The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Hosted by Founder and CEO of Comfort Measures Consulting LLC, Norman Harris. The Official Healthcare Edutainment station. Empowering listeners with the knowledge and resources to age comfortably. The podcast platform will uniquely provide laughter, peace, joy, resources and most of all COMFORT. Fostering professional partnerships and engaging the audience by providing them access to a REAL family-like conversation. That gives them the REAL reasons. Connects them to REAL reliable resources. To get REAL results. For REAL Comfort! Through interviews with C-suite healthcare leaders, experts, caregivers, founders, authors, educators, and thought leaders who are doing incredible work for older adults, family caregivers, and the healthcare community.
The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Mental Health Matters w/ Dr. Patricia Hernandez Poudevida
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Discover the incredible journey of Dr. Patricia Hernandez-Poudevida, a clinical psychologist who has navigated cultural transitions and professional landscapes with grace and ingenuity. During our conversation, Dr. Hernandez-Poudevida shares her story from her educational roots at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico to her transformative experiences in Iowa and Florida. Listen as she recounts the influential mentorship that shaped her focus on ADHD assessment and the heartwarming hospitality of Iowans that stood in stark contrast to the harsh winters.
Dr. Hernandez-Poudevida's entrepreneurial spirit shines as she discusses the founding of her private mental health practice in 2019. We delve into the challenges she faced, from overcoming accessibility barriers in mental health to the steep learning curve of transitioning into business management. Her story highlights the crucial role of mentorship and support systems, especially her spouse’s unwavering encouragement, that fueled her journey into entrepreneurship.
The episode wraps up with an exploration of Dr. Hernandez-Poudevida’s integrated healthcare approach at her joint practice. Together with her husband, she offers a harmonious blend of medical and psychological care, creating a uniquely compassionate environment for elderly patients. Through personal anecdotes, Dr. Hernandez-Povita emphasizes the importance of respect and deep understanding in dementia care, bringing to life the profound impact of collaborative healthcare on patient wellbeing.
Welcome to another episode of the let's Get Comfy podcast. Florida numbers one healthcare edutainment station. I'm your host and sole proprietor, norman Harris, so glad for you to join us again. We're a home of peace, joy, love, but, most of all, comfort Today. I have a special guest with me today, dr Patricia Hernandez-Povita. Povita, yes, Povita, good job. See, we've practiced this before the camera started rolling, but hey, I still miss up. Sorry, it was fine, I apologize. Porta Vida is fine. Thank you so much for joining. You're the owner, right, yes, of Mother, my Psychology. Yes, I am Right, I wanted to have you on the show one to discuss One. Well, you know what. I'm just going to start off like this Tell the audience who you are and what you do.
Speaker 2I'm a clinical psychologist. I'm licensed in the state of Florida, I have my private practice, I do in my private practice individual, I do testing. I graduated in 2008, so not that long ago, okay, 2008.
Speaker 2If you say so From El Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. Then I worked there for four to five years in Jauco that's another town hospital inpatient unit and then we moved to Iowa in 2013. That's interesting but not so interesting story, I think. We moved to Iowa. There I did my postdoc and it was especially in ADHD assessment. I wanted to really get good at doing psychological assessment and I had a great mentor there and she helped me a lot with that. After my intern, my postdoc, I graduated that, I did my licensing and then we moved to Florida in 2017 or 2016.
Speaker 1Oh, wow, okay.
Speaker 2And I've been in private practice since 2019 here 2019.
Speaker 1Thank you, thank you. That's very impressive. Now, why did you choose?
Speaker 2Iowa. Iowa was kind of like a throw in the dark kind of a situation Really. Me and my husband. My husband is a medical doctor, so he finished his residency and we wanted to move out of Puerto Rico and we had a couple of offers. He had a couple of offers.
Speaker 2Oh okay, one was in Colorado and the other one was in Iowa and I think another place around that time. I don't know if you remember a shooting that happened in Colorado in a movie theater. It was a while ago, I won't lie, I don't remember. Anyways, and we were like, oh, maybe not Colorado, let's just go here. And we went there for the interview. Everybody said we went for the interview in June or July and everybody we met said, oh, it's going to get really cold. And it's really cold. I'm like how cold can it get?
