I have two jobs, a few side gigs. See the PROJECTS tab on my website, to see what I’m up to!
The bread and butter of what I do, is that I see clients for relationship issues, what’s at play in both their personal and professional lives.
Job 1. Therapist
I’m employed at a private practice in the Chicago area. I’m licensed for clinical work in the state of Illinois, only see IL residents in-person in Oakbrook and tele-session wherever they are in the state of Illinois.
Job 2. Life Coach
This is my business that I launched in April 2020. I can see anyone via tele session, I’ve had clients from 17 states and Canada. The goal: clients from all 50 US states and an expansion of international clients.
SAME
I’m the same, with both my therapy and life coach clients. The main difference is that the Life Coach I own, I don’t take clinical, don’t see children, have clients from all over the United States, with the ability to see anyone in the world. I want to branch out to corporate work, and I want to have an office for in-person sessions too. Life Coach is my business, also my priority.
I wear both the clinical hat of Therapist in IL and also do non-clinical work in my Life Coach. For my business, Life Coach, the availability is to anyone, anywhere in the world. I know that people are curious, especially those who’ve never gone to therapy. You see the stereotypical jokes on fake news and TV, counseling is deemed unnecessary, by the degenerates who don’t want you to get help. I want to combat that image, I want therapy to be mainstream and normalized. I want it to be so accepted, that you casually ask “Who’s your Therapist” and when someone is having a divorce, break-up, affair et cetera the GO TO response is “I hope you find a good Therapist.” I want this mainstream and normalized, that you look for the most competent Therapist that you can find because you’re smart.
With every profession, you have the bad, mediocre and Top Tier. For this work, you want competence because it matters. It’s not like a minor mess up, buying the wrong color shirt, oh well. This affects your family, yourself and your life. It matters a lot.
I know people are curious. That’s why I’ve put on my Rumble channel, 3 videos that are the Therapist Take. Click on the below links to watch.
Therapist Take: Couples Counseling
Therapist Take: What keeps you up at night
People are curious. Perhaps they’ve gone to therapy themselves or just see the stereotypical descriptions, where therapy is the punchline of jokes. Unless you do this job, you don’t actually know what it’s like. I’m going to give you a sneak peak behind the curtain, what it’s like from the perspective of the Therapist.
COUPLES COUNSELING
Watch the video, both partners in a relationship, need to be willing to work. That’s baseline, that’s what I’m explaining in that clip.
These are the Top Three things that you may find fascinating about couples counseling.
Couples come too late, often when things are at damn crisis level. Caught in an affair, ready to file for divorce, bitter beyond repair. That’s when you show up. It’s not impossible, but it’s an uphill battle, if you wait until its almost too late. I recommend couples go to counseling before you hit the brick wall or before the fire is out of control. Do not wait, pro tip.
This is what another Therapist taught me about couples counseling, its gospel. You teach couples how to communicate and how to fight. If they can do that, they have a fighting shot at making their relationship work.
Couples counseling is my personal favorite. For therapy, I would love it, if I only took new clients who’re coming for couples counseling. I want to be at the point, where I will only take new individual clients when they’re returning clients or direct referrals of my prior clients. My preference for new clients, are couples, it’s my niche. Not everyone wants to do this work as it’s complex. Instead of 1 person’s history, bias, experiences now you have 2 people’s stuff to contend with. It’s dynamic, live in front of you and very nuanced work. The more complex the better, that’s why I like it, the results can also be the most satisfying.
Watch the video. The baseline is that you must both come to work. There’s no such thing as only one person at fault in the relationship. It takes two to tango.
I am really good at what I do, I am a competent Therapist. But there is nothing I can do, if one partner has a “hands off” attitude and is unwilling to work. There isn’t a therapist on the planet, that can make you want this marriage, if you’re already “out” in your mind. If you won’t do the work, the relationship is probably toast. Many times, couples come when only one partner wants to save it or as a last-ditch hail Mary before they call it quits. I will be honest with you, I do not lie to my clients, that’s usually not a relationship that can be saved. You both fight for it, you both want it, you both do the work, or expect the dumpster fire to continue. There is nothing I can do, until both partners get on board, that they’re both responsible for the repair of the relationship.
I love couples counseling, the complexity is my idea of fun. The couples I work with who save their relationship, laugh and cry, they do the work. It’s a pleasure to help if I can. I love it. Relationships are my lane, I will always and forever be #TeamRomance
rhmaldonado.com
Photo: June 2024, the cover shot for my video on Rumble
Therapist Take: Couples Counseling
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