Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Vyazovsky.
Mosaic Therapy began as the brainchild of Veronica a counselor and special education teacher. Veronica came to the United States at the age of 9 as a refugee from the former USSR and saw first hand her own family’s resistance to any mental health treatment. “In everyday Russian, it is hard to say, “I am depressed or I am anxious”, mainly because mental health issues are not culturally accepted.
Instead, a mother is likely to say, “why is he so lazy, I just don’t understand why he doesn’t just get up and go to school?” Working for Chicago Public School as a school counselor, Veronica referred many of her students for outside counseling services. However, parents weren’t able to take the students to their appointments due to transportation or scheduling issues.
Parents also reported that they didn’t feel comfortable with the counseling process because they didn’t know what the child might say to the therapist about the family. Looking around for years to find culturally competent, accessible and affordable services for her families, Veronica decided to start a program that met these family’s needs.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth, there have been many struggles and trials along the way. The first year I was managing the school program, I lived in Austin, Texas and I had to manage the program and the relationships from afar. It was difficult and many of the school programs were less than successful for the participants.
The 2nd year of the school program we great very quickly. As a result, I had to hire therapists very quickly and many therapists quick within one or two months of taking a position. I felt constant pulled in all directions. The 3rd year of the school program, I became better at hiring and I was able to develop a smoother program.
Now the school-based program is in its 4th year and I feel like we are finally hitting our stride with providing effective school-based services and managing the needs of our schools, including clients, parents and teachers. The most important thing I learned is the value of self-reflection as a leader and how to important it is to have a strong team.
Please tell us about MosaicTherapy.
Mosaic Therapy is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization.Our mission is to disrupt the school to prison pipeline by providing person-centered/trauma-informed mental health care to our most vulnerable communities.Currently, Mosaic Therapy provides treatment to kids and families in Chicago and local suburbs.
The treatment philosophy is uniquely designed to fit the needs of diverse populations including immigrant and refugee communities… We strive to serve clients in their native language and understand their cultural perspective from the very first session. Families and school staff are included in the treatment process from the very first session, either as participants in the sessions or through coordinated treatment efforts.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my favorite childhood memories is creating at home. I was a very creative child and I loved to draw, make dolls from scraps of fabric. I remember listening to stories and music on an old record player and spending the afternoon making anything that came to my imagination.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7925 N Lincoln Ave 202 Skokie IL 60077
- Website: https://www.mosaictherapy.org
- Phone: 877) 691-7994
- Email: info@mosaictherapy.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mosaictherapy/
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