Speaker 1Like really, how bad can it get?
Speaker 2We'll just wear jackets, whatever it got cold Different type of cold. Yes, a different type of cold, but we were there for four years, four years.
Speaker 1Okay, and now you mentioned your mentor. Now, do you mind just expounding on that person?
Speaker 2Her name is Johnson. She married Amanda Johnson.
Speaker 1Amanda Johnson.
Speaker 2She married him. She has a different last name and, um, she's an amazing. She's a really amazing person. She's one of those people that you're like. You're so good and so kind.
Speaker 2There must be something wrong with you, wrong with you, but no, she was really nice and kind and helpful and she taught me so much and I really love her to death because she gave me an opportunity when nobody knew me. Um, I was new in that place. Nobody knew who I was. You know, I was a hispanic, uh, a professional woman in a mainly a white kind of um a town, because it was mutant, of course. You know about mutant is a very popular little town that nobody knows about, but they gave me an opportunity.
Speaker 1I'm very grateful for them they were, and I love them very much so right.
Speaker 1I always say and I said this in many episodes is that, a lot of times, all you use one chance, somebody just give you one opportunity that changes your life, changes your just your trajectory and that changes your life, changes your trajectory, and it changes your family, ultimately, right, yeah, and my first actually guest on the show was a gentleman, reginald Eldridge, who opened the door to me to even get into the healthcare space in general. And that one opportunity, so that's why I wanted to make sure you highlighted that person as well. So how was it? Living in Iowa, though?
Speaker 2It was interesting. I think the first thing that I noticed about Iowa was that everybody was friendly. When I was out, we left the house and our neighbors would pass by and go like, and I was like, do you know them? I don't know them.
Speaker 1Like I don't know why they're saying hi.
Speaker 2They were generally nice and high and curious about who you were Iowa. We lived in Marshalltown, Iowa. It's a small town and people are really friendly and nice and it's really cold in winter and the winters are very long and I never got used to that Really. First winter, the first little spe, very long and I didn't.
Speaker 2I never got used to that really first winter, the first little speckles of snow, oh, I cried really like, oh my god, this is so beautiful. And then the snow piled up and it got black and wet and cold and nobody liked the snow no so I have an embarrassing confession.
Speaker 1So I'm 36 years old. I still haven't seen snow. What never, never seen snow, what Never, never seen snow. Okay, you can talk about me, all you want Somebody.
Speaker 2please take him to see some snow.
Speaker 1I know, I know, man, I've never seen snow, but I said I would not have. My kids have that same sort of life as well, so it's like I'm dedicated to make sure they get an opportunity to make a snow angel and a snowman, you know.
Speaker 2But yeah, I never saw snow before. It's nice, but my experience, I didn't love it. When my kids wanted to go outside to play in the snow, it was not like, oh my God, let's go. It's like, why, why God? I did not like the snow, but they liked it. And my dog, my dog? I thought my dog would hate it. I had a boxer, um, and we tried to dress him up appropriately to go out playing the snow. He wouldn't have any of that, he would just run and he, like I don't know, piled like deep in the snow and the kids were playing.
Speaker 2It was. They had a great time.
Speaker 1They had a great time. So maybe I think I would. I was about to say I think it would take me back to what I've always wanted to experience and I would do mine in a trip, so I wouldn't be moving to somewhere where it snows.
Speaker 2See, that's a good idea.
Speaker 1See, you know what I mean. So yeah, that's how I want to experience it. Then I think when, after I moved to Tampa back home, I'm from Tallahassee, Quincy, actually, Quincy Florida it's snow there, but now I'm down here in Tampa, Florida, it's like I still didn't get a chance to experience it and my mom, brother's sending me all the pictures of the snow. I'm like still didn't get to see all them scenes of snow and I'm still the only one in my family.
Speaker 2Well, we'll get to it.
Speaker 1This is a good year for you to go see some sun. Okay, all right, good, I'll do that. So I want to get into your hobbies, things that you like to do enjoy for the audience and share.
