Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Murillo Jr
Hi Juan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am an Arizona native and grew up in the east valley since elementary school. I have worked in many fields from automotive, to banking, to mobile DJing and much more. When my wife and I were expecting our first child I decided to finish my degree and that was back in 2011. That is when my journey into mental health began. I chose to get my degree in “Human Services” and during this program I completed 3 field study courses and one of those I got to shadow a great therapist with CPR (Crisis Preparation and Recovery). His name was Gary, and his passion and approach really appealed to me. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a therapist. I went right into my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling upon completion of my Bachelor’s in Human Services. In 2015 I was able to land a role with Terros Crisis and met a ton of wonderful people, many of which were pursuing similar educational and career goals. This inspired me further to explore what I could do with a degree in Counseling. Once I completed my Masters program in 2018 I began my journey to find my niche and create my career goals. Ultimately I decided my passion was to help people on my own and went into private practice in 2022. Earlier this year I took a leap of faith and finally and pursued my own office space. Now I am focused on growing my practice “Trauma Therapy AZ” to help as many people as possible!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I entered the mental health field as societal views on behavioral and mental health and treatment began to shift. This has led to less of a stigma and more people reaching out. With this growth there are so many options on how to help!
I have experienced many environments and professional cultures since 2012. The field is so big and can be daunting to decide where to work, what populations to work with, and what are my long term goals. It’s one thing to want to help people but another when the rubber hits the road and you’re actually doing it. It can feel overwhelming and scary to be in the helping field with no direction. I think many of us in the counseling the therapy field struggle to find our niche, I know i did. Through trial and error and observing others success and mistakes I am now very happy as a trauma therapist! I focus on working with adults and minors who want to heal the “root” by processing trauma using EMDR, Sandtray, or other methods. I work very well with those who are somewhat closed off but realize they have to make a change or those who have had talk therapy but now want to try something different and look for trauma therapy.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a small but mighty team of 3 clinicians (hoping to add a 4th soon) who are looking to grow our message that we all deserve a safe space to be heard. We offer in person and Telehealth trauma therapy including EMDR. We focus on adults and couples but can also see minors and families. Our services are outpatient and we pride ourself as a resource for those who need additional services. We have a passion for working with first responders and their families with years of experience doing so. Our office is welcoming and our hope is anyone that visits us feels at home. Our brand is new and the 3 of us represent the types of clinicians we respect and keep on our referral list. We keep our schedule flexible and manageable so anyone we see can rest assured we aren’t burning ourselves out seeing more clients than we can handle. We do our best not to turn anyone away and if we are not a good fit we will help you find someone who is.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Personally my wife, kids and friends of course, wouldn’t be here without them! Professionally I have so many people that have inspired me along the way that I’d be apprehensive to name anyone in particular because I can honestly say every mental health professional I have come in contact with since 2012 has left a mark. Most have been great gatekeepers and mentors and even those I didn’t see eye to eye with helped me grow. I will share a couple of professionals that inspired me. The first was Gary Zarchy from CPR. As a intern back in 2012-13 he took the time to talk to me and share wisdom and was encouraging throughout my time with him. He provided the springboard to my career. Most recently I’d like to give a shout out to Dr. Dara Ramparsand owner and founder of Blue Paz. He has been and and continues to be someone I enjoy working with. He provides support and advocates for clients, especially first responders, in an authentic and caring manner, and lastly have to thank my west valley therapist friend Katelyn Wierenga with House of Healing AZ as we both started this crazy private practice journey at the same time in 2024!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://traumatherapyaz.org
- Instagram: @traumatherapyaz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmXR9wQKgYQ
