This is likely the last email of 2025 I send to you all before going on vacation in mid December. I have so many updates for you all.

📣 I am happy to announce that your girl is an EMDRIA APPROVED CONSULTANT NOW! 🎉 While getting EMDR certified took me 5 years (Yes - 5 years!), becoming an approved consultant took me about 1.5 years because I locked in and I really wanted my clinic consultees' approved consultant hours to count toward their certification hours, as this would help them save money in the long run. Hijole, I'm reflecting on this year and man, has it been a dumpster fire of a year. It's been long, painful and busy with all the political shifts and atrocities hitting our immigrant communities, social services, and underserved populations.

And so it's a bit weird for me to celebrate being an approved consultant now since the very thing that got me here was trauma and crisis. It's because of all the extra people I saw, rapid response groups I provided, and provided consultation to so many therapists during this awful time that I was able to meet all my EMDRIA requirements to become an approved consultant.

The same is true for the book I'm co-authoring, "Stand Up, Speak Up, and Heal: Overcome Race-Based Traumatic Stress, Self-Advocate, and Stay Grounded." (In Progress) The main reason I can write it is because my life's work has been dedicated to helping people overcome trauma related to racism, harm and abuse.

It's wild. And at the same time, I wish I didn't have to write about racial trauma. I actually wish I was writing romcom, fiction, poetry, short stories about butterflies...

But I digress... It's been a heavy year and while I honor the grief of the times, I also welcome being proud of myself for seeking support, my own consultation, and study to become better versed in providing EMDR trauma treatment to disenfranchised populations. This is my passion, focus and specialty. So after seeing over 75 individual clients, delivering over 400 EMDR sessions, participating 35+ hours of extra consultation, providing EMDR consultation to 8+ EMDR trained therapists for 1.5 yrs and taking over 20 hours of continued training in EMDR, I met all the requirements.

Now I can support any EMDR therapist on their journey toward becoming EMDR certified and regular consultation to certified therapists (I'm no longer limited to signing off on only 15/2o hours).

Check out the schedule below of my Monday Consultation Group that centers the BIPOC experience for clients and therapists. Please email me at sofia@sofiamendozalcsw.com if you're interested in joining.

I have the option to provide consultation to those EMDR certified therapists who also want to become consultants, but that might have to wait for 2027 as 2026 is already looking to be quite full because...

The book

We are so close to submitting the first draft of the entire manuscript. It needs to be submitted by Jan 6 2026. We're working on the last of the chapters now and tying loose ends. We'll be stuck in back and fort h edits through April I believe and if everything goes according to plan, the book should be out by Nov 2026! So in exactly 1 year, I'll be relishing in it's recent book birthday and likely panicking about reviews and being "seen." As I prepare to be "seen" more and delivering more talks and trainings on the book's content, I'm practicing my own exposure by....

The presentations and speaking engagements

I'm embracing my role as a mental health consultant, speaker and trainer. I already got speaker approval for one conference (California Clinical Society of Social Work) where I'll be delivering my workshop on "When Fear Becomes Reality." I just submitted another proposal for another conference for a talk titled, "The Liberation Touchstone Framework: Grounding During Race-Based Crisis.” This talk is based on a framework I came up with while I was writing and developing new training material. It's rooted in Liberation Psychology and focuses on taking a liberation stance on our healing. I'm extremely proud of it. Cross your fingers that it gets accepted.

Should you or your agency be looking for trainers on these complex topics, please let me know. I'm not the best at marketing and so by delivering these trainings by teaching therapists and healers is the best way for me to get the word out on how to do this work, how to support staff doing this work, and share the book.

Here is my speaking sheet with more details on my signature talks and companies I've been a featured speaker/trainer for.

Have you considered offering online courses?

Check out: The Teachery Deal

Below I share some details about Teachery, the online platform host I use for my courses, consutation hub, and webinar replays. They're having a post-Thanksgiving sale of 49% off their lifetime deal where you pay one time for unlimited access to their platform where you can host unlimited courses and use for as many digital products you'd like. Use code: BF2025 and you will pay a one-time fee of $280. It's an amazing deal and I'm jealous I did not pay that. But I hope it opens doors for you if you've been looking for a sign to dip your toe into offering online courses or digital products.

With everything happening right now politically, WE NEED YOUR VOICE, YOUR MEDICINE AND YOUR OFFERINGS. We need the representation within the healing and coaching arts.

I am affiliate for them because I stand by this product that I've been using for over 4 years. I really like the husband-wide duo (small business owners) and their values of inclusion, equality, and respect, and launching a calm business. Use my affiliate link: https://www.teachery.co/limited-time?a=YNg32Gn7 and let me know and I'll send you over the Project Planning Guide I put together from one of my courses.

Nos Vemos en 2026

Well amiguis, I hope that you were able to rest and experience moments of joy this week, or you plan to with the upcoming holidays. I'm thinking of you and hoping that you and your families are safe and out of harms way. Have any questions about anything you read here? Cuentame! Reply to this email. I'd love to hear from you.