Speaker 2Just to know a little bit about the person Hobbies I don't have a lot of time for hobbies and I say that and close my eyes because I want to, but when I do, I like kayaking a lot.
Speaker 1Really.
Speaker 2But when I do, I like kayaking a lot. Really, I went kayaking in the springs.
Speaker 1And I've always wanted to go kayaking Crystal River or here in.
Speaker 2Florida, here in Florida, in Wikiwaki, wikiwachi.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And I went kayaking in Puerto Rico, but I wanted to do it in the ocean Right, but in Puerto Rico I went in the river to do it in the ocean right, but in Puerto.
Speaker 2Rico, I went in a river it was in the ocean, got it okay, in Puerto, in here. I went, uh, solo kayaking, because my husband doesn't like the water he doesn't, you know, he doesn't swim and um, so I went, I'm like you know, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this all by myself. There's a group of people that go that do this. So I went, I'm like you know, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this all by myself. There's a group of people that go that do this. So I went and it was super fun and when I was in it I was in a two people kayak, but I was by myself. So at first it's like, ah, this is so much fun right in the middle of it, what am I doing this?
Speaker 2is so hard and I was the last one in the group and I was like I'll catch up with you guys. Yeah, I'll catch up with you, but it was fun, that's good though I like doing that, I like working out. I used to like martial arts at one point but then I got old and I dislocated a shoulder and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1You're not old. How did you dislocate your shoulder? What?
Speaker 2you was doing the first time. It was so stupid. The first time I dislocated my shoulder was because my daughter was a little baby and then she started crying and I had long pajamas on pants and I slipped and I put my hand in the bed and like something happened and my shoulder dislocated. So my husband was sleeping. I was like Jada, jada come my shoulder and he was half asleep. He woke up like what, oh, my shoulder, my shoulder? And he kind of like, put it back in place, went back to bed. I was like oh, okay, wow. And then it happened again when I was doing uh, uh, martial arts and we were trying to MMA and all that kind of stuff and I I wanted to take him down, mma and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2I wanted to take him down but he's tall and he didn't let me win and I kind of really tried to win for it and then my shoulder went out again and since then this thing hasn't been the same Did he feel bad? No, no, he doesn't. He didn't, no, he doesn't.
Speaker 1Dr Vasquez.
Speaker 2Yes, dr Vasquez, it's his fault.
Speaker 1It's his fault. It's his fault On record. Oh man, not really. That's good that you all have fun like that, yes, but thank you for sharing. So I'm going to get this to break. We're breaking the ice, so I want to continue with doing so. So I have a game we're going to play. It's called this or that. Okay, okay, okay, all right. Uh, if you could eat, uh, one dish or one meal every single day, what would it be?
Speaker 2Oof, see you, I'm a food human I love. You can tell Um I would eat something that I cannot eat ever again, cause my mom used to make it and she's not alive anymore. She used to make. Um, I have to think it in Spanish, so I'm going to go.
Speaker 1We can do the caption Carne mechada.
Speaker 2I don't know how to say that in English Carne mechada with white rice and beans, and I think this is a Dominican thing, that we like bananas, not plantains.
Speaker 1Not plantains.
Speaker 2Bananas with rice and beans. Oh okay, that's so good.
Speaker 1In fact, just yesterday we just had some Spanish rice, Puerto Rico rice, but it was really good. She made the sauce, my friend's wife. She made the sauce in like the blender with the I don't know all the ingredients, but it was really good. I don't even like rice like that, but that rice was really good, to be honest.
Speaker 2So that's what I would have every day if I could.
Speaker 1Really, you said your mom made it. I was about to say that's boring.
Speaker 2It's delicious, that's because he haven't had it.
Speaker 1You're right, you're going to make him some.
Speaker 1No, you're right, you're gonna make some. No, I can't, that's not the best way. Can she make something please? No, he can't, he can't. Yes, all right, I can't have it, but thank you. I think that's good, though. My next one is if you have one date, right that, uh, dr basket to take you on, where would it be one day, only one day, 24 hours. You have to come back home afterwards. What would you do one day, one date, date date. Yep, like a date, like date day date date.
