support my communities. Serving undocumented, underrepresented, and oppressed individuals, families and communities feels very special, it’s almost spiritual to me. My business’s mission is to provide quality and trauma-informed therapy services, in Spanish and English, that are racially & ethnically inclusive and responsive to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, and Spanish speaking persons. And to educate our communities about racial and ethnic integration, and advocate for equity in mental health services and substance use disorder programs in Utah. Inclusive Minded was opened to business in October 2020 as a “solo practice”, in the middle of the COVID pandemic. Over the past 4 years it has grown and flourished into a beautifully diverse and talented group practice with several trauma-informed, multilingual therapists who are passionate about serving their communities in a culturally responsive and inclusive manner.
My hope is to be able to continue to serve my communities in more creative and inclusive ways, and to be a positive reference for my two beloved children, my communities, and future generations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My decision to become a social worker and later create my own business has been greatly influenced by the many struggles, ups & downs my family and I’ve had to endure. As a former undocumented Mexican immigrant, who grew up in a family that has survived several traumatic experiences, surrounded by substance abuse, and where domestic violence happened often, I never thought I would have a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW), an Advanced Substance Use Disorder Certification (ASUDC), a Licensed Clinical Social Work License (LCSW), let alone be the Founder & CEO of Inclusive Minded Counseling & Consulting!
Becoming a mother at 26 years old motivated me to go back to school. It was at the same time I was invited by my then doctor, Chris Hyer, PA-C, to be on the Board of Governors at my clinic, Community Health Centers, Inc. (CHC), as a Patient Representative and help to advocate for patients’ care & rights. While in school I joined the Social Work Student Association at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and had the opportunity to help open the first food pantry for students in 2013-2014. I, consequently, fell in love with social work.
Volunteering as a Governor for CHC, Inc. was very important to me because they provided me with prenatal care I needed when I was seven months pregnant, did not have health insurance, was unemployed, and feeling very hopeless and powerless. Society sees social services as handing things out to people in need, reinforcing laziness and lack of motivation. The way I see social services is as an investment that creates a ripple effect because social services not only affect the individual, but their family and our communities as well. In my experience, when I was living through situational poverty, I received help from many social services, including Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), March of Dimes, CHC, Inc., Utah Food Bank, and SLCC food pantry. Receiving this help and support from these organizations and programs made a huge impact on my family’s future.
A big influence in my decision to create my own business, Inclusive Minded, was the challenges my family, friends, and I would experience to find support in Spanish, in Utah. I realized that in our state of Utah, not only is the substance abuse field in tremendous need for proper funding to be able to offer services to underinsured and uninsured individuals, but there is very minimal support in Spanish that is culturally & ethnically responsive and inclusive.
Later in life, I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to assimilate many cultures while living in four different countries and traveling around the world. I soon learned that being multilingual and willing to be open to understand, respect, and experience different cultures would help me foster dual-consciousness and other skills to help navigate the complexity of cultures, and admire its beauty & strengths. Most importantly I have learned (and continue to learn) to be aware of the Western lens & dominant discourses.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Inclusive Minded Counseling and Consulting, LLC?
Inclusive Minded Counseling and Consulting, LLC, is a small local group practice with multicultural & multilingual trauma therapists.
Our mission is to provide quality and trauma-informed therapy services, in Spanish and English, that are racially & ethnically inclusive and responsive to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, and Spanish speaking persons. And to educate our communities about racial and ethnic integration, and advocate for equity in mental health services and substance use disorder programs in Utah.
The services we offer include in-person and telehealth individual therapy (ages 16 and up), virtual processing and support groups, professional consultation, public presentations, trainings & workshops; ALL of our services are available in Spanish & English, including groups. Furthermore, help open access to our BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Spanish speaking communities we’re in-network with several health insurance companies, the Utah Crime Victim Reparation Program (CVR), we accept self-pay, and offer a limited amount of spots (for individual therapy) at a discounted price for Spanish speaking individuals who are uninsured / undocumented.
I’m most proud of our beautifully diverse and talented clinical team that counts with several BIPOC trauma-informed, multilingual therapists who are passionate about serving their communities in a culturally & ethically responsive and inclusive manner.
To learn more about Inclusive Minded visit us at www.inclusiveminded.com
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’ve experienced poverty only after moving to the U.S.A. from Mexico when I was 15 years old (not the other way around, which is usually the stereotype). In my mid-20’s, I lived in Portugal and France. After moving back to Utah, USA from Europe, my partner and I experienced situational poverty for a while. We lived in my parent’s baseman and drove a beat-up old mini-van that my father let us borrowed until we were able to afford a car payment. During this period of my life, I received support from many social services; including Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), March of Dimes, CHC, Inc., Utah Food Bank, and SLCC food pantry.
I feel very thankful for my family’s support, my friends and communities, and all social service agencies that have supported me during the ups and downs of my life journey. Without their support Inclusive Minded Counseling & Consulting would not exist today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.inclusiveminded.com
- Instagram: inclusive.minded
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inclusive.minded
- Youtube: Viviendo Mejor con Martha
