Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer sed scelerisque odio, ac porttitor nunc. Sed malesuada egestas eros eget congue.

Blogs

In case of emergency, please Call 9-1-1 or the
Access and Crisis Line at 1-888-724-7240.
dog blogging
Three Skills for Career Development and Growth

Three Skills for Career Development and Growth

By Dr. Tania Hormozi on Aug 13, 2026

In a recent magazine interview, I was asked about three skills that helped me in my journey to becoming a marriage and family therapist. It didn’t take me long to realize that the following words really did help me get to where I am today. Commitment, Consultation, and Curiosity.

The 3 Cs of personal and professional growth, in my opinion. Commitment has been the top because it has allowed me to focus on my goals and allow me to really understand what I am putting myself into when I decide to do something for myself. Regarding my education and professional background, I committed myself to the school journey of earning the degrees I have, to increase the opportunities that I gained overtime. I don’t believe that I would be where I am today without the educational and professional experiences.

As a teenager in high school, I always wanted to be a writer, and I joined the school newspaper, went to SDSU for a Bachelor’s in English with emphasis in Journalism. I worked for the Chula Vista Star News for 4 years, and it was the best thing I had ever done for myself. Despite the low pay, the amount of work I had to put into each article, and the deadlines, it was still a commitment I had made to myself. Even though that career fell for me quickly, I had to make other decisions to continue and change my career.

Commitment really has stepped up for me in being able to continue to do better, without giving up and looking back. Once I committed to this new career journey of being a therapist, the rest of the skills started to find me.

Consultation for me was huge at this time of my life, in a new career. I didn’t know anything about Psychology. Mostly everyone had an undergraduate degree in this field, except me. I brought my writing and interview skills that I found were very valuable in this field. However, I needed to consult with people around me constantly. My networking and interviewing skills from before really helped me reach out to other therapists, associations, events, and professors to help me identify the path I wanted to take in this field.

I believe in any career if you don’t consult, network, or ask questions, you will not get as far as you can. As humans, we need connection and collaboration; we also need resources and information that we may not know. We need to be open to feedback, suggestions, perception, and experience of other people. We can gain that from consultation.

Lastly, as a young child coming to the U.S. not knowing a single word of English, attending school, making friends, learning the language, and understanding the two cultures I will have to carry and embrace for the rest of my life; my curiosity was at the top of the list. Curiosity about a lot of things. How will this work for me? How will I make my goals and dreams come true? Will I make my parents proud of my choices? I had to stay curious about everything. I never let anything get in the way of my goals and accomplishments. Staying curious really helped me with consulting and commitment of the opportunities that I sought. I have always wanted to learn new things, explore more, and know things. That’s why I think being a journalist really helped me with my identity. As a journalist, curiosity is very important. Every place, every person, everything I ever learned about or saw became a story, an article, something to report on for others to also learn about.

As a therapist, curiosity is also important. I may be an expert in certain things such as my competencies, skills, and theory; however, the client is the expert of their own lives. I need to be curious so I can understand the client’s perspective, values, experiences, and concerns.

These three words have really helped me become the therapist, writer, author, supervisor, and person I am today.

I would like to encourage you to try it out. What are you curious about? What are you committed to? What are you consulting about? If you aren’t doing these things, then you are not in the car or the train moving forward on your path. We don’t always have to be the driver, but we do always have to be moving forward, setting goals, accomplishing them, and celebrating our success.

