April 15, 2024 • 52 mins
Liz Gallo is an Licensed marriage and family therapist with eight years of experience in the mental health field. She specializes in those struggling with chronic illnesses and has provided services within the community mental health and private practice settings. Throughout her career she has worked with adolescents, adults, and as well as couples. She supports her clients through various concerns including anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and various forms of trauma. She values transparency, quality of care, and continuous growth. Her hope is to aid her clients in developing healthier relationships, and increased self-esteem and authenticity.
Summary:
Struggle and triumph intertwine in an incredible story of resilience and growth—as your host, Raul Lopez, I had the privilege of sitting down with the remarkable Liz Gallo. Liz's journey is one tinged with the harsh realities of growing up with cerebral palsy, yet defined by her indomitable spirit to convert challenges into a lifelong mission to support others as a licensed marriage and family therapist. Together, we uncover the layers of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of a passion that not only inspires but also breaks barriers.
Liz's narrative is a beacon for anyone who has ever felt isolated by their differences, providing a heartfelt look into the complexities of navigating a society that often misunderstands disability. Our conversation traverses the academic trials faced by Liz, the emotional wrestle with imposter syndrome, and the cathartic evolution of turning personal adversity into a tool for healing others. Her insights into the mental health profession reveal the ingenuity required to create meaningful connections, proving time and again that empathy and patience are paramount in empowering the lives we touch.
As the episode unfolds, listeners will experience the raw, authentic essence of Liz's triumphs—ranging from the rigors of attaining her license to the bold step of establishing her private practice. Her story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of family support, shining a light on the unexpected opportunities the pandemic presented to mental health professionals. This is a conversation that resonates with courage, offering a path to finding one's place in the world and leaving a lasting, positive impact on others. Join us in celebrating the strength that comes from embracing one’s own narrative and using it to uplift the community around us.
See more at www.successinspanglish.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Raul Lopez (00:04):
This is Raul Lopez and you're listening to.
How Do you Save Success inSpanglish?
The path to success isn't easyFor minorities and people of
color.
Many attempt this journey withlittle to no guidance.
Join me as I sit down withindividuals who share their
stories of perseverance so thattogether we can learn how to say
success in Spanglish what'sgood, mi gente, it's your boy,
(00:33):
raul.
Welcome back.
Thanks for coming to the show.
Today I have a very specialguest, liz Gallo.
How's it going, liz?
Welcome to the show.
Liza Gallo (00:43):
How's it going?
Raul Lopez (00:44):
Good.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
I really appreciate you.
For people who are listening,liz was one who graciously hit
me up after, I think, listeningto one of my episodes talk and
we decided it'd be great to haveher on the show.
So she has a great story totell, so I'm really excited of
you being here.
So just to kind of give alittle background on Liz, liz
Gallo is a licensed marriage andfamily therapist with eight
(01:06):
years of experience in themental health field.
She specializes in thosestruggling with chronic
illnesses, has provided serviceswithin the community mental
health and private practicesettings.
Throughout her career she hasworked with adolescents, adults
as well as couples.
She supports her clients withvarious concerns, including
anxiety, depression, grief, lowself-esteem and various forms of
trauma.
She values transparency,quality of care and continuous
(01:30):
growth.
Her hope is to aid her clientsin developing healthier
relationships and increaseself-esteem and authenticity.
Welcome to the show, liz.
Liza Gallo (01:36):
Thanks for having me again.
Like I appreciate anyopportunity I can get to kind of
share my story.
Raul Lopez (01:42):
Like I said, when you hit up and you, you started
talking to me and I was like, ohmy god, yeah, I would love to
have you on the show.
I think there's a lot of youknow.
I think, uh, everybody'sjourney has lessons learned that
we can all learn from, and I'mglad you're willing to share it.
So, with that being said, let'sstart off.
You know, tell me, uh, who isliz gago?
Liza Gallo (01:59):
that's such an interesting question.
I feel like you covered such abig aspect of my identity, which
is being a therapist.
But outside of that, like it'sit's, it's honestly really hard
to kind of answer that questionright, like who are we?
But I guess, in a sense, someof the other roles that I am in
is I'm a friend, I'm a sister,I'm a daughter, you know, um,
(02:24):
and in a sense, like when I talkabout being a therapist, like I
always try to describe thatlike the characteristics of what
it takes to be a therapist,like I feel like I've always
embodied them and that's whatled me to become a therapist.
Like making this world a betterplace has always been something
that has motivated me.
(02:45):
Even when life has gotten hard,it's been one of my most
impactful, like motivatingfactors.
Raul Lopez (02:55):
And so you talk about.
You know when life has beenhard.
So I think one of the thingsthat you mentioned to me is that
you were born with cerebralpalsy and you're also from
California growing up.
What was life?
Were born with cerebral palsyand you're also from California
growing up.
What was life growing up withcerebral palsy?
Liza Gallo (03:09):
It was not fun, I'll tell you that.
So one aspect to really talkabout is whether it was my
immediate family or just likeextended friends and just other
family members.
Like I didn't see anybody elsein my circles that had anything
similar to it, um, so in thatsense it felt kind of lonely, um
(03:32):
, and nobody to really likeconnect with, to understand what
it was like.
Um, there was a lot of teasingthat went on, so like my
siblings would have to kind oflike step in and stand up for me
, because I wasn't really thetype to stand up for myself it's
never been easy for me to dothat, um, but yeah, just kind of
(03:52):
feeling othered a lot of thetime, like again, like the way
that I describe it, and it's inthis show called special on
Netflix.
This guy talks about how becausehe he's the actor in the show
but he has cerebral palsy aswell, so he's speaking from his
own experience of, like you'renot able-bodied enough or normal
(04:13):
enough to fit in with theable-bodied community, but
you're also not impacted by yourdisability significantly, so
you don't fit in with, you know,those within the disabled
community.
Because with cerebral palsyit's like a spectrum spectrum.
It's almost like how you lookat autism, like people land on
more severe sides or less severesides.
Mine is not severe at all.
(04:34):
Um, the biggest thing is I walkwith a limp because it affects
the right side of my body, butit's not as um severe as I'm
saying, as like other cases canbe.
Like because some, some peoplewith cp but the cp is short for
cerebral palsy um are inwheelchairs or use some sort of
(04:57):
assisted, maybe a cane or justother devices like that.
Um, so it's like I've alwaysfelt like where do I fit in?
Because, sometimes even tryingto fit in with those that are
quote unquote, normal, which Idon't really like.
Raul Lopez (05:11):
that word I just I wouldn't, you know, I think for
a lot of people, especially likeLatinos, and you're Mexican,
right.
Liza Gallo (05:24):
Yeah.
Raul Lopez (05:28):
Okay, yeah, so you know, I think for a lot of us we
we tend to have that strugglejust from like identity as far
as a Latino in America, and thenyou're adding an additional
layer to that as well as havingsomeone with disability you know
what?
Liza Gallo (05:37):
I never had that as far as like being Hispanic, like
I don't feel like I struggledin that regard, I think more so,
the struggle in that area waslike the differing values
between me and like, for example, my dad, but like as far as
fitting, I guess maybe it'sbecause I don't even my
complexion doesn't really, youknow, show that I'm hispanic,
(06:01):
yeah, um, but uh, I don Likethat could be part of it, but I
never felt like I didn't fit in,like the culture has always
been just something naturallythat's a part of me and that I
enjoy, but I never had toexperience that struggle of
where do I belong there?
It was more so, I think, withmy disability.
It was more present.
Raul Lopez (06:22):
Okay, nice, and so as far as your disability goes,
did people ever have differentexpectations of you because of
your disability?
Liza Gallo (06:31):
I think there were some accommodations made.
I think Physically I couldn'tdo certain things.
There are still certain thingsthat I can't do.
So even in PE class they wouldalways just like, like, for
example, if the kids had to runa mile by the time I walked, so
they would run four laps, but bythe time I walked two they were
(06:53):
done with running their fourthlap.
So I mean again, so I alwaysvalidate that like, even in a
situation like mine, there'scertain privileges, right like
they would.
Teachers would give me a pass um, but as a student, academically
, I always struggled.
I can't really tell you if thatwas um connected to like me
(07:18):
having CP.
But like CP is physical 100%.
It doesn't always.
It can affect intellect, but Ican't really tell you that it
affected mine.
But just, I wasn't the beststudent growing up.
So I think there was likeaccommodations and or
adjustments and expectationsthere because I struggled, but I
can't really confirm that itwas because I had CP.
(07:40):
I think it was just like I justwasn't demonstrating to be like
a top notch student back then.
I was very distracted.
Raul Lopez (07:51):
Very distracted.
I was horrible early on.
I stayed back in first grade.
I was such a troublemaker.
Liza Gallo (07:58):
My teachers would let my mom know that I would
kind of daydream and stuff.
But, I just wouldn't graspthings, to be honest, like I
kind of was not great at school,probably up until I got to
learning about my profession.
Yeah, because, that's what Iactually love to learn.
Raul Lopez (08:17):
Everything else was hard yeah, I mean, sometimes
that's what it takes.
Sometimes it's when you startlearning about something you
love.
Where you actually care aboutit is where it matters.
Otherwise, you know, you'rejust kind of like whatever this?
Liza Gallo (08:29):
is even even now, that's probably the only thing
that I really like.
Am like really, I guess in asense smart about like, if you
ask me like other random generalknowledge, like I don't know,
but if you ask me like you knowcounseling theories, I can talk
about it at the drop of a hat.
Raul Lopez (08:46):
So I mean, that's what you want from your
therapist right.
I don't care if you give popculture references or know the
history of Europe, as long asyou know how to help out with
being a therapist.
So I'm glad to hear it well.
I mean it is your passion.
So what drove you into beingthat passion?
Liza Gallo (09:03):
So the origin story of that is I was in the eighth
grade and they had career dayand the principal, her sister,
came.
So the principal's sister was asocial worker and she spoke
about her job as a social workerand it just sparked something.
I was like, oh, that soundsinteresting.
(09:24):
I had never heard anythingabout helping professions, I
think before that point, andever since then I had told
myself I want to be a socialworker and that didn't change.
I was pretty solid, like nobodycould change my mind.
I was like I'm gonna be asocial worker, I'm gonna help
(09:44):
kids in DCFS, which isDepartment of Children and
Family Services.
But I took a class in undergradthat was like group therapy and
I got exposed to counselingtheories and we actually got to
like implement them and see thembe used.
So I switched to therapy atthat point.
Raul Lopez (10:08):
Nice, and is that when you started getting better
at school as well, Like once youfigured out hey, this is what I
like.
I knew I needed to get betterin school to get to college.
Liza Gallo (10:15):
I think that's what it was, because it really
sparked something, because partof it is like hopefully I don't
get too technical with this, butlike when you start learning
about counseling theories, whata counseling theory is is each
one has its own description ofwhat causes problems to arise
for people and, ultimately, howto help the person work through
(10:38):
it.
So it's like a different anglewith each one.
