“I’ve been a fortunate man in life, nothing has come easy”
—Sigmund Freud
Throughout my life I have been a relentless pursuer of the answers to my own wellbeing. Born in Mexico, after going through frail health during my first year, I took what I believe was the first significant decision in my life: to live, survive and thrive.
I grew up, under the tutelage of grandparents in an environment filled with traditional values, which I questioned since I was young. At 19 years old, I decided to leave my family home to study medicine. It was during this time of study that I was confronted with the social reality of Mexico as a newly emerging country and the devastating impact of poverty and inequitable wealth distribution. In 1980, I decided then to switch careers, and in 1985 received the designation as a Certified Public Accountant.
After eight years of work and facing the usual pressures of a senior position in the public health sector, where career advancement was not always based on merit, but rather political factors, I decided to make the transition into the private sector. In 1988 I ventured in the corporate world, which gave me the opportunity to work for Samsung and study in South Korea and later work for a Japanese firm. Eventually, this path led me to a career as the Corporate Controller of Wal-Mart Stores and Finance Director of Johnson & Johnson Mexico. During this period my eagerness for learning inspired me to pursue overseas graduate studies in Hospital Administration, Finance, Marketing, Management and HR.
At age 32 I became a father. In order to fulfill this mission adequately, I decided to educate myself in the development of parenting skills. This, paired with a curiosity for human behaviour, led me to complete a graduate program in Rational Emotional Therapy at the Albert Ellis Institute based in US.
After experiencing three currency devaluations and two armed assaults in a span of 30 years in Mexico, I once again decided to pursue a more meaningful life. I moved to Canada in 2000. After my arrival in Vancouver I worked as the CFO of a public software company trading in the TSX venture (Tio Networks Corp.). It was at this time when I explored the possibility of continuing my studies in psychology, which I legitimized by completing a masters degree in clinical psychology at the Adler University, based in Chicago, IL.
Until 2014, I combined my financial related work as the CFO of the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine with my counselling practice. In 2015, I decided to shift my financial work towards education initiatives that promote financial wellbeing and social justice. As a Clinical Counsellor, I lead a private practice focused in anxiety, relationship, self-worth, anger, life transition, and grief and loss issues. As a Financial Clinical Counsellor I use a powerful approach that combines finances and psychology that helps people identify, understand and change their behaviour and relationship with money.
Mission
In a current world environment that values people based on what they have or should be, whether material, academic, or physical; my mission is to assist people in their journey to accept and value who they are. I empower people through compassion and awareness to re-build emotional and financial worth, and ultimately reach a more fulfilling life.
Vision
My vision entails contributing to a world where people focus their energy on the accumulation of experiences rather than objects, bonding with others and respecting the earth. People, who are aware that the true wellbeing of humanity is all of our responsibility and cannot be entirely achieved, unless our fellow humans have the opportunity to move out of poverty and realize their potential, should they choose to do so.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success”
Albert Schweitzer