Maria "Mica" Salazar Istre
"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”
– C.G. Jung
As a Licensed Professional Counselor and CEO of Tree of Life Consulting and Counseling, I believe in this mantra to the fullest. I am driven by helping people overcome the obstacles, traumas, and patterns that continue to hold them back from living life to the fullest. I have dedicated my time as a counselor to serving the highly marginalized and systemically oppressed in various clinical settings. As a Las Vegas native and child of immigrant parents, I’m passionate about bridging the gap for ethnic and linguistic minorities in the Acadiana Area. As a former military spouse, I know firsthand the struggles of military, veterans, and first responders. I have received over 300 hours of trauma training throughout my years as a counselor and approach counseling through a trauma-informed lens. It is this passion that led me to open Tree of Life Counseling and Consulting, the only multiculturally focused group counseling practice in the region.​
Español:
"No soy lo que me pasó, soy lo que elijo ser." – CG Jung
Como consejero profesional autorizado y director ejecutivo de Tree of Life Consulting and Counseling, creo en este mantra al máximo. Me motiva ayudar a las personas a superar los obstáculos, traumas y patrones que continúan impidiéndoles vivir la vida al máximo. He dedicado mi tiempo como consejero a servir a los altamente marginados y sistémicamente oprimidos en diversos entornos clínicos. Como nativo de Las Vegas e hijo de padres inmigrantes, me apasiona cerrar la brecha entre las minorías étnicas y lingüísticas en el área de Acadiana. Como ex cónyuge de un militar, conozco de primera mano las luchas de los militares, los veteranos y los socorristas. He recibido más de 300 horas de capacitación en trauma a lo largo de mis años como consejero y abordé el asesoramiento a través de una lente informada sobre el trauma. Es esta pasión la que me llevó a abrir Tree of Life Counseling and Consulting, la única práctica de asesoramiento grupal con enfoque multicultural en la región.
Overview
Qualifications: Master’s of Science-Counselor Education at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Licensed Professional Counselor serving Louisiana, Georgia, Texas and Florida. EMDR Certified Therapist by EDMRIA .Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC). National Certified Counselor (NCC).
Specializing in: Individual Counseling, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Trauma Resolution Therapy (TRT), Trauma recovery (PTSD and Complex Trauma) for events such as sexual assault, childhood abuse, race-based trauma, and combat trauma, Christian Counseling, Spiritual Direction, Multi-culutural focused therapy
​Accepting: Mica is licensed in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and Florida. She accepts BCBS, Aetna, UHC, UMR, Optum, and Humana private/ commercial insurance. The team does not accept Medicaid. ​