Okay, with each one okay and Iremember learning about adlerian
theory, which is from alfredadler, and I just was like I saw
myself in some of what he wastalking about.
So it felt almost validating,so like I must not be the only
one, and just a sense of insightfor me, um, and learning about
(11:01):
myself has always been fun.
Like I, I like to make thoseconnections like why, like the
why of why I do the things thatI do, trying to understand those
around me.
So it really offered that to meand I think that's what made it
exciting.
And during that time I also justdid a lot of personal work with
that group class, so there wasa lot of processing and healing
(11:25):
happening.
So that's kind of what I thinkalso drew me to therapy.
It just felt more intimate andI like intimacy versus social
work.
A lot of times social workerscan look at the bigger picture
like more organizations or justbigger groups, but I like the
(11:47):
aspect of it being one-on-one.
Raul Lopez (11:49):
So it was kind of like a self-feeding machine
where you were learning, usingwhat you've learned to improve
yourself and making you want tolearn more and improve other
people's life kind of deal.
Liza Gallo (12:01):
Yeah, like it was, it was serving both of those
angles.
Raul Lopez (12:05):
Nice, nice, and do you think that, with everything
that you've dealt with with youruh, your disability has allowed
you to become um more available, like with with other people,
like being able to help them outbetter?
Liza Gallo (12:21):
Yeah, I think so.
Um, I think in a sense, itelevated my sense of empathy.
Um, because there was just somany different things going on
that were difficult and scarythat, like, um, it helps me,
like what I always describe tomy clients in a sense, is like
our experiences are going to bedifferent, maybe even slightly
(12:43):
similar, but, regardless of thedifference, what is going to
always be the same as theemotions that we experience.
So, because I had such immenseexperience causing these
emotions early on, like it justled to a deep understanding of
like what that feels like andlike what you most need during
(13:04):
those moments of struggle, whichis just somebody to sit with
you, to validate you, like thatis so impactful.
So, because I had a desire anda need for those things.
When people are in a place ofstruggle, that's all I want to
provide them was what I needed.
Raul Lopez (13:20):
And when you were dealing with all your stuff, was
validation something that youwere missing?
Liza Gallo (13:25):
Yes, to some degree.
Yeah, I think it's hard.
I always say that holding spacefor people, even with all the
skills and where I'm at now,it's uncomfortable when you see
someone in such immense pain.
Yeah, because, as a therapist,you're going to hear some pretty
rough stories.
Yeah, because, as a therapist,you're going to hear some pretty
(13:47):
rough stories and, like, youthink you're prepared but you'll
just like hear a story all of asudden and it's hard because
even when it happens for me allthe time, even now, like I,
sometimes, when there's astruggle, I go into fixing Like
that's how I know I'm feelinguncomfortable and it's a point
of me catching myself of like no, like that may not be what the
(14:08):
person needs or sometimes theytell me like I don't need that.
Raul Lopez (14:13):
But I think it's really easy as a human being to
go into fixing and I know for um, probably it's something that
therapists need to learn isstopping yourself from wanting
to fix Cause I think for a lotof us, we listen to stuff and
our first instinct is, like yousaid, oh well stop doing that or
(14:33):
do it this way or doing that,and that's not what they want.
You know what I mean.
Liza Gallo (14:36):
So but I think you know, again, like, I think it's,
it's understandable, Likeobviously we have a job where we
need to be more mindful of it,but even if I do, I'm just
compassionate towards myselfbecause it's hard, like this
work is hard, life is hard.
I always say like because lifeis so hard, we don't like also
(14:59):
need to be like in a funny way,like assholes to ourself about
it.
You know, like it's okay to be,be compassionate, like I didn't
do it intentionally and I, whenI do do that, go into fixing,
like I'll check in with theclient, I acknowledge it, I
apologize, you know, and I doall of those necessary things.
Raul Lopez (15:21):
But again, we're flawed human beings so we're not
always going to get it rightand that's okay, and you
mentioned in our pre-interviewthat when we talked beforehand
that one of the challenges youdealt with while you were
growing up was barriers.
Can you elaborate on that?
Liza Gallo (15:37):
Well, it wasn't even just in like childhood, but I
think just my whole generalexperience with having a
disability.
Again, it's like themisconceptions that people can
have of you.
Like I don't really knowsometimes what people think, but
there was like teasing thatwould happen.
(15:59):
So, like again, like I wouldn'tfeel like that connection with
people and it sort of led to adecrease in my self esteem which
ultimately in the long run Ithink, really affected the
trajectory of how things playedout for me.
Like I think in fact my lack ofself esteem is what like led to
(16:21):
me taking quote unquote longerto get to where I am, because I
always tell people like I'm lateto the game.
I got my license as a therapistprobably 10 years late compared
to most people.
Most people are like 25.
I was like 36 when I got mylicense but like I think I
didn't have the confidence toreally go for things.
(16:42):
I would talk myself out of itand just that feeling of not
being good enough.
And then, even as I got olderand I tried to get jobs, there
was like discrimination and itwas.
It was mental health relatedjobs, but I just could not get
in the door so I was stuckworking at Walmart for quite
(17:05):
some time.
I spent like 10 years there andI felt like I was never going
to get out, so like, just like,in a sense, lack of opportunity.
But, fortunate for me, I foundthis field where, like, my
physical limitations are notreally relevant, like I still
(17:27):
kick ass, even though it's not aphysical job, it's more, you
know, mental, and I'm reallygrateful for that because I
don't have to worry about that.
Like getting in the way.
It actually serves me, like it'sa point of like, like that's an
asset in this field so it'sreally nice, it's really
(17:51):
empowering to have it feel thatway versus like it's going to be
something that gets you likeoff the list having a chance, um
, but yeah, I would say like,just the discrimination and the
teasing are two big ones for me.
Raul Lopez (18:09):
And when you would get teased and things like that
you mentioned, you had yoursiblings help out.
Liza Gallo (18:16):
Yeah, so I'm a twin with my brother and my older
sister.
They were pretty good atstepping in and it's not
something that I would reallylike ask for.
It was just kind of like thatwas their response.
But, like I said, I just Iwouldn't like it when it would
(18:38):
happen.
But I just I think again therewas just that lack of confidence
to actually speak up about whatI was feeling about it.
So I never would.
Even I think now when peoplelike I try to push myself to now
, but I can't say that it's easy, even for me now.
Raul Lopez (18:55):
It's easy, even for me now, yeah, and when your
family helped out and yourthings like that did that kind
of help give you some of thatvalidation that you say you were
not feeling all the time Likedid you feel validated when they
defended you.
Liza Gallo (19:07):
I mean it felt nice to have somebody like stand up
for me of course, yeah, but Ithink part of me back then would
feel bad because I couldn't doit, like there was this sense of
like again.
Not that they would say this ishow I'm kind of interpreting it
when I was younger of, like man, they have to do it because I
(19:35):
can't.
Raul Lopez (19:36):
So kind of like feeling negatively towards
myself about it, Okay, and Iknow you talked about your
self-esteem being a barrier andI think you touched you know it
was a good point you brought upwhere it's like you deal with
kind of like the confidence toeven like reach out for a new
job and you get stuck in thething, and so you talked about
working at Walmart like whathelped motivate you to get like,
(19:58):
improve on that and work onyour self-esteem when you were
in those, in those slumps.
Liza Gallo (20:05):
Wanting to help people.
Yeah it was always that, likeI've always conveyed that, even
in the darkest of times, like inthe face of like whatever
adversity it was, that wouldjust always come back to the
front of my mind of like I wantto do that.
And even when I was working atWalmart, I would tell people
like I'm going to be a therapist.
(20:26):
I didn't know fucking how I wasgoing to do it because, like, I
didn't really know and I didn'treally know anybody that was a
therapist, but I was like I'mgonna do it and it's.
It was really nice because onceI like went through the whole
process, like I had a therapist,but I was like I'm going to do
it.
And it was really nice becauseonce I like went through the
whole process, like I had afriend that worked with me there
and she's like you said you didwhat you said you were going to
do and I did.
Raul Lopez (20:47):
Nice.
Liza Gallo (20:48):
That's awesome.
Raul Lopez (20:49):
And so when you went to college, were you still
struggling academically incollege?
Liza Gallo (21:00):
were you still struggling academically in
college?
Uh yeah, so part of my storythat I like to not be shy about
is there was a couple classes Ihad to take more than once.
There was one I had to do threetimes, and which is political
science, and I think I tookstatistics twice okay yeah, so
essentially to get out ofcommunity college, I think it
took me four years instead oftwo, and then I spent another
(21:23):
four years, I think, finishingup the rest.
So in total it's I spent eightyears to get my bachelor's
degree yeah I mean I tookpolitical science in statistics
it was a lot of memorizing inthat political science class.
Raul Lopez (21:40):
Yeah, I mean, I started chemistry pre-med at
first and so that just destroyedmy lifestyle completely.
But I took statistics, thinkingit would be easier than
calculus, and I was likedestroyed again.
I was like, whoa, this is notwhat I thought it was going to
be.
But you know what?
Liza Gallo (21:57):
destroyed.
Again I was like whoa, but thisis not what I thought it was
going to be.
So but you know what, like I, Iget a lot of younger clients
and I really enjoy it becausethere's like this pressure to
get it right the first time andI can't fail and I really get to
use my story as like a way tonormalize not getting it right
(22:18):
right away and I always tellthem like it's different if you
didn't try.
But you know, maybe you weren'tin the right headspace, right,
but like if you really triedyour best with where you are,
then that's all we have, right.
And like again, I know everyfield is different and some of
them do focus on grades.
So I don't encourage clients tolike not give a shit and not
(22:41):
get good grades, but like, ifyou happen to get one C or one B
instead of all A's, right, likethat's not going to be on your
degree.
So like, because people don'tunderstand like the level of
pressure with that like willlead you to mess up more.
Mm, hmm, yep.
(23:03):
Yep.
So I'm always trying to findways to alleviate the pressure.
Raul Lopez (23:09):
It's funny the way you put it, because it was kind
of an epiphany I had when I gotto like my junior year of like
college, where I kind of stoppedgiving a shit and started doing
better.
Like I was just like I'm notgoing to finish this paper on
time, I'm going to hand it inlate.
And I'd you know I'd hand it inthree days late and I'd go from
an a minus to a b plus asopposed to a d if I would have
(23:32):
handed it in on time.
You know, and it's like I kindof was just like let me take
this pressure off and as Istopped giving a shit, I just
kind of started.
Liza Gallo (23:41):
We want to not give a shit, but not like not give a
shit 100 yeah, you want to givea shit, but you don't.
Raul Lopez (23:46):
You don't.
I didn't like I was going fromcomplete panic attacks and
anxiety.
You know my freshman year overevery every test, and now I'm
like I studied for the night.
Whatever I get is what you know.
And then I went into the test,I got a good night's sleep and
then I get an 80, you know, asopposed to you go unclear minded
instead of stressed out andoverthinking.
(24:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Liza Gallo (24:08):
That's what I try to help my younger clients with.
