Faces of Hope: Yvonne Carrasco, MSW, LCAS, MAC Primary Therapist

June 06, 2019

When a client admits to HopeWay, the members of their treatment team are dedicated to equipping the client with the resources they need to achieve their clinical goals.

Primary Therapists are integral members of this team. In addition to group therapy sessions, clients in HopeWay's Residential and Partial Hospitalization Programs are paired with a licensed therapist, like Yvonne Carrasco, that they meet with weekly for individual therapy.  

Yvonne worked in outpatient and residential treatment for children in the bookend years of her time in graduate school. For the next 12 years, she then took on the role of stay at home mom to 3 now young adults. She worked with homeless women in transitional housing programs and started a new career in substance abuse counseling at 56 years young. Since then, Yvonne has continued her work with people who struggle with mental health and substance use disorders. Enjoy getting to know a little more about her!

Q: Why are you passionate about helping individuals navigate their mental illness?

A: My personal story of finding substance abuse recovery later in life led me to seek additional training and licensure. I know from personal experience how a psychiatric crisis leads to the confusion of our identity, the fear for our future, the hopelessness that life can ever be better, and a deep sense of shame. I am passionate about leading others out of that darkness by helping them learn they have the power to shift their feelings and ways of thinking. Many clients enter treatment at HopeWay when they are at the lowest time in their lives, unable to imagine a "less than" life. But by engaging with them in treatment, I get to help restore their excitement and optimism for the future.

Q: How do you balance home and work life?

A: Some days are admittedly better than others!  What I love most, though, is gardening, cooking, staying involved in 12-step meetings, and meditating regularly.

Q: If you could pack your bags and leave today for vacation, where would you go and why?

A: Thailand and Southeast Asia because the culture is so different.  The cuisine is my favorite and the geography is phenomenal.

Q: Why did you decide to join HopeWay's team?

A: A well respected colleague reached out to me having known I was interested prior to HopeWay opening. I knew that a holistic model of mental wellness and experienced trained clinicians could have enormous impact in our community. This, along with tremendous mutual respect among everyone on our team and the integrity of delivering best practices has led to one of the most satisfying work experiences of my career.