--

Image by Hardae

Leave A Comment

Three Skills for Career Development and Growth

three-skills-for-career-development-and-growth

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Latest From The Blog

Closing the Gap: Breaking the Mental Health Stigma in the Latino Community
Mental health affects everyone, yet conversations about it remain difficult in many Latino households. While awareness has grown in recent years, stigma, cultural expectations, and limited access to care continue to prevent many individuals and families from seeking the support they deserve. Closing this gap begins with understanding where the stigma comes from and creating spaces where mental health is viewed as an essential part of overall well-being.
Read More 
When Curiosity Strikes
I think airports are proof that humans were never meant to feel fully certain. At an airport, there are people who still don’t know that you have to take your laptop out during TSA, water bottles that somehow cost $8, and crowds full of people either departing from home or arriving at it. Nothing is certain there. Will your flight be delayed? Cancelled? Will there be turbulence? Will you forget your luggage on your patio because you got distracted? (Okay, that only happened to me once, maybe twice, but I swear I’ve remembered it ever since...)
Read More 
Perreo & Peace of Mind: The Healing Power of Reggaeton
There’s something unmistakable about the first beat of a reggaeton track. It doesn’t ask for permission—it enters your body, finds your rhythm, and gently (or not so gently) pulls you into motion. For many people, that movement is more than just dancing. It’s a release. It’s grounding. It’s healing.In a world where mental health conversations are finally becoming more open, we often hear about therapy, mindfulness, journaling, and medication. But there’s another powerful, accessible tool that deserves a seat at the table: music—specifically, reggaeton.
Read More 
Take It In and Let It Go
The act of breathing is such a beautiful metaphor for life itself, taking it in with every inhale and letting go with each exhale. Life is about having the most fulfilling human experience: overcoming difficulties with resilience, savoring joyful moments with ease,feeling powerful through our productive endeavors, learning to grow, and loving deeply. Each moment has a unique rhythm of breath: slow and deep, fast and sharp, shallow and short. The way we breathe carries information about our physical experience of the world, which we then label as emotions. We go through life underestimating one of the most powerful tools for accessing emotional and physical shifts: our breath.
Read More 
From Stoicism to CBT: Why the Connection Matters (Even If I Don’t Practice CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most dominant models in modern psychotherapy. If you train as a therapist, you’re going to learn it. I did.‍Before training as a therapist my background was in history, and recently I learned about the link between Stoicism and CBT and here’s the part that interests me most: many of CBT’s core ideas are not actually modern. They trace back over 2,000 years to Stoic philosophy in Ancient Greece and Rome.‍Exploring this historical connection does not require taking a position on CBT’s overall effectiveness. Rather, it highlights how enduring philosophical questions about emotion, judgment, and suffering have shaped the development of modern psychological theory — and I find that interesting.‍I was trained in CBT. I understand the structure, the thought records, the cognitive distortions, all of that. But I don’t practice CBT in a strict, manualized way. It’s not the framework I primarily work from. That said, I douse certain cognitive ideas when they’re useful. And I also find myself naturally incorporating Stoic principles in therapy when they fit.‍So for me, this isn’t about promoting CBT. It’s about recognizing where some of these ideas came from — and why they’ve lasted so long.
Read More 
You Are Not Broken: A Gentle Reminder for Tough Days
Mental health isn’t a trend, a buzzword, or a weakness. It’s part of being human. Some days you feel productive, connected, and hopeful. Other days, getting out of bed feels like climbing a mountain with no summit in sight. Both experiences are valid. Both are real. And neither defines your worth.‍ The Myth of “Having It All Together” We live in a world of highlight reels. Social media shows us curated success, glowing skin, tidy homes, and ambitious morning routines. What we don’t see are the panic attacks before presentations, the quiet loneliness after social gatherings, or the tears behind closed doors.Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re navigating life.Even high achievers, leaders, and creatives talk openly about their battles. Athletes like Simone Biles have spoken about prioritizing mental health over performance. Public figures such as Prince Harry have shared their experiences with grief and therapy. These conversations remind us that mental health challenges do not discriminate.
Read More 
A Look at Suicide Awareness
One of the biggest barriers is not knowing what to look for or how to respond. As many as 2 out of 3 adults have reported that they do not feel confident recognizing when someone may be considering suicide. Although many adults are unsure of what steps to take, most are open to learning more. Education empowers us to show up for one another with clarity, compassion and intention. Understanding risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors can help us feel more prepared to support those who may be struggling.
Read More 
Supporting Children, Teens, and Adults Through Suicide Awareness and Self-Harm: Using the ASK Method
As a therapist, some of the most important and vulnerable conversations I have are with clients—children, teens, and adults—who are struggling with suicidal thoughts or self-harm tendencies. These moments are tender and often filled with fear, but they’re also moments of incredible courage. When someone opens up about wanting to hurt themselves, they are giving us an opportunity to help hold their pain. One tool I use in these conversations is the ASK method: Acknowledge, Support, Keep safe. It’s a framework that makes something overwhelming feel manageable, and it’s just as valuable for parents, friends, and loved ones as it is for therapists.