Raul Lopez (24:11):
And it's true, cause I mean, like my freshman year I
just I would be studying for myexam and you know, biology,
chemistry, all that stuff was alot of information.
You're looking like a thousandthings and we're going to test
you on 25 things, but I wouldget like an hour in and then
panic for six hours and notaccomplish anything.
You know, I just spent sixhours saying I'm going to fail,
I'm not going to do this.
(24:31):
So yeah, it's true.
I mean it's.
You know, your mental statewhen you're dealing with these
things really make a difference.
Liza Gallo (24:38):
It's funny with school I was always like I don't
retain outside of therapy.
If it's therapy related, I willretain more, but if it's like a
general ed class like I couldcram and do well on an exam.
Raul Lopez (24:55):
But if I don't care about it, I won't retain it.
Liza Gallo (24:58):
That's one thing Like general information.
If you ask me like I'm tryingto do calculations in my mind, I
can't I'll use my calculator.
But like there's things inundergrad that I learned that I
still remember.
Raul Lopez (25:12):
I think it's a big common issue in college.
I know we can probably go on awhole different discussion on
like how college works and havelike a three hour podcast just
on that.
But you know, I mean, just inchemistry, pre-med, you know you
take an exam and the averagewas a 45, you know what I mean.
And that's the curve to a C, soit's like most people fail and
that's the passing grade.
(25:32):
So it's like you know.
But yeah, we can go into like awhole different thing with that
.
But uh, but uh, what were?
Were there any other obstaclesin college for you?
I know you were uh taking awhile educationally, I mean
academically I mean I don't know, I feel like college was really
where.
Liza Gallo (25:53):
So again, like I did that class.
But that class so you took it afirst time and you just
participated.
You got to split off into agroup of eight people and you
had like a different groupdiscussion every week.
But then at the end of thesemester they asked everybody
that were taking that class asmembers Do you want to become a
(26:14):
group leader the followingsemester?
Do you want to become a groupleader the following semester?
And when they asked us thatfirst time, I was like this like
yeah, no, yeah, no, I didn't.
Um, and the two group leadersthat were in my group like wrote
me a note saying like we reallythink you should.
Like you were our like all-starmember.
So like just do it.
(26:39):
And I was like fuck it, okay,I'll do it like I was scared,
but I did it anyway and, um, sothen you end up like having a
group of like 32 leaders thatyou get to hang out with because
you take classes together.
There's just like differentcomponents of things that you're
(26:59):
doing together.
That's how I met my best friend.
That's my best friend now.
But it was people like me,right, like sensitive, um, they,
they really valued insight andthey like valued vulnerability.
So it was just one of those like, oh shit, like there are other
(27:20):
people like me, and I ended upgetting a tattoo from from that
class, of a Lotus flower and ithas it's red because it stands
for love and compassion, and Igot the words gratitude and
acceptance because it was such amonumental time in my life
(27:40):
where I felt genuine acceptanceand like, again, like I wasn't
the only one, because, as youknow, in Hispanic families like
being sensitive and vulnerable,they're they're not words that
are like taken to an a positive,like people are trying to like,
not be that, like you're nottaught to do those things right.
(28:03):
So I was again, I was a rarityin that regard, so it always
felt like man, like what?
Like why am I like this?
Like because, again, being theonly one.
It was just kind of strange, um.
So, to come around 32 otherpeople that demonstrated those
(28:24):
same qualities, it started toreally feel like I'm gonna be
okay, like it's okay to be thisway, um, and like you can have,
you can find your people, Iguess in a sense this was during
undergrad or grad school thiswas undergrad and so then you
ended up going for grad school.
Raul Lopez (28:43):
How was that experience?
Was it different from what youwere dealing with in undergrad?
Liza Gallo (28:48):
no, I feel like again like, uh, there was still
like some confidence stuff.
Um, I think confidence stuffwas kind of there.
It's still kind of here now,like it's not something that
ever fully goes away.
I think this is the mostconfident I've ever been, um,
but but no, like things startedto really kind of come together
(29:11):
by the time I got to grad schoolbecause, um, I had gotten
offered a job at a mental healthagency and actually I should
speak to that story.
So when I got offered this wasin the middle of grad school I
got offered the position, but Iwent to they send you to go get
(29:32):
like a physical or whatnot andit was at one of those like
whatever clinics or whatnot.
And it was at one of those likewhatever clinics and, um, the
doctor there like they ask youabout your history and I have an
epilepsy diagnosis, um, and Idisclosed to him that my last
one had been in 2010 and this is2016 and there was some sort of
(29:56):
miscommunication.
So then he wouldn't approve meand it turned into a whole thing
.
It turned into like a twomonths ordeal, um, but luckily
that agency like waited it outfor me, like they wanted to hire
me.
so they waited and I gotdocumentation from my
(30:20):
neurologist proving that, likethe last one had been in 2010
and ultimately he was.
He cleared me, um, but I guessthat's like another sort of
thing that like came up as abarrier, right?
But um, it worked out and I gothired um, and at that place,
(30:43):
confidence really started tocome through, because they were
allowing me to do things um taskwise that normally people that
had already graduated with their, with their masters, were doing
.
So I was doing, like, associatelevel work.
You graduate from your master'sprogram.
You're considered an associate.
(31:10):
MFT which is like in training,but they allowed me, so I got
like a head start Nice.
So by the time I got tograduate school, like there were
certain assignments that wewould do and like I even had a
teacher put up an example of oneof the things that we had to do
, as like the way to do it itwas we do like case
conceptualizations.
Uh, again, I'm trying not toget too technical, but um, um,
(31:31):
but that process is reallycomplicated because you have to
take like the theories that Iwas talking about and use it to
describe a client's case and shelike literally, was like I have
no feedback for yours.
And then I did like we would dogroup group counseling, like
role plays, and we had to do onefor our group counseling class,
(31:54):
and even that teacher was likeI couldn't find anything even if
I tried.
So there was just certainskills that I had mastered maybe
not mastered, but mastered more.
Raul Lopez (32:06):
um, that I was like dang but, again, no matter how
much evidence I got, like therewas still like that imposter
syndrome kind of that wouldlinger and be around and creep
in yeah, I mean because you, you, you earlier you talked about
validation and it seems like you, as you get you know, I think
we all get older and we startbecoming more successful in what
(32:26):
we do um, and we know our shit,you know, we start knowing our
shit you get these validationsand they kind of build up and
you're kind of like, okay, Iknow what I'm talking about, and
then you get a little moreself-esteem.
But then there's like that nextstep and you're kind of like I
don't know if I'm ready.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm thereyet.
I don't.
(32:46):
I don't like I, I just I got ajob um a year ago, a new job,
and uh, the first few months waskind of slow.
They hadn't signed a statementwork yet.
I was still waiting to likework for like a couple months.
And I'm like, did I do theright thing?
Do I even know what I'm talkingabout?
And so, like it was too quietfor me that I got in my head for
(33:07):
a month, for two months, that Iwas like, oh my God, what am I
doing here?
And now I'm like kicking ass atthe job.
But it's like it's.
Liza Gallo (33:18):
It's always like that when you start something
new.
So, like my recent, my new,recent thing is is being a
professor, um, and I'll be uh,becoming, uh, hopefully, a
supervisor soon.
But, like it's, it'sremembering that right, like
everything has been new at somepoint.
Like when I first became atherapist, I don't know what the
fuck I was doing, I was scared,like I thought I sucked.
You know, like I, I can't like,and now I'm at a place where,
(33:41):
like I can do it more, just,naturally, without overthinking,
um, and I have to remember,like we have to remember, that
like a lot of the things that wedid were new at some point and
we overcame.
But that imposter syndrome isgoing to creep in a lot of times
(34:01):
when you're doing something new.
Raul Lopez (34:02):
So, uh, that's like my, my, constant battle yeah,
and it's funny, it's a lifelesson I give my daughter all
the time too, because she's abig soccer.
You know she's big into soccerand I'm like you know that's why
you practice.
You get a little bit betterevery day.
Liza Gallo (34:17):
Because you don't know it, you can't you can bit
better every day because youdon't know it.
Raul Lopez (34:19):
You can't come in knowing everything.
You don't know everything.
So it takes time, so it takespractice, and then, as an adult,
I don't tell myself that it'slike I expect myself to know
everything.
Liza Gallo (34:28):
Yeah, I say that all the time.
Like, even as therapists, we'rereally good at giving
suggestions and like promptingclients to do things, and we're
not always good aboutimplementing it.
But I will say that, like my,my clients do hold me
accountable in that way.
So like I talk a lot aboutbeing scared and doing the thing
anyway.
(34:49):
So like I really try to live inthat motto and that's what
pushes me to.
I think old Liz would have beenlike professor yeah right, no,
I'm okay, thanks, you know, likeI probably would have not gone,
for it Found some sort ofjustification in my mind.
But now I'm at a place whereI'm like, oh that, that that
(35:11):
voice is creeping in telling youyou can't do this, you're not
good enough, and I'm able tolike gain control over it
instead of it controlling methat's awesome yeah, it's, I
think that's a hard skill tolearn sometimes it's really
strong and loud.
Raul Lopez (35:29):
It doesn't win as often as it used to yeah, yes,
yes, it's definitely like I saidI, I feel like your story, like
, even though different but I'vedealt with a lot of the similar
feelings of okay, I'm not goodenough, I'm not there yet, and
now it's like, okay, I'm tellingmyself I'm not good enough.
Shut up, raul, you're being anidiot.
Liza Gallo (35:50):
Honestly, that's coming from like things people
have done to us or said to us.
It's not really like what webelieve about ourselves.
Yeah, people have done to us orsaid to us.
It's not really like what webelieve about ourselves.
Yeah, we know to be true.
So um again, otherwise Iwouldn't be where I am right
like.
If that were really true, wouldwe be where we are likely not
(36:11):
we are actually enough yeah,exactly right.
Raul Lopez (36:13):
yeah, we made it this far for a reason, right?
Right, it wasn't by accident,right?
They didn't just drop on ourlap, so we had to work hard for
it.
Yeah, definitely yeah, and it's.
It's great to hear that youknow, um, that you're getting
better at that.
Cause that was one of myquestions I was going to ask you
.
I was like is are you able tohandle your, your self-esteem
issues better now than you didbefore?
Liza Gallo (36:35):
Yeah, because again I think I think the at my core,
like the belief, is moreingrained that I actually am
enough and that I am worthy,versus like I think again, years
past I was believing that Iwasn't enough.
Raul Lopez (36:53):
More like now it's just a belief that creeps in but
like I have a deeper knowingthat it's not true nice, and do
you ever still have any, um,like obstacles that you deal
with now when it comes to, like,your disability with your
career now, or is it kind ofgone out the past now that it's
not a big issue anymore?
Liza Gallo (37:15):
I mean career wise.
I would say no Again.
I really feel like it's anasset to me in this field, I
think barriers are more like inthe personal realm, probably,
but not professional.
