Meet Christian Ziraldo | Therapist and Public Speaker

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

Hi Christian, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I still struggle with this sometimes, as a mom, wife, and therapist/entrepreneur finding the balance between work and life feels like another role on top of the ones I already have! It took time for me to learn to pause the therapist part of my brain while I was at home and with family. Now that I am a Mom the opposite has happened, quieting the mom part of me while I work with my clients is now a part of my work-life balance. I think it comes down to the fact that as we live our roles change. What we may require to feel balanced also changes. It is important to check in with ourselves and respond to where we are now, not where we used to be.

I find that communication with myself, boundaries, and grace helps to sustain my work-life balance. Checking in with myself about what is coming up in the different areas of my life and prioritizing accordingly is how I create the balance, Setting and enforcing boundaries around my time and energy is how I maintain the balance. When none of that works, I practice giving myself grace and try again.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m the founder of Yellow Vibrations Counseling and Consulting. I meet with clients in one-on-one psychotherapy and I speak to larger groups about how to practice self-trust and create a loving relationship with themselves.

In my practice, I use somatic techniques that focus on the mind-body connection. Together with my clients, we explore the signals and sensations their bodies use to inform them about ways they may be stuck in past traumatic experiences, and which signals and sensations let them know that they are on the right track as they navigate new experiences. Our bodies and emotions are guides helping us to have a clearer understanding of who we are and how to love ourselves. I view therapy as a space to slow down and reflect on everything that makes you, you. There, we co-create a safe space to make sense of yourself, practice self-compassion, and just be.

Most of the time, It is not easy to “just be”. Our society supports the idea that our identity is tied to our productivity and it can feel like our time and energy are always slipping away. There is so much to do to maintain the kind of life we see for ourselves. For me, it can get really overwhelming. But one thing I am excited about is the shift towards slowing down. With my clients, we practice honoring our stories and our bodies and I am seeing more people set boundaries, rest, and honor their needs. In the therapy world, more therapists reflect their client’s identities and there is more emphasis on honoring who you are not fitting into someone else’s mold.

Building a private practice to where it is now has been a journey. There has been a lot of learning along the way. While I love connecting with people one-on-one and through public speaking, getting comfortable on social media was a challenge! There is something about the possibility of being perceived by an unknown number of people that gave me a little anxiety. When I checked in with myself, I realized my anxiety was showing up as nervousness and fear of what people would think of me. Instead of rejecting these emotions, I explored them. I reminded myself that, it’s okay to be seen learning. My mistakes, lessons, and journey may help someone else embrace their own. Over time sharing my journey as a therapist on Instagram has become a really great way to show my authentic self, practice trusting myself, and be in community with my people. And it has been a great way for clients to find me!

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?
I love this question! Detroit is such a beautiful and fun place but many people don’t realize how relaxing and restorative it can be. When my friends come to visit we check out The Congregation for coffee and a cozy vibe and Metaphysica for massages. On another day we might start at BasBlue to get work done and be in a beautiful space then head to Belle Isle to ground in nature.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout-out my community. I am a reflection of my ancestors, my family and my friends and I am honored to be a relationship with them. Specifically, I want to recognize my Mom, my Husband and my therapist for keeping me present, centered and connected.

Website: https://www.yellowvibrations.com

Instagram: christian.ziraldo