Meet Rebeca Mata

Rebeca, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
How did I find my purpose? Such a deep question for most. I discovered my purpose in life following a traumatic childhood experience. My life drastically changed when I was about 9-10 years old. I was sexually abused multiple times by a distant family friend and was very confused throughout my childhood years as to why this had happened to me.

Growing up, I felt different than most kids as I silently navigated a world of confusion, blame, and fear. I relied heavily on my childhood dog, Snowball, to be my confidant and to help me through a lot of my fears from childhood to teenage years. I remember many times where I would repeatedly talk to Snowball about what had happened to me, cry into his fur and ask him if I was going to be okay, while also begging him to be in my life forever because I needed him. From that moment, animals became and continue to be a significant part of my life and healing. Snowball lost his battle to cancer and his death had a devastating impact on me. I silently grieved his death as I felt I had lost my best friend and confidant.

In my later middle school and high school years, I began to think about careers in the helping field and read about psychology, trauma, and the human brain & body. I began to realize that the abuse was actually not my fault, that things in life happen to innocent people, and that I could choose to be a fighter through it all. I became less angry with my perpetrator, with myself, and with what had happened to me, and more in awe as to the path that could possibly be unfolding for me. I began to solidify my desire to want to help others who may have gone through a similar situation and more importantly help them understand that they were not alone. I started to realize that this was truly my purpose in life-to help others who had been hurt just like me. I didn’t really know it then, but this was the beginning of the rest of my professional life!

Upon entering college to pursue my undergraduate degree in Psychology and graduate degree in Counseling,I made the independent choice to enter myself in counseling and embark on a self inspired journey towards healing-I am very proud of myself for seeing the value in getting help and coming to the realization that I needed help in order to feel better and be better.

I knew that I needed professional support to be successful and I am most grateful for one counselor/professor in particular. She helped me through a very difficult time in my life. I think of her often and will always be grateful for her guidance and genuine care for me as I navigated a very difficult time in my childhood.

When I look back at my life both personally and professionally, I am mostly proud of the choice to be resilient, learn from my experiences, and utilize that energy and knowledge to help guide others. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I independently opened Mata Counseling Services in February 2020, a trauma informed counseling practice located in Flower Mound, Texas.

Mata Counseling Services provides compassionate and professional counseling to children and adults who have had adverse life experiences, including but no limited to, sexual trauma. Over the years, I have incorporated animals in my career due to my firsthand experience of their healing power. Currently, my nine-year-old Beagle, Destiny, is a therapy dog at Mata Counseling Services and brings joy and comfort to many children and adults who are hurting. I am very proud to call her my partner!

“To those who have had their childhood innocence robbed from them-it is not too late to live your life…it is not too late to find help…it is not too late to believe in yourself and make changes. Your childhood experiences were not your fault or your choice. The choice lies in the adult you choose to become as a result of your experiences-choose wisely.” -Rebeca Mata

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As a Professional Counselor I am most focused on successfully operating Mata Counseling Services to help children and adults in need of guidance and support. Mata Counseling Services has grown in the last couple of years and I am proud to have a larger team. My continued strategic plan is to grow in the number of counselors to serve more individuals, and possibly consider Mata Counseling Services as a training facility for graduate students looking to learn more about trauma and evidenced based treatment methods prior to graduating from their university.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the three best qualities for continued success and greater knowledge is the ability to listen and accept information for what it is. I am an avid learner and I am very interested in the professional journey of others. I ask a lot of questions, ponder on the responses, and integrate knowledge into my professional life. The second quality would be humility. I am able to accept that I do not know everything in my field and I am resourceful and maintain a positive and helpful network of professionals. This is an important quality to be successful as it keeps you learning and growing, and most of all you develop meaningful relationships with other professionals with similar interests as you. The third quality is that I am willing to learn from anyone, younger or older than me. This very important as we get older in our careers. Knowledge is power, even if that knowledge comes from a younger generation!