Raul Lopez (37:30):
And so you ended up getting a license for what's it
called Mental health and familytherapist.
Licensed marriage and familytherapist?
Yeah, and so what is thatprocess like?
Liza Gallo (37:41):
Oh man, do you got time?
It's, it's very lengthy.
You'll even hear a lot ofpeople like a lot of people will
come up to me like I thoughtabout doing it, but then I saw
everything I had to do and Ididn't know.
So it's a master's program3,000 hours with no pay or very
(38:15):
low pay or lower end pay, and alaw and ethics exam and a
clinical exam.
So for me, I did grad schoolfrom 2015 to 2018 and then, when
we did hours while we were inschool, I did about 800 hours.
Those are the ones that are notpaid while you're in school.
Once you graduate, you canapply for jobs.
(38:37):
You can apply for jobs, but ittook me about so from I
graduated in June of 2018.
And I believe I finished myhours about, like I think it was
2021.
I submitted my application totake the exam in October of 2021
(39:00):
.
So I finished everything by2022.
So it took me seven years to doeverything.
Raul Lopez (39:07):
And did COVID affect anything while you were doing
all that stuff?
Liza Gallo (39:10):
No, because there's telehealth.
So they just sent us home.
Raul Lopez (39:13):
Okay, nice.
Liza Gallo (39:15):
And ever since the pandemic I've been doing all my
sessions virtually.
Nice.
So, yeah, no, it doesn't affectanything.
Good, the pandemic actually ledto the opposite for the field
of therapy versus, like otherfields, like they lost like
(39:36):
opportunities for employment,like we were in high demand.
Raul Lopez (39:39):
Yeah, demand yeah we've been in high demand ever
since yeah, I was gonna say Imean, I think one of the good
things is, telehealth got reallypopular and now people have no
excuse to not see the therapist,and they can.
I was like I don't, you know,you don't have to leave the
house, go, go look for yourtherapist.
Liza Gallo (39:54):
So you would think, but there has been an influx of
clients since then.
Raul Lopez (40:01):
Nice yeah, and you talked about how a lot of the
process is unpaid or low pay.
So what is the?
There's got to be a hugefinancial burden, like trying to
balance working all these carsand like pay your rent and have
to work another job, did you?
Liza Gallo (40:18):
have to do like multiple jobs.
That's the thing.
I was very fortunate I livedwith my aunt at the time and she
was like probably beyond kindto me more than you know is
typical for somebody at that age, because I was what?
So I was in my 30s, um, but Iwas working, um, I was working
(40:48):
full-time up and doing gradschool up until I started to do
my hours.
So we did hours the last ninemonths of the program.
So, so, unfortunately, thatgreat job that I talked to you
about, where they waited twomonths for me, it didn't end
well.
They put me in a position ofeither choosing them or choosing
(41:13):
my practicum, which is where wedo our hours.
They didn't want to be flexible, with me needing to step out
because we have to getsupervision, and they just
decided they didn't want to beflexible with me and told me at
the last minute, rather thanmonths before when I first told
them.
So I was forced to leave thatjob and work part time for the
(41:35):
same company at a differentlocation, but it was only like
20 hours um, so I didn't have alot of income coming in but,
like I said, my aunt wasn'treally charging me a whole lot
um, and if anything, I shouldn'tstart like I didn't start
contributing until I think I gotpaid employment after.
(41:58):
I graduated, but while I was inschool I had that, that support,
and even even just in general,beyond my aunt, like my parents
have always been reallysupportive.
So like, even while you're likeworking before your license
again, you're still not making alot.
(42:19):
So like, for example, when Ilike apply to take my licensing
exam, it was like five hundreddollars, um, there's just a lot
of different things that theycharge you for.
So like my family would supportme with that.
Or you know, if I ever needed,even now, like I just have a
supportive family, so whatever Ineed, obviously I'm not not
(42:39):
doing anything.
So like you're not looking atme like why are we helping you?
Like I've actively been trying.
So, but I have resources.
I feel really for the peoplethat don't have those resources.
I don't know how like I couldnot have worked full time, been
doing those hours for free, likeit's a lot, um, and other
(43:03):
people have the capacity forthat and I commend them, but I I
would not have like something.
I would have messed up onsomething.
I can't have my plate too full.
I've always been that kind ofperson.
Raul Lopez (43:15):
I got you nice.
Nice and so what's what's nextfor your journey?
What's what's the next step forLiz?
Liza Gallo (43:21):
So I'm in a scary place right now.
I'm living in my be scared anddo the thing anyway.
I opened up my own practicelast May.
However, I was still workingfor a group practice.
I didn't really put a lot ofenergy towards it.
I wanted to kind of give myselfthe opportunity to just kind of
(43:44):
have it open and like see whatit felt like.
Um and I did a few podcasts andI had like one client come
through like up until earlierthis year, but I had decided,
like at the end of last year,like I'm I want to go for it.
(44:05):
Um, so I gave myself the timeframe of like by February, march
, I'm going to tell my grouppractice employers like I want
to leave them.
Um, so I did that last month.
Finally, because I have like afriendship with my current
employer, so it's not just likewe're employer, employee, like I
(44:27):
have a, like I really respectthem and and like they've
treated me really well.
So it felt really hard to tellthem that I wanted to leave.
I didn't want to likedisappoint them, I guess.
Um, and they reacted reallykindly and really supportive.
(44:51):
So, um, I'm in the process ofswitching.
Um, I'm actually going to talkto them on Monday to see like
what my last date will be withthem.
But I'm already gettingcredentialed with with um
insurance companies on my ownand I'll stay virtual, just to
kind of um save, save on thatfor now.
Um, but yeah, I'm ready to nothave a boss anymore, aren't?
(45:12):
we all it just feels really niceto kind of be like oh, I don't
have to ask anybody to decidehow I want to do things.
Um, yeah, have to have morefreedom.
Like again, like I'll be, um,because at the with groups, a
lot of the time what's normal isthere's a percentage cut
because they'll do the likeadmin stuff and they, they like
(45:36):
get you clients.
Um, so like I also won't begiving up any percentage of my
income, it'll just all come tome.
Um, so I'm excited.
Like again, I don't know likewhat's next.
Like I've been networking on oninstagram and I found, you know
, a therapist and another, um,another lady that provides
services to those with chronicillness, but she's not a
(45:58):
therapist, she's, she's somebodythat has had to navigate like
the medical system.
So, like we're thinking aboutdoing some collaborations.
Like I don't know, like I wantto get certified in um, um, it's
called emdr.
It's a type of therapy that'sused for trauma, but there's
like different certificationsthat we can get.
So like I want to do that beingon my own allows me to earn
(46:22):
more while working less.
Raul Lopez (46:25):
That sounds good.
Liza Gallo (46:27):
So like I don't feel like I've had the capacity to
do that, because I've had tolike see more clients right,
like I've been working anaverage of like sometimes I
schedule seven clients a day.
It's a lot yeah and are yourclients.
Raul Lopez (46:45):
Come over with you or like uh, a big chunk are good
.
Liza Gallo (46:48):
Yeah, some of them want to, but, um, I'm not taking
on all of the insurancecompanies, so that's really like
the only barrier for some islike I'm not taking their
insurance.
But it's not really nice tohear that they want to follow me
.
I'm like, oh, that it wasanother like and like they don't
know that, but like it's feltvery validating that like people
(47:12):
are like no, we want to followyou nice you talk about
insurance like Is that difficultto get?
So if I had my preference, Iwouldn't go through insurance.
But at this point I feel like Ineed to get my name out more,
(47:33):
and you do that through exposure.
But fortunately for me, I wasconnected with somebody that
does billing with insurance, soshe like I pay her and she does
everything.
So like it's like a like amonthly fee that I'll be paying
for her service, um, and that'sgoing to free up my time to
either do therapy or these otherthings that I'm trying to get
into.
(47:54):
And for some it might feel likea high expense, but in my I'm
like I do not want to deal withthat.
No, like I am all.
It might feel like a highexpense, but it might.
I'm like I do not want to dealwith that.
No, like I am all aboutoutsourcing what I'm not good at
and I don't want to learn it.
I don't know, like I just know.
Raul Lopez (48:11):
Nice, nice, well, you know.
So usually around this point inmy podcast, I ask my last
couple questions for you, and soyou, you know.
I think one of the big ones isif you go back and talk to a
younger version of yourself,what's some advice you'd give
yourself?
Liza Gallo (48:26):
I, I don't know if it's advice, but I would
definitely hope that I couldtell her that she is enough as
she is and that everything isgoing to be okay.
Yeah, she did not feel that wayat all.
She was in it.
Raul Lopez (48:48):
So I, you know, I, I would want to tell her those
two things good, nice and and uh, I'm glad you believe that now
that's a big, big step it tookme a long time.
Yeah, that's progress, sothat's good, I'm really glad.
And then ultimately you knowhow do you say success in
Spanglish.
Liza Gallo (49:10):
I don't know, like, like.
What does success mean to me?
Is that what?
Raul Lopez (49:13):
you mean yeah.
What does success mean to?
Liza Gallo (49:14):
you.
I mean, I think, success to me,because a lot of people focus
on, like, the income aspect,which obviously we need that to
live, but to me success isovercoming, like to have faced
such low self-esteem and just somany things in life telling me,
(49:38):
no, that's not what I wanted,right, or like being restricted,
but like finding a way throughit.
Really to me it's.
It's that idea of being scaredand doing it anyway, because
that's is that's exactly howI've overcome.
And just to share, I got thatidea of of being scared and
(50:01):
doing it anyway from a womancalled Brene Brown.
She has a phrase called daregreatly and that's what it means
to feel afraid but not lettingthe fear stop you.
Yeah, I think if I keep usingthat again, good things keep
happening like it hasn't stopped.
So it's crazy.
(50:23):
But yeah, I think in a big wayand and making a difference to
me is is success like leavingpeople better than than I found
them?
Raul Lopez (50:31):
yes, well yeah thank you for that.
I mean it's great advicebecause it's true.
I mean, if your risk is, youknow I might.
I don't know about my daughter,but one of the things I read
early on is if you let kids jumpoff of things and get hurt,
they gain confidence in takingrisk and that will eventually
(50:54):
grow into becoming less afraidof taking risks and you end up
becoming more successful yeah,they're getting out of that
energy.
Yeah, yeah and it's like, yeah,being afraid is a natural thing
.
Liza Gallo (51:07):
Being able to overcome that fear, to move
something on is what's going tohelp you, you know, succeed it's
an emotion, it doesn't like solike I heard another thing that
says like fear can exist or anemotion can exist, but it
doesn't mean redirection, likeyou can just keep keep going
where you're trying to go, butyou don't have to let the
emotion stop you.
Raul Lopez (51:30):
Well, thank you so much.
I really appreciate youreaching out to me and taking
the time to get on the podcast.
Tell me how can people reachyou?
What's your practice?
Liza Gallo (51:41):
the podcast.
Tell me how can people reachyou?
What's your practice?