Speaker 2We've done a lot of cool things. We've been to fights, we've been to um, we went. We used to go dancing a lot, so I love to go dancing. You love to go dancing, oh yeah. So I would take him dancing and not like just as a club dancing like reggaeton and all that kind of stuff. Oh yeah, got it, that's where we're going to go. I like dancing a lot, so I would definitely go dancing and have a really nice meal when exactly I don't know.
Speaker 1It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2It doesn't matter where geographically, but if I could do those things, have a nice dinner and desserts I had a pear dessert once. I've never had that again. It was delicious.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2But I love chocolate, so it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1I love chocolate too.
Speaker 2And dancing, and going, dancing, and dancing, going, dancing.
Speaker 1All right. Favorite genre of music Oof that's difficult.
Speaker 2I like music. I like a lot of merengue salsa. I like reggaeton. I like rock. Really, yes, I like everything. I love rock. Really, yes, I like everything. I love music. I like old Frank Sinatra things. Yeah, I love music.
Speaker 1That's good.
Speaker 2Country music. I'm not a fan of.
Speaker 1But there are certain songs. Maybe there are certain songs, yeah.
Speaker 2Jolene. I do this because she used to. I forget her name, but she used to sing and go like this with her nails. The person that sings that song Jolene. I do this because she used to. I forget her name, but she used to sing and go like this with her nails. The person that sings that's Jolene.
Speaker 1Yeah, I'm not just. You're far ahead of me.
Speaker 2Anyways.
Entrepreneurial Spirit in Mental Health
Speaker 1Yeah, thank you. That's good. That's good. So we're going to get into career mode, right, and just what you do on a daily. So what inspired you to focus on your own practice? You started your private practice in 2019, right. So what just led you to do that?
Speaker 2Well, last time I worked for somebody I'm not going to say who she was, a very a lady that you would look up to, right, she had two practices and she made it seem so easy, like I'm like, if she can do it, I can do it. So in a way she inspired me to do my own practice because I saw her do it, with such of course there were issues and troubles and whatnot, and it's not like she made it seem it was an easy thing, but it just made it seem like something I could do. And I talked to my husband and I thankfully I had his support at the time, because it's hard to do that, so he stayed working where he was and I could start this venture with doing my own practice. And that's why I did it, because I thought for the first time that it was something that I could. You know, this is something I can do.
Speaker 2So you did it and I did, you did yes, congratulations to you.
Speaker 1Congratulations to you, proud about that, you should be, you should be. And congratulations to uh Dr Vasquez as well, because there's a lot of challenges that come into play when you're starting your own business. Yes, so I do admire the entrepreneurial spirit that you both possess, but also the camaraderie and the team that you all have as well. Just being that power couple together.
Speaker 2Yeah, we've been a couple since 2000. Wow, we started dating in 1999 and we became a couple in 2000 and we've been together ever since, with ups and downs and everything in between. But it is very, it is not easy, but it almost seems like I told you, possible to do this kind of thing when you have support, possible to do this kind of thing when you have support, so, and to have that, that risk spirit, a high risk spirit.
Speaker 1So, because I think we're both like that and we just said, why not? Let's make it happen. Good, good, congratulations to you both. My next question is just more so about what are some of the most common health concerns or health challenges you see as mental health challenges, I should say.
Speaker 2Well, there's many, I would say. Accessibility to mental health service is one of them, both from the economical insurance and a cultural, personal perspective. Economical, because not everybody can pay for a therapy session. Insurance, because insurance makes it difficult for both the professional and sometimes the people to have access to the services. It's not as easy because not a lot of professionals have or take insurance, so it makes still difficult for a lot of people to recognize that they need services and then to understand what it will do for them.
Speaker 1Right, yes, that's a big piece too, just understanding how psychology, clinical psychology, actually impacts you from a mental health standpoint, and then it being common as well in society in general. So what got you to? What, would you say, changed just the most about yourself pursuing this business, the business?
