We had the good fortune of connecting with Esther De La Rosa Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Esther De La Rosa, what is the most important factor behind your success?

Part of what makes us successful with our clients is that Positive Actions International takes an action-oriented, step-by-step approach to helping individuals reach their goals. Our clients develop a plan and timeline with an achievable end in sight, which motivates our clients to invest in themselves and reach their goals. Positive Actions International uses a strength-based approach to help clients discover their strengths and resourcefulness,

Another component is the multicultural skills Positive Actions International offers. Working with people around the world has afforded us a unique perspective on the core issues impacting human emotions, offering us a unique ability to provide effective treatment solutions to complicated problems.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

What sets us apart is that at Positive Actions International we focus on the full spectrum of life including emotional, spiritual, professional and relationship with self and others.  Human beings are body, mind and soul, and we integrate all three during our counseling sessions.  This holistic approach helps our clients to work not only on the emotional challenge that brought them in, but also on the larger task of becoming a better person in all areas of their lives. We have clients that came to treat their depression symptoms wanting to “smile again” and left our office not only with the regained ability to “smile again” but also with a new commitment to be a better father, a better husband, a better son, a better brother, a better friend, a better community member. And that benefits all of us because a better individual makes us a better community. A healthier  individual makes us a healthier community.

We are truly passionate about serving our clients, but we are most excited about being a “Holder of Hope” for our clients. When people are experiencing emotional pain, the brain distorts time, producing statements such as “I’ll never love again,” “It’s all the same,” “I always get hurt,” et cetera. Being a holder of hope means helping our clients see the light at the end of the tunnel and reminding them of the basics of the human experience: we all have our ups and downs. The pain they may be experiencing at that moment will not last forever. We are also excited about spreading the word about the benefits of mental health. We have partnered with the City of Arlington in issuing proclamations, declaring May 14 Mental Health Day for Arlington residents.  In September we hold the “Together for Mental Health” symposium, a community-wide event that brings together doctors, judges, political leaders, entertainers, church pastors and community members to address the mental health needs in our community.

Was it easy? Challenges are present in any field, but mental health faces resistance and in many cases has to overcome stigma, and the misunderstanding about the difference between mental health and mental illness. We work with community leaders, local radio and TV networks through our “Together for Mental Health” events, on issues impacting mental health as a community, because we know that healthy individuals make healthy communities. We also speak for professional audiences, and regularly contribute to Counseling Today Magazine in an effort to promote mental health services not just as a treatment option, but also as a prevention tool.

The question of how did we get where we are today is always challenging to answer in brief because there are so many things that contributed to bring us here. But I will say that it has been a combination of faith, desire, and efforts. I graduated with a double major in Business Administration and Psychology because I started my career education in the Dominican Republic as a business major. Even though psychology has always been my passion, counseling is something that most people put off, especially in my beloved, third-world-country island, so a business degree seemed to give me more options. But God has a way of giving you the desires of your heart when you put Him first, and I was blessed with a scholarship to come to the United States to study. When the opportunity presented itself, the choice was easy, psychology was what I wanted to do, and I did.

I married a Naval Aviator, and military deployments kept us moving to different duty stations every 2-3 years. With all the different state and country licensure requirements for counseling, having a double major served me well. I was able to use my business degree to work as director for programs that served families and individuals in crisis. Then in 2014 we returned to the United States and I was finally able to settle and apply for licensure in Texas.

Was it easy? Although it seems as if every move and every step was purposely orchestrated to bring us to where we are today, there were many moments of frustration and fear, especially, when it comes to leaving a comfortable paycheck as Business Director with a big organization to become a single therapist at your own practice. But faith, desire and efforts made all the difference for us. There were many lessons learned, including that balance does not mean equal!! Lessons that now we share with our clients.

In terms of what I would like the world to know about us? Our passion is to provide counseling services that help our clients achieve a more meaningful, well-balanced life. Our approach is structured and evidence-based, with an emphasis on understanding behavior and monitoring progress. A typical course of treatment at Positive Actions International takes clients through four phases:

1) Intake and evaluation; building a relationship that provides hope.
2) Discovery and planning; focusing on the emotional, relational and spiritual areas of the client’s life, their thoughts about the problem and what concrete steps can be taken to improve their situation.
3) Training and building; developing the skills needed to better manage their situation and build their preferred future
4) Reflection and reinforcement; understanding how they have positively changed, emphasizing the new skills they have gained to help them live a more meaningful, well balanced life.

We offer counseling services to individuals, couples and families and our specialty areas includes:

Marital and Premarital counseling
Anxiety, Grief, and Depression
Military Families
Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
Stress Management and Coping
Difficult Break-ups
Family conflict
Cross-cultural relationships
Divorce/Contemplating Divorce
Life Transitions and Personal Growth
Assertiveness Skills

When providing consulting services and corporate training we focus on:

Motivating Underachievers
Conflict Resolution
Dealing with Difficult Clients and Situations
Listening Skills for Supervisors
Work-Life Balance and Performance

Part of our goal is to spread the word about the benefits of mental health treatment not only to correct emotional issues, but also to prevent mental health difficulties and improve overall health.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Dallas Fort Worth area provides such a unique experience for visitors’ and locals. I would probably start with the Rodeo, followed by a fun walk by the Stockyards and ending the evening at Billy Bob’s. This place offers such fun and great live concerts, not to mention their free line-dancing tips. The next day it will be off to the Dallas Arboretum! The Dallas Arboretum is one of my favorite places! It’s a relaxing and beautiful place for family time, couples getaway, individual reflection, and even selfies and professional photos!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

There are so many people that have contributed to our success, but I must start with Dr. Rod Stafford, who saw potential in me when I was a young student. He advocated for me to come to America to complete my educational career at Anderson University in Indiana. I earned a double Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Business Administration, but Anderson University did much more than trained my intellect, it trained me spiritually and emotionally as well. It gave me a set of business ethics that seeks human flourishing and wellbeing above profits or bottom-line reports. There, I received the support of incredible professors including Doyle Lucas, Jerry Fox, Linda Swindell, James Lewis, Becky Haskett and Timothy Fox.

Then, there are personal friends such as DeLana Borja, Holly Coe, Carolyn Ansley, Donna Stafford and Charity Moretti, whose encouragement carried me during the challenging seasons of life. And of course incredible mentors and supervisors like Ronna Huckaby and Dr. Linda Metcalf, who have taught me so much and enhanced my professional growth. My husband, John Scott, who not only believes in my dreams, but has the magical ability of making them come true! It is his Naval Aviator career that allowed me to travel and live in different parts of the world, giving me the privilege of serving individuals and families in Italy, Greece, Bahrain, and Japan. Next, I must mention my parents and my siblings who have been incredible supporters and cheerleaders!  At the logistic level, Positive Actions International works at an office with a wonderful team who works hard not only to keep our beautiful building and front office organized, but also to support the vision and mission of providing counseling service for a more meaningful, well balanced life.

Website: https://positiveactionsinternational.com/

Instagram: www.Instragram.com/positiveactionsinternational

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-de-la-rosa-scott-48819670/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/positiveactionsinternational

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/positive-actions-international-arlington

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC13Vb8p3BuL9kAMX1thkMpA

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