So my practice is calledResilient Lotus Psychotherapy
and I have an Instagram.
You just look up that name.
Or if you look me up on Google,like, I have two directories
with Latinx and psychology today, so those should come up.
But if you want to get like agood sense of who I am, then my
Instagram is the place to go.
Raul Lopez (51:57):
Nice, awesome.
Well, thank you so much.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to come to show with me
so.
Liza Gallo (52:03):
I appreciate you for what you do.
This is a really great podcastidea and I think you know again
like we need to hear moresuccess stories for people of
color, for sure.
Raul Lopez (52:11):
Yeah, definitely.
Well, thank you so much.
Enjoy your California weatherso show us much.
Yeah, I moved from Houston upto Connecticut and I'm dealing
with cold all the time.
I'm not having fun.
All right, all right.
Thank you so much, and foreveryone else you know, thanks
again for jumping on andlistening and I hope you join me
(52:32):
again next time as we continueto learn how to say success in
Spanglish.
This is Raul Lopez and you're listening to.
How Do you Save Success inSpanglish?
The path to success isn't easyFor minorities and people of
color.
Many attempt this journey withlittle to no guidance.
Join me as I sit down withindividuals who share their
stories of perseverance so thattogether we can learn how to say
success in Spanglish what'sgood, mi gente, it's your boy,
(00:33):
raul.
Welcome back.
Thanks for coming to the show.
Today I have a very specialguest, liz Gallo.
How's it going, liz?
Welcome to the show.
Liza Gallo (00:43):
How's it going?
Raul Lopez (00:44):
Good.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
I really appreciate you.
For people who are listening,liz was one who graciously hit
me up after, I think, listeningto one of my episodes talk and
we decided it'd be great to haveher on the show.
So she has a great story totell, so I'm really excited of
you being here.
So just to kind of give alittle background on Liz, liz
Gallo is a licensed marriage andfamily therapist with eight
(01:06):
years of experience in themental health field.
She specializes in thosestruggling with chronic
illnesses, has provided serviceswithin the community mental
health and private practicesettings.
Throughout her career she hasworked with adolescents, adults
as well as couples.
She supports her clients withvarious concerns, including
anxiety, depression, grief, lowself-esteem and various forms of
trauma.
She values transparency,quality of care and continuous
(01:30):
growth.
Her hope is to aid her clientsin developing healthier
relationships and increaseself-esteem and authenticity.
Welcome to the show, liz.
Liza Gallo (01:36):
Thanks for having me again.
Like I appreciate anyopportunity I can get to kind of
share my story.
Raul Lopez (01:42):
Like I said, when you hit up and you, you started
talking to me and I was like, ohmy god, yeah, I would love to
have you on the show.
I think there's a lot of youknow.
I think, uh, everybody'sjourney has lessons learned that
we can all learn from, and I'mglad you're willing to share it.
So, with that being said, let'sstart off.
You know, tell me, uh, who isliz gago?
Liza Gallo (01:59):
that's such an interesting question.
I feel like you covered such abig aspect of my identity, which
is being a therapist.
But outside of that, like it'sit's, it's honestly really hard
to kind of answer that questionright, like who are we?
But I guess, in a sense, someof the other roles that I am in
is I'm a friend, I'm a sister,I'm a daughter, you know, um,
(02:24):
and in a sense, like when I talkabout being a therapist, like I
always try to describe thatlike the characteristics of what
it takes to be a therapist,like I feel like I've always
embodied them and that's whatled me to become a therapist.
Like making this world a betterplace has always been something
that has motivated me.
(02:45):
Even when life has gotten hard,it's been one of my most
impactful, like motivatingfactors.
Raul Lopez (02:55):
And so you talk about.
You know when life has beenhard.
So I think one of the thingsthat you mentioned to me is that
you were born with cerebralpalsy and you're also from
California growing up.
What was life?
Were born with cerebral palsyand you're also from California
growing up.
What was life growing up withcerebral palsy?
Liza Gallo (03:09):
It was not fun, I'll tell you that.
So one aspect to really talkabout is whether it was my
immediate family or just likeextended friends and just other
family members.
Like I didn't see anybody elsein my circles that had anything
similar to it, um, so in thatsense it felt kind of lonely, um
(03:32):
, and nobody to really likeconnect with, to understand what
it was like.
Um, there was a lot of teasingthat went on, so like my
siblings would have to kind oflike step in and stand up for me
, because I wasn't really thetype to stand up for myself it's
never been easy for me to dothat, um, but yeah, just kind of
(03:52):
feeling othered a lot of thetime, like again, like the way
that I describe it, and it's inthis show called special on
Netflix.
This guy talks about how becausehe he's the actor in the show
but he has cerebral palsy aswell, so he's speaking from his
own experience of, like you'renot able-bodied enough or normal
(04:13):
enough to fit in with theable-bodied community, but
you're also not impacted by yourdisability significantly, so
you don't fit in with, you know,those within the disabled
community.
Because with cerebral palsyit's like a spectrum spectrum.
It's almost like how you lookat autism, like people land on
more severe sides or less severesides.
Mine is not severe at all.
(04:34):
Um, the biggest thing is I walkwith a limp because it affects
the right side of my body, butit's not as um severe as I'm
saying, as like other cases canbe.
Like because some, some peoplewith cp but the cp is short for
cerebral palsy um are inwheelchairs or use some sort of
(04:57):
assisted, maybe a cane or justother devices like that.
Um, so it's like I've alwaysfelt like where do I fit in?
Because, sometimes even tryingto fit in with those that are
quote unquote, normal, which Idon't really like.
Raul Lopez (05:11):
that word I just I wouldn't, you know, I think for
a lot of people, especially likeLatinos, and you're Mexican,
right.
Liza Gallo (05:24):
Yeah.
Raul Lopez (05:28):
Okay, yeah, so you know, I think for a lot of us we
we tend to have that strugglejust from like identity as far
as a Latino in America, and thenyou're adding an additional
layer to that as well as havingsomeone with disability you know
what?
Liza Gallo (05:37):
I never had that as far as like being Hispanic, like
I don't feel like I struggledin that regard, I think more so,
the struggle in that area waslike the differing values
between me and like, for example, my dad, but like as far as
fitting, I guess maybe it'sbecause I don't even my
complexion doesn't really, youknow, show that I'm hispanic,
(06:01):
yeah, um, but uh, I don Likethat could be part of it, but I
never felt like I didn't fit in,like the culture has always
been just something naturallythat's a part of me and that I
enjoy, but I never had toexperience that struggle of
where do I belong there?
It was more so, I think, withmy disability.
It was more present.
Raul Lopez (06:22):
Okay, nice, and so as far as your disability goes,
did people ever have differentexpectations of you because of
your disability?
Liza Gallo (06:31):
I think there were some accommodations made.
I think Physically I couldn'tdo certain things.
There are still certain thingsthat I can't do.
So even in PE class they wouldalways just like, like, for
example, if the kids had to runa mile by the time I walked, so
they would run four laps, but bythe time I walked two they were
(06:53):
done with running their fourthlap.
So I mean again, so I alwaysvalidate that like, even in a
situation like mine, there'scertain privileges, right like
they would.
Teachers would give me a pass um, but as a student, academically
, I always struggled.
I can't really tell you if thatwas um connected to like me
(07:18):
having CP.
But like CP is physical 100%.
It doesn't always.
It can affect intellect, but Ican't really tell you that it
affected mine.
But just, I wasn't the beststudent growing up.
So I think there was likeaccommodations and or
adjustments and expectationsthere because I struggled, but I
can't really confirm that itwas because I had CP.
(07:40):
I think it was just like I justwasn't demonstrating to be like
a top notch student back then.
I was very distracted.
Raul Lopez (07:51):
Very distracted.
I was horrible early on.
I stayed back in first grade.
I was such a troublemaker.
Liza Gallo (07:58):
My teachers would let my mom know that I would
kind of daydream and stuff.
But, I just wouldn't graspthings, to be honest, like I
kind of was not great at school,probably up until I got to
learning about my profession.
Yeah, because, that's what Iactually love to learn.
Raul Lopez (08:17):
Everything else was hard yeah, I mean, sometimes
that's what it takes.
Sometimes it's when you startlearning about something you
love.
Where you actually care aboutit is where it matters.
Otherwise, you know, you'rejust kind of like whatever this?
Liza Gallo (08:29):
is even even now, that's probably the only thing
that I really like.
Am like really, I guess in asense smart about like, if you
ask me like other random generalknowledge, like I don't know,
but if you ask me like you knowcounseling theories, I can talk
about it at the drop of a hat.
Raul Lopez (08:46):
So I mean, that's what you want from your
therapist right.
I don't care if you give popculture references or know the
history of Europe, as long asyou know how to help out with
being a therapist.
So I'm glad to hear it well.
I mean it is your passion.
So what drove you into beingthat passion?
Liza Gallo (09:03):
So the origin story of that is I was in the eighth
grade and they had career dayand the principal, her sister,
came.
So the principal's sister was asocial worker and she spoke
about her job as a social workerand it just sparked something.
I was like, oh, that soundsinteresting.
(09:24):
I had never heard anythingabout helping professions, I
think before that point, andever since then I had told
myself I want to be a socialworker and that didn't change.
I was pretty solid, like nobodycould change my mind.
I was like I'm gonna be asocial worker, I'm gonna help
(09:44):
kids in DCFS, which isDepartment of Children and
Family Services.
But I took a class in undergradthat was like group therapy and
I got exposed to counselingtheories and we actually got to
like implement them and see thembe used.
So I switched to therapy atthat point.
Raul Lopez (10:08):
Nice, and is that when you started getting better
at school as well, Like once youfigured out hey, this is what I
like.
I knew I needed to get betterin school to get to college.
Liza Gallo (10:15):
I think that's what it was, because it really
sparked something, because partof it is like hopefully I don't
get too technical with this, butlike when you start learning
about counseling theories, whata counseling theory is is each
one has its own description ofwhat causes problems to arise
for people and, ultimately, howto help the person work through
(10:38):
it.
So it's like a different anglewith each one.
Okay, with each one okay and Iremember learning about adlerian
theory, which is from alfredadler, and I just was like I saw
myself in some of what he wastalking about.
So it felt almost validating,so like I must not be the only
one, and just a sense of insightfor me, um, and learning about
(11:01):
myself has always been fun.
Like I, I like to make thoseconnections like why, like the
why of why I do the things thatI do, trying to understand those
around me.
So it really offered that to meand I think that's what made it
exciting.
And during that time I also justdid a lot of personal work with
that group class, so there wasa lot of processing and healing
(11:25):
happening.
So that's kind of what I thinkalso drew me to therapy.
It just felt more intimate andI like intimacy versus social
work.
A lot of times social workerscan look at the bigger picture
like more organizations or justbigger groups, but I like the
(11:47):
aspect of it being one-on-one.
Raul Lopez (11:49):
So it was kind of like a self-feeding machine
where you were learning, usingwhat you've learned to improve
yourself and making you want tolearn more and improve other
people's life kind of deal.