Read More 
Patronus and Cultura: Finding Strength in Shadows as a Latina Therapist
Growing up in a Hispanic household, mental health was rarely discussed. Anxiety was called “nervios”, sadness was “estar triste”, and seeking help could feel like weakness. As a Latina and a therapist living with anxiety and depression, I’ve learned that healing rarely happens in a straight line. Sometimes it’s found in therapy sessions, sometimes in community—and sometimes in the pages of a book you thought was just fiction.
Read More 
Anxious but Present: How Disneyland Helps Me Stay Grounded
As a therapist, I often hear things like, “You must have it all together,” or “I’m sure you don’t deal with anxiety.” All I have to say to that is: WRONG. I’m a therapist who lives with anxiety—and I’m human, too. Over time, I’ve learned to accept that both truths can exist side by side. My anxiety isn’t something I can just “turn off..." Not even in Disneyland. Actually… especially not in Disneyland. Between the crowds, the noise, the overstimulation, and the pressure to "make every moment magical," anxiety can sneak in before I’ve even scanned my Disney Magic Key pass. But here’s the twist: Disneyland is also the very place that’s taught me how to pause, ground, and regulate myself in ways I didn’t even expect. Over time, it's become my own kind of therapy, offering real-time present moment opportunities to practice the same tools I often share with clients as well as with my own work.
Read More 
Was Inside Out 2 Inspired by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
"Was this movie inspired by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?" If you’re not familiar with it, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all interconnected. Basically, CBT says that what we think affects how we feel, and how we feel affects what we do—and vice versa.
Read More 
5 Things I Learned After Being Sick for a Week as a Holistic, Evidence-Based Mental Health Therapist
Being sick forced me to stay home, rest, and eventually slow down. I found myself wanting to bounce back quickly, to return to my usual routine: workouts, work, coffee dates, travel. But my body asked me to pause. In that stillness, I realized how much I was living in the future, always feeling anxious, and thinking, “what’s next”. This helped bring me back to the present and realign my values to actions of living slowly and more intentionally.
Read More 
Just Relax
Passive recharging falls into the activities that don’t require a whole lot of planning or energy, i.e., sleep, watching a tv show or movie, listening to music, etc. These are activities that are needed to just shut my brain off and have some space to do nothing. Active recharging requires an energy cost. Think about exercising or engaging with a hobby you’ve been putting off to “not having enough time.” It requires planning and engagement. A barrier can be an automatic thought, such as, “I’m too tired… I don’t want to spend more energy.” But, this can be an unfounded thinking trap! I often forget about how energized I feel after going on a walk after a long day.
Read More 
A Therapist's Experience of Mindful Meditation
Does your morning have a similar flavor? Maybe you don’t have kids but you hit the ground running as soon as your alarm goes off. Maybe the thoughts start their racing hamster wheel as soon as you open your eyes. Especially in today’s culture of do more with less, I find it hard to cultivate a sense of peace and calm in the midst of life’s daily activities.
Read More 
Changing Your Relationship With Anxiety
Anxiety can be perplexing. Sometimes anxiety helps out by motivating us to plan ahead and be thorough when arranging a trip or completing an assignment at work. Other times it can sabotage us with fear and keep us from asking for a raise or from going out to meet new people.
Read More 
Mindfulness for Impatient People
You can practice mindfulness by taking even just a few seconds out of your day to notice what your five senses are telling you. The classic example that is often talked of in books on mindfulness involves using all your senses one by one to examine a raisin with curiosity, treating it as the first time you’ve ever experienced a raisin.
Read More 
Superhero Nutrition
Calling all superheroes! Are you ready to unlock the secrets of optimal nutrition? Picture this: your mighty powers, unyielding determination, and unbreakable spirit. But there's one crucial element that can take your heroism to unparalleled heights
Read More 
Becoming a SUPERHERO Through the Power of Sleep
Think of your brain as a superhero headquarters. Mental health is like having a team of well-rested, focused, and emotionally stable superheroes working for you
Read More 
Exercising For Heroic Adventures
Exercise is the secret weapon that will take your mental health to epic proportions! Are you ready to embark on an epic superhero fitness journey? Here are some tips to help you develop an exercise routine that suits your superhero lifestyle
Read More 
Developing Superhero Squads
Calling all mental health heroes! In the quest for optimal well-being, there's a mighty power that rivals even the most extraordinary superhuman abilities...
Read More 
   900 Lane Ave., Ste 126 Chula Vista, CA 91914   5252 Balboa Ave., Ste 408 San Diego, CA 92117   16516 Bernardo Center Drive Suite 330 San Diego, CA 92128   13743 Ventura Blvd., Ste 350 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423  admin@hopetherapygroup.com   (858) 333-6856
Pages
HomeOur ServicesFAQNew ClientCareersOur TeamResourcesBlogRates and InsuranceContact Us
Join our mailing list
Join our newsletter to stay up to date on features and releases.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
© 2026 Hope Therapy Group. All right reserved.
Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCookies Settings