3: Thomas Florez – A Revealing Journey on How to Become a Passionate Counselor and Therapist

In this interview, Thomas Florez discusses the significant events and people that led him to become a passionate counselor and therapist later in life. Armed with a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Doane College, he reveals how his real-life experiences and multiple licensures and certificates have helped him relate to, and connect with, his clients to help them create their own success story. Tom also offers advice to those interested in becoming a counselor and shares how he decided what graduate school to attend. He has worked in various hospitals, rehabilitation and treatment centers including the Friendship House, St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Hall County Detention Center, and Horizon Recovery Center. Tom worked as a dual diagnosis outpatient counselor and therapist at Mid-Plains Center for Behavioral Health and Professional Care Counseling before taking a position at Richard Young Hospital as a therapist. He has worked with the Aftercare-In-Action organization to help inmates make the transition from being incarcerated to re-entering the community. Tom now works at Alfrey and Florez Counseling in Grand Island, NE helping his clients find their authentic, genuine selves while changing their direction in life. Tom attended Doane College where he received a B.A. in Human Relations and an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. He is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). Tom is also a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist (CSOTS). https://vimeo.com/453419455 Interests and Specializations Tom specializes in addiction issues and family/couples conflict. He works with adolescent behavioral issues and is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug counselor as well as a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist. He is also trained in the area of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Education Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Human Relations (2010); Doane College.Master of Arts (M.A.), Mental Health Counseling (2013); Doane College. Counseling Certificates and Licensure LIMHP – Licensed Independent Mental Health PractitionerLADC – Licensed Alcohol and Drug CounselorCSOTS – Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist Links Mentioned in the Podcast https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-florez-plmhp-ladc-2b623228/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/tom-florez-grand-island-ne/394304https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/alfrey-and-florez-counseling-grand-island-ne/742598https://alfreyflorezcounsling.com/ Podcast Transcription BradleyWelcome to the Master's in Psychology podcast where psychology students can learn from psychologists, educators, and practitioners to better understand what they do, how they got there and hear the advice they have for those interested in getting a master's degree in psychology or related field. I'm your host, Brad Schumacher and today we have the privilege of talking with Mr. Tom Florez. After graduating from Grand Island Senior High, Tom attended Chapman University before attending Doane College where he received a B.A. in Human Relations and an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. Tom is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). He is also a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist (CSOTS). Tom has worked in various hospitals, rehabilitation and treatment centers, and has worked with the Aftercare-In-Action organization to help inmates make the transition from being incarcerated to re-entering the community. We are excited to have Tom as a guest as we know some of our audience may be interested in becoming counselors. Tom, welcome to our podcast.ThomasThank you Brad for having me, I appreciate it.BradleyWell, to start off, again I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with us today and I, as I said, most of our listeners are going to benefit from ...