Liza Gallo (12:01):
Yeah, like it was, it was serving both of those
angles.
Raul Lopez (12:05):
Nice, nice, and do you think that, with everything
that you've dealt with with youruh, your disability has allowed
you to become um more available, like with with other people,
like being able to help them outbetter?
Liza Gallo (12:21):
Yeah, I think so.
Um, I think in a sense, itelevated my sense of empathy.
Um, because there was just somany different things going on
that were difficult and scarythat, like, um, it helps me,
like what I always describe tomy clients in a sense, is like
our experiences are going to bedifferent, maybe even slightly
(12:43):
similar, but, regardless of thedifference, what is going to
always be the same as theemotions that we experience.
So, because I had such immenseexperience causing these
emotions early on, like it justled to a deep understanding of
like what that feels like andlike what you most need during
(13:04):
those moments of struggle, whichis just somebody to sit with
you, to validate you, like thatis so impactful.
So, because I had a desire anda need for those things.
When people are in a place ofstruggle, that's all I want to
provide them was what I needed.
Raul Lopez (13:20):
And when you were dealing with all your stuff, was
validation something that youwere missing?
Liza Gallo (13:25):
Yes, to some degree.
Yeah, I think it's hard.
I always say that holding spacefor people, even with all the
skills and where I'm at now,it's uncomfortable when you see
someone in such immense pain.
Yeah, because, as a therapist,you're going to hear some pretty
rough stories.
Yeah, because, as a therapist,you're going to hear some pretty
(13:47):
rough stories and, like, youthink you're prepared but you'll
just like hear a story all of asudden and it's hard because
even when it happens for me allthe time, even now, like I,
sometimes, when there's astruggle, I go into fixing Like
that's how I know I'm feelinguncomfortable and it's a point
of me catching myself of like no, like that may not be what the
(14:08):
person needs or sometimes theytell me like I don't need that.
Raul Lopez (14:13):
But I think it's really easy as a human being to
go into fixing and I know for um, probably it's something that
therapists need to learn isstopping yourself from wanting
to fix Cause I think for a lotof us, we listen to stuff and
our first instinct is, like yousaid, oh well stop doing that or
(14:33):
do it this way or doing that,and that's not what they want.
You know what I mean.
Liza Gallo (14:36):
So but I think you know, again, like, I think it's,
it's understandable, Likeobviously we have a job where we
need to be more mindful of it,but even if I do, I'm just
compassionate towards myselfbecause it's hard, like this
work is hard, life is hard.
I always say like because lifeis so hard, we don't like also
(14:59):
need to be like in a funny way,like assholes to ourself about
it.
You know, like it's okay to be,be compassionate, like I didn't
do it intentionally and I, whenI do do that, go into fixing,
like I'll check in with theclient, I acknowledge it, I
apologize, you know, and I doall of those necessary things.
Raul Lopez (15:21):
But again, we're flawed human beings so we're not
always going to get it rightand that's okay, and you
mentioned in our pre-interviewthat when we talked beforehand
that one of the challenges youdealt with while you were
growing up was barriers.
Can you elaborate on that?
Liza Gallo (15:37):
Well, it wasn't even just in like childhood, but I
think just my whole generalexperience with having a
disability.
Again, it's like themisconceptions that people can
have of you.
Like I don't really knowsometimes what people think, but
there was like teasing thatwould happen.
(15:59):
So, like again, like I wouldn'tfeel like that connection with
people and it sort of led to adecrease in my self esteem which
ultimately in the long run Ithink, really affected the
trajectory of how things playedout for me.
Like I think in fact my lack ofself esteem is what like led to
(16:21):
me taking quote unquote longerto get to where I am, because I
always tell people like I'm lateto the game.
I got my license as a therapistprobably 10 years late compared
to most people.
Most people are like 25.
I was like 36 when I got mylicense but like I think I
didn't have the confidence toreally go for things.
(16:42):
I would talk myself out of itand just that feeling of not
being good enough.
And then, even as I got olderand I tried to get jobs, there
was like discrimination and itwas.
It was mental health relatedjobs, but I just could not get
in the door so I was stuckworking at Walmart for quite
(17:05):
some time.
I spent like 10 years there andI felt like I was never going
to get out, so like, just like,in a sense, lack of opportunity.
But, fortunate for me, I foundthis field where, like, my
physical limitations are notreally relevant, like I still
(17:27):
kick ass, even though it's not aphysical job, it's more, you
know, mental, and I'm reallygrateful for that because I
don't have to worry about that.
Like getting in the way.
It actually serves me, like it'sa point of like, like that's an
asset in this field so it'sreally nice, it's really
(17:51):
empowering to have it feel thatway versus like it's going to be
something that gets you likeoff the list having a chance, um
, but yeah, I would say like,just the discrimination and the
teasing are two big ones for me.
Raul Lopez (18:09):
And when you would get teased and things like that
you mentioned, you had yoursiblings help out.
Liza Gallo (18:16):
Yeah, so I'm a twin with my brother and my older
sister.
They were pretty good atstepping in and it's not
something that I would reallylike ask for.
It was just kind of like thatwas their response.
But, like I said, I just Iwouldn't like it when it would
(18:38):
happen.
But I just I think again therewas just that lack of confidence
to actually speak up about whatI was feeling about it.
So I never would.
Even I think now when peoplelike I try to push myself to now
, but I can't say that it's easy, even for me now.
Raul Lopez (18:55):
It's easy, even for me now, yeah, and when your
family helped out and yourthings like that did that kind
of help give you some of thatvalidation that you say you were
not feeling all the time Likedid you feel validated when they
defended you.
Liza Gallo (19:07):
I mean it felt nice to have somebody like stand up
for me of course, yeah, but Ithink part of me back then would
feel bad because I couldn't doit, like there was this sense of
like again.
Not that they would say this ishow I'm kind of interpreting it
when I was younger of, like man, they have to do it because I
(19:35):
can't.
Raul Lopez (19:36):
So kind of like feeling negatively towards
myself about it, Okay, and Iknow you talked about your
self-esteem being a barrier andI think you touched you know it
was a good point you brought upwhere it's like you deal with
kind of like the confidence toeven like reach out for a new
job and you get stuck in thething, and so you talked about
working at Walmart like whathelped motivate you to get like,
(19:58):
improve on that and work onyour self-esteem when you were
in those, in those slumps.
Liza Gallo (20:05):
Wanting to help people.
Yeah it was always that, likeI've always conveyed that, even
in the darkest of times, like inthe face of like whatever
adversity it was, that wouldjust always come back to the
front of my mind of like I wantto do that.
And even when I was working atWalmart, I would tell people
like I'm going to be a therapist.
(20:26):
I didn't know fucking how I wasgoing to do it because, like, I
didn't really know and I didn'treally know anybody that was a
therapist, but I was like I'mgonna do it and it's.
It was really nice because onceI like went through the whole
process, like I had a therapist,but I was like I'm going to do
it.
And it was really nice becauseonce I like went through the
whole process, like I had afriend that worked with me there
and she's like you said you didwhat you said you were going to
do and I did.
Raul Lopez (20:47):
Nice.
Liza Gallo (20:48):
That's awesome.
Raul Lopez (20:49):
And so when you went to college, were you still
struggling academically incollege?
Liza Gallo (21:00):
were you still struggling academically in
college?
Uh yeah, so part of my storythat I like to not be shy about
is there was a couple classes Ihad to take more than once.
There was one I had to do threetimes, and which is political
science, and I think I tookstatistics twice okay yeah, so
essentially to get out ofcommunity college, I think it
took me four years instead oftwo, and then I spent another
(21:23):
four years, I think, finishingup the rest.
So in total it's I spent eightyears to get my bachelor's
degree yeah I mean I tookpolitical science in statistics
it was a lot of memorizing inthat political science class.
Raul Lopez (21:40):
Yeah, I mean, I started chemistry pre-med at
first and so that just destroyedmy lifestyle completely.
But I took statistics, thinkingit would be easier than
calculus, and I was likedestroyed again.
I was like, whoa, this is notwhat I thought it was going to
be.
But you know what?
Liza Gallo (21:57):
destroyed.
Again I was like whoa, but thisis not what I thought it was
going to be.
So but you know what, like I, Iget a lot of younger clients
and I really enjoy it becausethere's like this pressure to
get it right the first time andI can't fail and I really get to
use my story as like a way tonormalize not getting it right
(22:18):
right away and I always tellthem like it's different if you
didn't try.
But you know, maybe you weren'tin the right headspace, right,
but like if you really triedyour best with where you are,
then that's all we have, right.
And like again, I know everyfield is different and some of
them do focus on grades.
So I don't encourage clients tolike not give a shit and not
(22:41):
get good grades, but like, ifyou happen to get one C or one B
instead of all A's, right, likethat's not going to be on your
degree.
So like, because people don'tunderstand like the level of
pressure with that like willlead you to mess up more.
Mm, hmm, yep.
(23:03):
Yep.
So I'm always trying to findways to alleviate the pressure.
Raul Lopez (23:09):
It's funny the way you put it, because it was kind
of an epiphany I had when I gotto like my junior year of like
college, where I kind of stoppedgiving a shit and started doing
better.
Like I was just like I'm notgoing to finish this paper on
time, I'm going to hand it inlate.
And I'd you know I'd hand it inthree days late and I'd go from
an a minus to a b plus asopposed to a d if I would have
(23:32):
handed it in on time.
You know, and it's like I kindof was just like let me take
this pressure off and as Istopped giving a shit, I just
kind of started.
Liza Gallo (23:41):
We want to not give a shit, but not like not give a
shit 100 yeah, you want to givea shit, but you don't.
Raul Lopez (23:46):
You don't.
I didn't like I was going fromcomplete panic attacks and
anxiety.
You know my freshman year overevery every test, and now I'm
like I studied for the night.
Whatever I get is what you know.
And then I went into the test,I got a good night's sleep and
then I get an 80, you know, asopposed to you go unclear minded
instead of stressed out andoverthinking.
(24:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Liza Gallo (24:08):
That's what I try to help my younger clients with.
Raul Lopez (24:11):
And it's true, cause I mean, like my freshman year I
just I would be studying for myexam and you know, biology,
chemistry, all that stuff was alot of information.
You're looking like a thousandthings and we're going to test
you on 25 things, but I wouldget like an hour in and then
panic for six hours and notaccomplish anything.
You know, I just spent sixhours saying I'm going to fail,
I'm not going to do this.
(24:31):
So yeah, it's true.
I mean it's.
You know, your mental statewhen you're dealing with these
things really make a difference.
Liza Gallo (24:38):
It's funny with school I was always like I don't
retain outside of therapy.
If it's therapy related, I willretain more, but if it's like a
general ed class like I couldcram and do well on an exam.
Raul Lopez (24:55):
But if I don't care about it, I won't retain it.
Liza Gallo (24:58):
That's one thing Like general information.
If you ask me like I'm tryingto do calculations in my mind, I
can't I'll use my calculator.
