Meet Amanda Esquivel | Owner & Lead Counselor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Esquivel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I began working in the mental health field when I was 19 and still in college. I worked in various levels of care including a rehab for adults with addiction and with suicidal and psychotic clients in the hospital setting. I saw a lot about the field that I didn’t like. I saw how the people who needed help the most didn’t have access to it and I saw how some of my peers were burned out and unable to provide the quality care people deserved. 10 years ago this experience merged with becoming a mother and something had to change. So with a newborn I quit my job and started my practice. I remained solo for a few years and began expanding in order to employ counselors in training. We now have 4 locations and 32 counselors and counting!

What should our readers know about your business?
I opened Room for Change 10 years ago where we offer mental health and substance use counseling to individuals, couples, and families. We’ve grown from just me to 32+ counselors across 4 locations and have staff in 3 other states (Colorado, Oregon, and Louisiana). Our reach is what makes me most proud. We reach new counselors in the field by being a training site to them before they graduate and we reach far many more clients with 32 counselors than I ever could as a solo provider. RFC is a legacy I plan to leave on this world.

Getting here has not been easy. Beyond a competitive masters degree and 3,000 hours to accrue my license, I stepped into business ownership with 0% business knowledge. You see, in our masters programs they make us into counselors, not good business people. And the very things that make us good counselors can actually make us terrible business owners. The bleeding heart causes tons of clinicians to have to close their doors. Requiring payment for services is one of the hardest parts of working in this field. Insurance companies pay terribly and make it hard to recoup cost and clients are often struggling financially. To hold firm boundaries with clients about finances is a daily struggle. I know I have to hold firm because if I don’t, it will negatively impact our ability to continue serving clients.

I want the world to know they don’t have to struggle alone. I know that Room for Change has some of the best counselors North Texas has to offer, however I’m not competitive with other practices. There is a mental health provider shortage in Texas, so whether they come to us or to another provider, it’s about getting people the care they need and deserve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m really spoiled in that we live on the lake (Lake Ray Hubbard) and we are very close to our neighbors. So if we were inviting friends from out of town we would suggest coming in the warm months so we can show them a good time out on the lake and in a good ol’ fashioned backyard BBQ with our neighbors. We enjoy going out to the Harbor in Rockwall to relax on the boat and listen to their outdoor music series.

I’d then take them up to Denton for one of the many outdoor festivals they have, followed by Grapevine for good local food and drinks, then to Klyde Warren park for food trucks and to the Perot Museum. If they are a bargain hunter I’d take them out to Canton for first Monday or if they are more the outdoorsy type, I’d take them to the arboretum and White Rock Lake for a walk or bike ride.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to make this shout out to my husband. He is my best friend and biggest cheerleader. Chad and I have been together for 18 years and he has never wavered in his support. When I first shared with him that I wanted to start my business he held us down financially for me to do so. Two and a half years ago he took his support to the next level by coming onboard as staff, where he focuses on administrative management. He is a humble man, always giving credit to me for the success of the business, however without his support I would never be able to accomplish all that I have.

Website: www.roomforchange.info

Instagram: room.for.change

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-esquivel-b61bab41/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roomforchangeRFC