Cultivating Mentorship in Healthcare
Speaker 2The business and the profession are different. So, pursuing the business, I had to learn so many things that I didn't know. I didn't know because to start a business, you, I studied psychology. I didn't take a break, like, I went from school to to undergrad, to grad. I did six years I didn't take a break. So I was a student, oh, forever right, and I knew psychology right. I can say I know my, my profession right. But the business side of it is a completely different story. Um, you have to understand so many things that I didn't, and how to, how to start an llc and how to do taxes and how to do insurances and how to how to market yourself and do so many aspects into it. And everybody thinks, oh, entrepreneurship is so cool but it's such a monster. But at the same time it's so fun and you get to do so many creative things and your creative side kind of takes part into it. So for me, the business part has been a new professional growth right it's been a lot.
Speaker 1Eye-opening for you. Yes, right, ah, I would say the same. Just knowing how to deep dive in, I would say what I've learned the most is what you said is the marketing and branding. Like that is a beast in itself, yeah, and now I see why it's so prevalent. Like right now, you can Google on your phone like marketing companies or services firms near me and there will be a list of them, because there's such a need now, with social media being just so prevalent and just a must. And some companies actually don't even have a website. They have a social media page and that's why I like restaurants, for instance. A lot of times with those restaurants, you go to their Facebook page there are Instagram to learn the menu and what they have for that day. You don't even have a website.
Speaker 2Yeah, and I did my own website when I started with I can't even remember the platform that you used to do that and, thankfully, my brother-in-law, Jonathan Vasquez he has a business where he does this for people he does the, amongst other things, but he does the websites and all that. And he, when he saw my website, he's like oh no, no, no, no, no, that's not, that's not cute. So he helped me with it and he's the one that's been helping me with my work Got it so that's a big component.
Speaker 1Big component, big component. So we talked about just how you started up as far as business, what you've learned, what you specialize in, but let's get more so into just how you can assist patients and the community. So what would you say are some signs that a patient would be appropriate for your services and, if you don't mind, just listing just services that you provide as well.
Speaker 2I think, because I've done so many things, I am really open with my population. Like I said, I started in an inpatient unit, so inpatient, there's a lot of people that have very severe mental health illnesses. So I am not. I don't shy away from that aspect, right. And I don't see children, tiny people, as much, because it's time consuming. It's different, it's a different preparation when you, when you work with kids. So right now I see early teenagers, let's say 10 preteens to adults, and I do testing. So I do ADHD testing, autism assessments, intellectual assessment, for example.
Speaker 2If people want to do bariatric surgeries and they need a psychological evaluation, I do those as well. So medical evaluations for pre-surgical and stuff like that. So I do that. I do individual therapy, I do couples counseling that's interesting and I supervise. So I have students that I supervise, both in the mental health and medical field. So I supervise students that are in LMHC or other psychology students and they work in my practice. I found a way to make all that work so they can get paid for the services they provide and then they can get the supervision they need. And also for the medical students, I teach them about mental health and what they should know about working with people in this field.
Speaker 1So you're maximizing yes, yes, that's really good, but also fostering the growth of other individuals that are trying to become that is one of my main, I think, passions.
Speaker 2I love to teach. I love to be part of their growth, just like I had good mentors. I was so lucky when I was going to school because I had really good teachers and really good professors and really good mentors. So I want to be that for other people and I know how important it is and how inspiring it is to to to have a good mentor and how much it helps your career grow versus a bad one, because I've had bad ones too. So I don't, I want to be that good person, that good stepping stone for somebody else. I really enjoy that.
Speaker 1Yes, that's one piece that I've learned really just this year how impactful mentorship is. So just with areas in which I'm trying to grow, like with podcasting major shout out to Nicole Will with Will Gather podcast. Melanie Hand, the probate nurse, melanie Hand the program nurse. Erin Thompson from Aspiring for More she's also a podcaster. So when I was going to start this, I reached out to those individuals to be mentors of mine and they had free calls with me, of course, no charge, and just really embraced my vision and mission and gave me pointers, gave me tools and assets that I could use to implement in what I was trying to do. So mentorship is very important if you're trying to grow further in life, even with keynote speaking. So I want to become a speaker, I do speaking engagements at assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, educations facilities, skilled nursing facilities, educations and one mentor who just embraced me was Ms Lisa Perez. She's in a different industry, really primarily with human resources, but just her just setting up calls with me, encouraging me, giving me guidance, books to read and resources, has been just monumental in just my growth as well. So healthcare I've had a mentor, so I would advise people just in general, any segment of life that you want to grow in advance. Find someone that will be able to foster your growth and really take a passion on doing it. Some people want to charge you every time you talk to them or call them. That's okay. Just find the next person. Don't give up. But that's something that I want to become one day as well Someone that can pour back into others.