But like there's things inundergrad that I learned that I
still remember.
Raul Lopez (25:12):
I think it's a big common issue in college.
I know we can probably go on awhole different discussion on
like how college works and havelike a three hour podcast just
on that.
But you know, I mean, just inchemistry, pre-med, you know you
take an exam and the averagewas a 45, you know what I mean.
And that's the curve to a C, soit's like most people fail and
that's the passing grade.
(25:32):
So it's like you know.
But yeah, we can go into like awhole different thing with that
.
But uh, but uh, what were?
Were there any other obstaclesin college for you?
I know you were uh taking awhile educationally, I mean
academically I mean I don't know, I feel like college was really
where.
Liza Gallo (25:53):
So again, like I did that class.
But that class so you took it afirst time and you just
participated.
You got to split off into agroup of eight people and you
had like a different groupdiscussion every week.
But then at the end of thesemester they asked everybody
that were taking that class asmembers Do you want to become a
(26:14):
group leader the followingsemester?
Do you want to become a groupleader the following semester?
And when they asked us thatfirst time, I was like this like
yeah, no, yeah, no, I didn't.
Um, and the two group leadersthat were in my group like wrote
me a note saying like we reallythink you should.
Like you were our like all-starmember.
So like just do it.
(26:39):
And I was like fuck it, okay,I'll do it like I was scared,
but I did it anyway and, um, sothen you end up like having a
group of like 32 leaders thatyou get to hang out with because
you take classes together.
There's just like differentcomponents of things that you're
(26:59):
doing together.
That's how I met my best friend.
That's my best friend now.
But it was people like me,right, like sensitive, um, they,
they really valued insight andthey like valued vulnerability.
So it was just one of those like, oh shit, like there are other
(27:20):
people like me, and I ended upgetting a tattoo from from that
class, of a Lotus flower and ithas it's red because it stands
for love and compassion, and Igot the words gratitude and
acceptance because it was such amonumental time in my life
(27:40):
where I felt genuine acceptanceand like, again, like I wasn't
the only one, because, as youknow, in Hispanic families like
being sensitive and vulnerable,they're they're not words that
are like taken to an a positive,like people are trying to like,
not be that, like you're nottaught to do those things right.
(28:03):
So I was again, I was a rarityin that regard, so it always
felt like man, like what?
Like why am I like this?
Like because, again, being theonly one.
It was just kind of strange, um.
So, to come around 32 otherpeople that demonstrated those
(28:24):
same qualities, it started toreally feel like I'm gonna be
okay, like it's okay to be thisway, um, and like you can have,
you can find your people, Iguess in a sense this was during
undergrad or grad school thiswas undergrad and so then you
ended up going for grad school.
Raul Lopez (28:43):
How was that experience?
Was it different from what youwere dealing with in undergrad?
Liza Gallo (28:48):
no, I feel like again like, uh, there was still
like some confidence stuff.
Um, I think confidence stuffwas kind of there.
It's still kind of here now,like it's not something that
ever fully goes away.
I think this is the mostconfident I've ever been, um,
but but no, like things startedto really kind of come together
(29:11):
by the time I got to grad schoolbecause, um, I had gotten
offered a job at a mental healthagency and actually I should
speak to that story.
So when I got offered this wasin the middle of grad school I
got offered the position, but Iwent to they send you to go get
(29:32):
like a physical or whatnot andit was at one of those like
whatever clinics or whatnot.
And it was at one of those likewhatever clinics and, um, the
doctor there like they ask youabout your history and I have an
epilepsy diagnosis, um, and Idisclosed to him that my last
one had been in 2010 and this is2016 and there was some sort of
(29:56):
miscommunication.
So then he wouldn't approve meand it turned into a whole thing
.
It turned into like a twomonths ordeal, um, but luckily
that agency like waited it outfor me, like they wanted to hire
me.
so they waited and I gotdocumentation from my
(30:20):
neurologist proving that, likethe last one had been in 2010
and ultimately he was.
He cleared me, um, but I guessthat's like another sort of
thing that like came up as abarrier, right?
But um, it worked out and I gothired um, and at that place,
(30:43):
confidence really started tocome through, because they were
allowing me to do things um taskwise that normally people that
had already graduated with their, with their masters, were doing
.
So I was doing, like, associatelevel work.
You graduate from your master'sprogram.
You're considered an associate.
(31:10):
MFT which is like in training,but they allowed me, so I got
like a head start Nice.
So by the time I got tograduate school, like there were
certain assignments that wewould do and like I even had a
teacher put up an example of oneof the things that we had to do
, as like the way to do it itwas we do like case
conceptualizations.
Uh, again, I'm trying not toget too technical, but um, um,
(31:31):
but that process is reallycomplicated because you have to
take like the theories that Iwas talking about and use it to
describe a client's case and shelike literally, was like I have
no feedback for yours.
And then I did like we would dogroup group counseling, like
role plays, and we had to do onefor our group counseling class,
(31:54):
and even that teacher was likeI couldn't find anything even if
I tried.
So there was just certainskills that I had mastered maybe
not mastered, but mastered more.
Raul Lopez (32:06):
um, that I was like dang but, again, no matter how
much evidence I got, like therewas still like that imposter
syndrome kind of that wouldlinger and be around and creep
in yeah, I mean because you, you, you earlier you talked about
validation and it seems like you, as you get you know, I think
we all get older and we startbecoming more successful in what
(32:26):
we do um, and we know our shit,you know, we start knowing our
shit you get these validationsand they kind of build up and
you're kind of like, okay, Iknow what I'm talking about, and
then you get a little moreself-esteem.
But then there's like that nextstep and you're kind of like I
don't know if I'm ready.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm thereyet.
I don't.
(32:46):
I don't like I, I just I got ajob um a year ago, a new job,
and uh, the first few months waskind of slow.
They hadn't signed a statementwork yet.
I was still waiting to likework for like a couple months.
And I'm like, did I do theright thing?
Do I even know what I'm talkingabout?
And so, like it was too quietfor me that I got in my head for
(33:07):
a month, for two months, that Iwas like, oh my God, what am I
doing here?
And now I'm like kicking ass atthe job.
But it's like it's.
Liza Gallo (33:18):
It's always like that when you start something
new.
So, like my recent, my new,recent thing is is being a
professor, um, and I'll be uh,becoming, uh, hopefully, a
supervisor soon.
But, like it's, it'sremembering that right, like
everything has been new at somepoint.
Like when I first became atherapist, I don't know what the
fuck I was doing, I was scared,like I thought I sucked.
You know, like I, I can't like,and now I'm at a place where,
(33:41):
like I can do it more, just,naturally, without overthinking,
um, and I have to remember,like we have to remember, that
like a lot of the things that wedid were new at some point and
we overcame.
But that imposter syndrome isgoing to creep in a lot of times
(34:01):
when you're doing something new.
Raul Lopez (34:02):
So, uh, that's like my, my, constant battle yeah,
and it's funny, it's a lifelesson I give my daughter all
the time too, because she's abig soccer.
You know she's big into soccerand I'm like you know that's why
you practice.
You get a little bit betterevery day.
Liza Gallo (34:17):
Because you don't know it, you can't you can bit
better every day because youdon't know it.
Raul Lopez (34:19):
You can't come in knowing everything.
You don't know everything.
So it takes time, so it takespractice, and then, as an adult,
I don't tell myself that it'slike I expect myself to know
everything.
Liza Gallo (34:28):
Yeah, I say that all the time.
Like, even as therapists, we'rereally good at giving
suggestions and like promptingclients to do things, and we're
not always good aboutimplementing it.
But I will say that, like my,my clients do hold me
accountable in that way.
So like I talk a lot aboutbeing scared and doing the thing
anyway.
(34:49):
So like I really try to live inthat motto and that's what
pushes me to.
I think old Liz would have beenlike professor yeah right, no,
I'm okay, thanks, you know, likeI probably would have not gone,
for it Found some sort ofjustification in my mind.
But now I'm at a place whereI'm like, oh that, that that
(35:11):
voice is creeping in telling youyou can't do this, you're not
good enough, and I'm able tolike gain control over it
instead of it controlling methat's awesome yeah, it's, I
think that's a hard skill tolearn sometimes it's really
strong and loud.
Raul Lopez (35:29):
It doesn't win as often as it used to yeah, yes,
yes, it's definitely like I saidI, I feel like your story, like
, even though different but I'vedealt with a lot of the similar
feelings of okay, I'm not goodenough, I'm not there yet, and
now it's like, okay, I'm tellingmyself I'm not good enough.
Shut up, raul, you're being anidiot.
Liza Gallo (35:50):
Honestly, that's coming from like things people
have done to us or said to us.
It's not really like what webelieve about ourselves.
Yeah, people have done to us orsaid to us.
It's not really like what webelieve about ourselves.
Yeah, we know to be true.
So um again, otherwise Iwouldn't be where I am right
like.
If that were really true, wouldwe be where we are likely not
(36:11):
we are actually enough yeah,exactly right.
Raul Lopez (36:13):
yeah, we made it this far for a reason, right?
Right, it wasn't by accident,right?
They didn't just drop on ourlap, so we had to work hard for
it.
Yeah, definitely yeah, and it's.
It's great to hear that youknow, um, that you're getting
better at that.
Cause that was one of myquestions I was going to ask you
.
I was like is are you able tohandle your, your self-esteem
issues better now than you didbefore?
Liza Gallo (36:35):
Yeah, because again I think I think the at my core,
like the belief, is moreingrained that I actually am
enough and that I am worthy,versus like I think again, years
past I was believing that Iwasn't enough.
Raul Lopez (36:53):
More like now it's just a belief that creeps in but
like I have a deeper knowingthat it's not true nice, and do
you ever still have any, um,like obstacles that you deal
with now when it comes to, like,your disability with your
career now, or is it kind ofgone out the past now that it's
not a big issue anymore?
Liza Gallo (37:15):
I mean career wise.
I would say no Again.
I really feel like it's anasset to me in this field, I
think barriers are more like inthe personal realm, probably,
but not professional.
Raul Lopez (37:30):
And so you ended up getting a license for what's it
called Mental health and familytherapist.
Licensed marriage and familytherapist?
Yeah, and so what is thatprocess like?
Liza Gallo (37:41):
Oh man, do you got time?
It's, it's very lengthy.
You'll even hear a lot ofpeople like a lot of people will
come up to me like I thoughtabout doing it, but then I saw
everything I had to do and Ididn't know.
So it's a master's program3,000 hours with no pay or very
(38:15):
low pay or lower end pay, and alaw and ethics exam and a
clinical exam.
So for me, I did grad schoolfrom 2015 to 2018 and then, when
we did hours while we were inschool, I did about 800 hours.
Those are the ones that are notpaid while you're in school.
Once you graduate, you canapply for jobs.
(38:37):
You can apply for jobs, but ittook me about so from I
graduated in June of 2018.
And I believe I finished myhours about, like I think it was
2021.
I submitted my application totake the exam in October of 2021
(39:00):
.