Speaker 1At Comfort Measures Consulting, we're here to help you navigate the complexity of health care. If you're caring for a loved one as a caregiver, you don't have resources, you don't know what questions to ask. You need to have options Right. Give Comfort Measures a call. Give us a chance. First consultation is free. Speak with me. Comfort Measures Consultant, 850-879-2182. You can also visit our website at wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom. Talk to you soon. Talk to you soon. Someone that can pour back into others, to give back to just the youth as well. Like sort of like you're doing as well. Well, not sort of, but you are doing it, but because I know that someone gave me a chance and a shot.
Speaker 2Yeah, and to be able to pass your knowledge on to somebody else yes for sure it makes it seem worthwhile. Like I said, you know, you do this thing for a long time and you finally get to a place where you can share what you know with others. Why not?
Speaker 1Why not?
Speaker 2I don't want to take all this with me. I want to leave a lot of good doctors out there so they can take it on and probably hopefully remember me once and be like oh, I had this great mentor, patrice Hernandez. What was her other last name?
Speaker 1Don't get normal to pronounce it. Yes, but thank you for that. That's wonderful. So for patients, family caregivers, just what can they expect from their experience with mother mind psychology?
Speaker 2Well, we, I think one of the things that differentiates us from everybody else is that we wanted to do kind of old school medicine. We wanted to be accessible to our patients. We wanted our patients and we want our patients, when they come in, to feel like this is my place, this is home, this is a place that I know. Um, as you've been, you know you've been to the office. Um, we have little things that seem to be important. Do you want water? Do you want coffee? How you feel, today, we chat with our, our people. Yes, right, we talk to them. We don't just, like you know, robotically do our thing 15 minutes, boom, you're out. We talk to them. We, we really want them and when I say we's because of me, dr Vasquez, the people that work with us. We really want people to feel that they've come to a place, that they're going to be listened to and taken care of and that there's a that's, there's a place for them, right, um, the, the medical field has turned into what I think is a very kind of process, washed kind of a thing. You go in and out and what's your name and it's? It's kind of like that and people go to the doctor, people go to a psychologist because they're hurting physically, emotionally. They need somebody to listen to them and I think in the field that has been unfortunately lost a little bit, to be kind, right.
Integrated Healthcare for Elderly Patients
Speaker 2So we wanted to do this for us because this is the service we wanted to be able to provide, because when you're a doctor and you're working for big companies, you you have to follow the the rules right. You have to. You cannot stay with a client for more than this and you have to do this in a certain way. Oh, that's that. You know. You can't do more than that. Like no, that's a person. That's a person that's coming in that has both mental, emotional, physical problems. Yes, and to work together has been. We knew it was going to be good, because we believe in our product, we know that, we know what we're doing, but, to see it, it has been humbling. Um, because I have a patient that needs medication, or has been contemplating medication, or says to me well, I don't want to take medication because the side effects are all this. No problem, I have Dr Vasquez here, he's going to talk to you about that and if you have any questions, you call him and he's very accessible to his patients. Yes, very accessible.
Speaker 1Can I chime in there? Sure, all right. So with Dr Vasquez. He's the first physician that I've seen come from behind the counter area back in the back, come out and sit in the lobby and have a conversation with. I've never seen that before.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, we're not just saying it, we legit do this. Yes, his knee, and, by the way, I'm feeling very depressed or blah, blah, blah. Oh, I have a psychology practice right here, right here, and he calls me. He goes like Dr Hernandez, I want you to, to meet so-and-so, and and of course, he asks is it okay if she comes in? Yes, how you doing? He has, or she has, a couple of minutes with me right there and there. So it's, that is what we wanted to create and I am so thankful that we're able to do it and to grow. It's been difficult, because everything that starts it's difficult, but we've seen it happen and I'm so proud that I can do that.
Speaker 1Yes, so, so that we're clear, for clarification, give us the full um experience, because I know dr vasquez, your spouse, right, what he does, but also your location is all one right, it's all inclusive. So just get from a start to finish perspective, because I know we're speaking of him. Uh, but just, I want to just give people, if they were to come to the office one day, right, how would that experience be just okay?
Speaker 2so we have, um, I would say, a building and building, small building, and it's in lutz. You come in the door and the front desk is not separate, it's just one big front desk. You're welcome by any of us. It could be me, it could be Vasquez, it could be his nurse and we just say who you're here to see with Dr Vasquez or Dr Hernandez. So we have two practices that are there Mother Mind Psychology LLC, it's me, and then Vast Care, that's him.
Speaker 2So we have a medical practice and a psychology practice that is in just one space. It's not that he has to call me from far away. I'm right there and he's also right there. So it's very familiar. And when you come in the door, the first thing that we do is who you're, who do you want to see or who you're here for, right? So it's is that accessibility to us? And I don't know after that, if you have a consult with Dr Vasquez and then you want to have a consult with me, we have the same phone number. We have different kind of units or I don't know how you call it, but you call the office and you can meet with me or you can meet with him.
Speaker 1Yes, and you can text them as well. Text messages calls very clean location as well. And the restrooms, too. The restrooms I'm big on like going to nasty restrooms, but very clean, very clean location as well. And the restrooms, too. The restrooms I'm big on like going to nasty restrooms, but very clean, very clean location. So. And the aesthetics, like, did you do decorate?
Speaker 2decor. I'm not super huge on decoration, but we managed to pull through y'all dig so vasquez is the kind of creative side of our life. He's a very creative human human.
Speaker 1I can believe that for sure.
Speaker 2So, um, and I, I I'm kind of more the organizer of things, Right, Um, but I just it just works. So if you ask me, am I in charge? No, I, we did it kind of since 99, 2000.
Speaker 1That's a long time, so that's good, you guys.
Speaker 2the bathroom was me though I did.
Speaker 1You like the restroom? Yes, I like the restroom. Good, good, okay, so if you could share your experiences with, of course, let's Get Comfy. It's empowering listeners to age more comfortably. We provide the resources to doing so.
Speaker 2So if you can share your experiences, with mental health issues, with patients that you may have that's above the age of 60 years old. Yes, so the elderly is a very dear population to my heart, because when I started in the hospital in Puerto Rico, the population was mainly elderly people, dementia patients for different reasons. Dementia is not just Alzheimer's, it could be other kinds of dementia. So I did not know that I was going to enjoy working with that population as much as I did.
Speaker 2I think when you're you hit a certain age and you have certain things, you've earned your right to. You know to just be blah with life, like I had this old lady once tell me like are you stupid? You've asked me that same question three times. I was like you know, I kept doing my interview with her and the nurse was like don't you? It doesn't bother you that she just called you. Or just like no, she earned her right to call me stupid. Like yeah, it's fine, we're going to be OK. So it is just nice to take care of them. And they need so much taking care of and so much respect, because people tend to treat elderly like their kids.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2Because they lost certain abilities and skills and functions. And no, no, no, no, no, that's an adult, that's a grown person there battling or going through things. Don't treat him like he's a child or stupid or right. So I I found a lot of respect and a lot of love and a lot of fun memories. I have so many good memories from those years at the hospital.
Speaker 1So I'm thinking about situations right now myself yeah, so yeah, yes you work with the elderly too, with in skilled nursing.
Speaker 1I worked as an administrator for a few years, uh, and just dealing with, uh, some of our customers that in the, the skilled nursing facility man, it was hilarious. They say things that yeah, I don't want to repeat it because I don't want someone to remember, like who I'm talking about. But yeah, really funny situation, like the words they would say I can tell you some stories, but I don't want to say it on camera because it's just words, all right, but they are fun stories I love to talk about them and I laugh at everything as an administrator.