So I finished everything by2022.
So it took me seven years to doeverything.
Raul Lopez (39:07):
And did COVID affect anything while you were doing
all that stuff?
Liza Gallo (39:10):
No, because there's telehealth.
So they just sent us home.
Raul Lopez (39:13):
Okay, nice.
Liza Gallo (39:15):
And ever since the pandemic I've been doing all my
sessions virtually.
Nice.
So, yeah, no, it doesn't affectanything.
Good, the pandemic actually ledto the opposite for the field
of therapy versus, like otherfields, like they lost like
(39:36):
opportunities for employment,like we were in high demand.
Raul Lopez (39:39):
Yeah, demand yeah we've been in high demand ever
since yeah, I was gonna say Imean, I think one of the good
things is, telehealth got reallypopular and now people have no
excuse to not see the therapist,and they can.
I was like I don't, you know,you don't have to leave the
house, go, go look for yourtherapist.
Liza Gallo (39:54):
So you would think, but there has been an influx of
clients since then.
Raul Lopez (40:01):
Nice yeah, and you talked about how a lot of the
process is unpaid or low pay.
So what is the?
There's got to be a hugefinancial burden, like trying to
balance working all these carsand like pay your rent and have
to work another job, did you?
Liza Gallo (40:18):
have to do like multiple jobs.
That's the thing.
I was very fortunate I livedwith my aunt at the time and she
was like probably beyond kindto me more than you know is
typical for somebody at that age, because I was what?
So I was in my 30s, um, but Iwas working, um, I was working
(40:48):
full-time up and doing gradschool up until I started to do
my hours.
So we did hours the last ninemonths of the program.
So, so, unfortunately, thatgreat job that I talked to you
about, where they waited twomonths for me, it didn't end
well.
They put me in a position ofeither choosing them or choosing
(41:13):
my practicum, which is where wedo our hours.
They didn't want to be flexible, with me needing to step out
because we have to getsupervision, and they just
decided they didn't want to beflexible with me and told me at
the last minute, rather thanmonths before when I first told
them.
So I was forced to leave thatjob and work part time for the
(41:35):
same company at a differentlocation, but it was only like
20 hours um, so I didn't have alot of income coming in but,
like I said, my aunt wasn'treally charging me a whole lot
um, and if anything, I shouldn'tstart like I didn't start
contributing until I think I gotpaid employment after.
(41:58):
I graduated, but while I was inschool I had that, that support,
and even even just in general,beyond my aunt, like my parents
have always been reallysupportive.
So like, even while you're likeworking before your license
again, you're still not making alot.
(42:19):
So like, for example, when Ilike apply to take my licensing
exam, it was like five hundreddollars, um, there's just a lot
of different things that theycharge you for.
So like my family would supportme with that.
Or you know, if I ever needed,even now, like I just have a
supportive family, so whatever Ineed, obviously I'm not not
(42:39):
doing anything.
So like you're not looking atme like why are we helping you?
Like I've actively been trying.
So, but I have resources.
I feel really for the peoplethat don't have those resources.
I don't know how like I couldnot have worked full time, been
doing those hours for free, likeit's a lot, um, and other
(43:03):
people have the capacity forthat and I commend them, but I I
would not have like something.
I would have messed up onsomething.
I can't have my plate too full.
I've always been that kind ofperson.
Raul Lopez (43:15):
I got you nice.
Nice and so what's what's nextfor your journey?
What's what's the next step forLiz?
Liza Gallo (43:21):
So I'm in a scary place right now.
I'm living in my be scared anddo the thing anyway.
I opened up my own practicelast May.
However, I was still workingfor a group practice.
I didn't really put a lot ofenergy towards it.
I wanted to kind of give myselfthe opportunity to just kind of
(43:44):
have it open and like see whatit felt like.
Um and I did a few podcasts andI had like one client come
through like up until earlierthis year, but I had decided,
like at the end of last year,like I'm I want to go for it.
(44:05):
Um, so I gave myself the timeframe of like by February, march
, I'm going to tell my grouppractice employers like I want
to leave them.
Um, so I did that last month.
Finally, because I have like afriendship with my current
employer, so it's not just likewe're employer, employee, like I
(44:27):
have a, like I really respectthem and and like they've
treated me really well.
So it felt really hard to tellthem that I wanted to leave.
I didn't want to likedisappoint them, I guess.
Um, and they reacted reallykindly and really supportive.
(44:51):
So, um, I'm in the process ofswitching.
Um, I'm actually going to talkto them on Monday to see like
what my last date will be withthem.
But I'm already gettingcredentialed with with um
insurance companies on my ownand I'll stay virtual, just to
kind of um save, save on thatfor now.
Um, but yeah, I'm ready to nothave a boss anymore, aren't?
(45:12):
we all it just feels really niceto kind of be like oh, I don't
have to ask anybody to decidehow I want to do things.
Um, yeah, have to have morefreedom.
Like again, like I'll be, um,because at the with groups, a
lot of the time what's normal isthere's a percentage cut
because they'll do the likeadmin stuff and they, they like
(45:36):
get you clients.
Um, so like I also won't begiving up any percentage of my
income, it'll just all come tome.
Um, so I'm excited.
Like again, I don't know likewhat's next.
Like I've been networking on oninstagram and I found, you know
, a therapist and another, um,another lady that provides
services to those with chronicillness, but she's not a
(45:58):
therapist, she's, she's somebodythat has had to navigate like
the medical system.
So, like we're thinking aboutdoing some collaborations.
Like I don't know, like I wantto get certified in um, um, it's
called emdr.
It's a type of therapy that'sused for trauma, but there's
like different certificationsthat we can get.
So like I want to do that beingon my own allows me to earn
(46:22):
more while working less.
Raul Lopez (46:25):
That sounds good.
Liza Gallo (46:27):
So like I don't feel like I've had the capacity to
do that, because I've had tolike see more clients right,
like I've been working anaverage of like sometimes I
schedule seven clients a day.
It's a lot yeah and are yourclients.
Raul Lopez (46:45):
Come over with you or like uh, a big chunk are good
.
Liza Gallo (46:48):
Yeah, some of them want to, but, um, I'm not taking
on all of the insurancecompanies, so that's really like
the only barrier for some islike I'm not taking their
insurance.
But it's not really nice tohear that they want to follow me
.
I'm like, oh, that it wasanother like and like they don't
know that, but like it's feltvery validating that like people
(47:12):
are like no, we want to followyou nice you talk about
insurance like Is that difficultto get?
So if I had my preference, Iwouldn't go through insurance.
But at this point I feel like Ineed to get my name out more,
(47:33):
and you do that through exposure.
But fortunately for me, I wasconnected with somebody that
does billing with insurance, soshe like I pay her and she does
everything.
So like it's like a like amonthly fee that I'll be paying
for her service, um, and that'sgoing to free up my time to
either do therapy or these otherthings that I'm trying to get
into.
(47:54):
And for some it might feel likea high expense, but in my I'm
like I do not want to deal withthat.
No, like I am all.
It might feel like a highexpense, but it might.
I'm like I do not want to dealwith that.
No, like I am all aboutoutsourcing what I'm not good at
and I don't want to learn it.
I don't know, like I just know.
Raul Lopez (48:11):
Nice, nice, well, you know.
So usually around this point inmy podcast, I ask my last
couple questions for you, and soyou, you know.
I think one of the big ones isif you go back and talk to a
younger version of yourself,what's some advice you'd give
yourself?
Liza Gallo (48:26):
I, I don't know if it's advice, but I would
definitely hope that I couldtell her that she is enough as
she is and that everything isgoing to be okay.
Yeah, she did not feel that wayat all.
She was in it.
Raul Lopez (48:48):
So I, you know, I, I would want to tell her those
two things good, nice and and uh, I'm glad you believe that now
that's a big, big step it tookme a long time.
Yeah, that's progress, sothat's good, I'm really glad.
And then ultimately you knowhow do you say success in
Spanglish.
Liza Gallo (49:10):
I don't know, like, like.
What does success mean to me?
Is that what?
Raul Lopez (49:13):
you mean yeah.
What does success mean to?
Liza Gallo (49:14):
you.
I mean, I think, success to me,because a lot of people focus
on, like, the income aspect,which obviously we need that to
live, but to me success isovercoming, like to have faced
such low self-esteem and just somany things in life telling me,
(49:38):
no, that's not what I wanted,right, or like being restricted,
but like finding a way throughit.
Really to me it's.
It's that idea of being scaredand doing it anyway, because
that's is that's exactly howI've overcome.
And just to share, I got thatidea of of being scared and
(50:01):
doing it anyway from a womancalled Brene Brown.
She has a phrase called daregreatly and that's what it means
to feel afraid but not lettingthe fear stop you.
Yeah, I think if I keep usingthat again, good things keep
happening like it hasn't stopped.
So it's crazy.
(50:23):
But yeah, I think in a big wayand and making a difference to
me is is success like leavingpeople better than than I found
them?
Raul Lopez (50:31):
yes, well yeah thank you for that.
I mean it's great advicebecause it's true.
I mean, if your risk is, youknow I might.
I don't know about my daughter,but one of the things I read
early on is if you let kids jumpoff of things and get hurt,
they gain confidence in takingrisk and that will eventually
(50:54):
grow into becoming less afraidof taking risks and you end up
becoming more successful yeah,they're getting out of that
energy.
Yeah, yeah and it's like, yeah,being afraid is a natural thing
.
Liza Gallo (51:07):
Being able to overcome that fear, to move
something on is what's going tohelp you, you know, succeed it's
an emotion, it doesn't like solike I heard another thing that
says like fear can exist or anemotion can exist, but it
doesn't mean redirection, likeyou can just keep keep going
where you're trying to go, butyou don't have to let the
emotion stop you.
Raul Lopez (51:30):
Well, thank you so much.
I really appreciate youreaching out to me and taking
the time to get on the podcast.
Tell me how can people reachyou?
What's your practice?
Liza Gallo (51:41):
the podcast.
Tell me how can people reachyou?
What's your practice?
So my practice is calledResilient Lotus Psychotherapy
and I have an Instagram.
You just look up that name.
Or if you look me up on Google,like, I have two directories
with Latinx and psychology today, so those should come up.
But if you want to get like agood sense of who I am, then my
Instagram is the place to go.
Raul Lopez (51:57):
Nice, awesome.
Well, thank you so much.
I really appreciate you takingthe time to come to show with me
so.
Liza Gallo (52:03):
I appreciate you for what you do.
This is a really great podcastidea and I think you know again
like we need to hear moresuccess stories for people of
color, for sure.
Raul Lopez (52:11):
Yeah, definitely.
Well, thank you so much.
Enjoy your California weatherso show us much.
Yeah, I moved from Houston upto Connecticut and I'm dealing
with cold all the time.
I'm not having fun.
All right, all right.
Thank you so much, and foreveryone else you know, thanks
again for jumping on andlistening and I hope you join me
(52:32):
again next time as we continueto learn how to say success in
Spanglish.
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