Speaker 1I think that was probably like my I don't know down. You have to have good humor, you have to have a good sense of humor to work with this population. Yeah, I used to have to turn my back sometimes, so my team wouldn't see me laughing.
Speaker 2But yeah, it was a prayer, I used to laugh. Yeah, you have to have good humor.
Speaker 1Yeah, so I love laughing anyway. So that's just who I am. So what are some myths or stigmas you think that people encounter when they're seeking professional services?
Speaker 2Myths you say Myths, yes, that I'm going to fix them. A lot of people come to me and they think I'm going to fix them. And I don't fix people. I am not a mechanic. Right, we work together to get you to where you need to be, where you want to be, where you feel healthy, where you feel good. So I, my job, is not fixing my heart, my job is guiding you through your health process and journey and that's how I like to see myself.
Speaker 2And I think a myth is that you go to the doctor or and they fix you right, like, oh, you bring me your child and boom, boom, boom, I tie this and that and there you go, a respectful, young little man. No, it takes a lot of work and it takes kind of that back and forth and that adults giving their time, kids giving their time, doing their part in their health journey. I think the misconception is that it's entirely up to the physician or the person that's taking care of you. Your health is your responsibility. I am here 100% when that person is in my chair, with me in the chair, they have my full, divided attention. I am there 100% when that person is in my chair, with me in the chair. They have my full divided attention. I am there 100% committing to making you feel better and get better and give you everything that I know to help you in that process. But it's kind of your job to you know.
Speaker 1Well, you know. They say you know it starts at home. Yeah, it starts at home most of the time.
Speaker 2So I think the biggest myth is that and also that you're crazy because you need services. That word crazy I have such an issue with, really, because I love it. I love crazy. Crazy is good, crazy is different, crazy is fun, crazy can be out of the box you know what I mean, but people feel kind of bad about it, right?
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2I think when I started in my practice, one of the first things that I remember was Salvador Dali. Salvador Dali is a painter, surrealist painter. He's the one that has the mustache. We have a museum in Tampa here. You should go if you haven't. I love him, yeah, and he, for me, was one of the first presentations to crazy. Also, comedians sometimes oh, that's a crazy person. No, they're just. They think outside the the box. They have a different timing with how they think, and so I think crazy, as much as people want to say, is a bad thing. I don't see it as a bad thing, so I wish that myth would just go out the door go out the door, okay.
Speaker 1So why would a caregiver let's say a caregiver who's having a challenging experience with a loved one that they've, they're taking care of at home what would they be prompted to? Take them to see a psychologist?
Speaker 2For many reasons. I think sadness, for example, is normal. Our emotions are normal Anger, sadness, joy. Our emotions are emotions Right Now. When those emotions turn into something persistent that causes problems to the person and to those around them, then you should go get some help right. Um, in the elderly community, I think a lot of things are, pardon me, normalized in the wrong way, like, oh, that's just because they're old, or that, that's just because they're a little kid. They minimize things that are wrong with them. So I think that is an important aspect when you see that things are causing a problem for you or somebody else, you should definitely go seek some help.
Speaker 1That's good. That's good, and that's another piece I wanted to add is a lot of time with our elderly population as well. They don't even consider seeing a psychologist. All right. So, dr Hernandez, if someone was interested in your services, do you provide consultations?
Speaker 2Yes, the best thing to do is to call the office, let us know what your concern is and we will pair you with the right person for you and the right service for you. So the thing to do is just to call the office and let us know how we can help.
Speaker 1Okay For our listeners and audience. How can they find you? Your social media accounts, website? Let them know.
Speaker 2Okay, so you can call the number 813-400-0375. We are also on Instagram and Facebook. That would be with my name, patricia Saidi, or Mother Mind Psychology. That's how you would find us, and we are in Lutz, so that's our physical office.
Speaker 1Okay, all right. Thanks for watching. If you found this information helpful, don't forget to like, comment and subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss an update. Have any comments or want to share your thoughts? Drop them in the comment section below. Until next time, stay empowered.
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