Today we’d like to introduce you to Yulai Alvarez-Rodriguez.
Hi Yulai, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey into entrepreneurship and mental health is rooted in both personal experience and professional purpose. Before I ever opened the doors to A Life Line Counseling & Wellness PLLC, the vision was shaped by my own story — by the parts of me that grew up without emotional safety, by the communities I come from, and by the younger version of myself who needed understanding long before she had the language to ask for it.
I became a therapist because I wanted to offer people what I once needed: a space where they could be fully seen, supported, and guided with compassion. After years of clinical work in community and agency settings, I realized how many individuals — especially children and bilingual families — were falling through the cracks. I wanted to build something different: a practice where culture, connection, creativity, and evidence-based care worked together.
In early 2025, I took a leap of faith and founded A Life Line Counseling & Wellness. Even as a brand-new practice, the impact was immediate. Within just three months, A Life Line became the highest-reviewed counseling practice in the area. That early growth humbled me, but it also affirmed something important: when you build a practice from authenticity, heart, and clinical excellence, people feel it.
Being bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish, plays a huge role in that impact. I grew up seeing how difficult it was for many families to find a therapist who could understand both their language and their cultural context. Now, I get to bridge that gap and offer care that feels safe, familiar, and accessible to communities that are often underserved.
At the same time, I am committed to clinical depth and lifelong learning. I completed my EMDR training, I am becoming a Registered Play Therapist, and I will begin IFS training in 2026. These modalities allow me to support people across the lifespan — from the children who speak through play, to the adults who carry unprocessed trauma in their bodies, to the families learning how to rebuild connection after years of stress or pain.
As a Latina therapist and entrepreneur, this work is more than a business to me — it is a mission. Every review, every breakthrough, every family who trusts me adds meaning to the practice I’m building. A Life Line Counseling is still young, but it already feels like a growing home for healing in our community.
I am proud of what the first months have brought, but even more excited for what’s ahead: expanding services, developing more child-centered and trauma-informed programs, continuing to support bilingual families, and building a practice that stands for compassion, innovation, and cultural attunement.
This journey hasn’t been linear, but it has been incredibly meaningful. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue walking alongside people as they rediscover safety, identity, and hope.
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?
The road has definitely not been smooth — but it has been purposeful. I am the first and only entrepreneur in both sides of my family, the first to earn a professional license, and the first to build something completely on my own. That alone came with its own set of challenges. I had no mentors, no guides, no blueprint to follow. I had to learn everything through trial, prayer, research, and perseverance.
Being the first can feel isolating at times. There were moments where I didn’t know who to ask for help, who could understand the pressure, or who could relate to the responsibility that comes with creating something from nothing. But it also gave me a type of strength and clarity that I don’t take for granted.
There were long nights of studying, balancing paperwork and parenting, doubting myself, and pushing through financial and emotional barriers. As a Latina and the first professional in my family to carve out this kind of path, I often felt like I had to prove myself twice — once to the world, and once to the parts of me that weren’t sure I belonged in these spaces.
But even in the hard moments, I held onto my faith. I truly believe that with the grace of God, every door that needed to open, opened. Every skill I needed, I learned. Every fear I had, I faced. Every obstacle became a lesson.
One of the things that drives me the most is knowing that my four children are watching. They get to see a mother who didn’t come from money, privilege, connections, or a long line of professionals — but someone who built her own path from scratch. They get to see that despite adversity, trauma, cultural barriers, and the silence of being “the first,” their mom stepped into spaces no one before her had access to.
I want them to know that bravery doesn’t always look loud — sometimes it looks like quietly showing up, day after day, and trusting that God is guiding you even when you can’t see the full picture.
Opening A Life Line Counseling & Wellness didn’t come from comfort — it came from resilience, calling, faith, and a deep desire to break generational ceilings. And even though the road has been challenging, I wouldn’t change any part of it. Every struggle helped shape the foundation of the practice I’m building and the legacy I’m creating for my children.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my work, I help clients reconnect with the parts of themselves that life or trauma pushed into silence. What sets my approach apart is the way I combine clinical depth with creative, experiential tools. I integrate EMDR, play-based methods, sandtray, expressive arts, and in 2026 I’ll be adding IFS to my work.
I’m also known for using narrative frameworks like Minecraft worlds, Inside Out emotion mapping, Disney storylines, and Dungeons & Dragons–inspired journeys to help clients — children, teens, and even adults — access healing in ways that feel natural, safe, and intuitive. Each client’s nervous system has its own language, and my goal is to meet them there.
At the heart of what I do is a simple mission: to make therapy accessible, culturally aware, and deeply human — a place where people rediscover their voice, their story, and their strength.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can work with me by connecting through A Life Line Counseling & Wellness PLLC, where I provide therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. Anyone interested in services can reach out directly to schedule an appointment, inquire about availability, or learn more about the specialized trauma and play-based approaches I offer. I’m bilingual in English and Spanish, which also allows me to serve families who may have struggled to find culturally aligned support.
For collaboration, I’m always open to partnering with schools, pediatricians, community organizations, churches, and other mental health professionals who want to expand access to trauma-informed and play-based care. I love creating workshops, parent trainings, and educational resources that help communities better understand emotional regulation, childhood development, and the impact of trauma. I am also welcome to collaborative opportunities that bring mental health, creativity, and cultural awareness together.
For those who wish to support my work, simply sharing my practice with families who may benefit from therapy is incredibly meaningful. Supporting a small, Latina-owned practice helps create more access to culturally responsive care in our community. Every referral, review, and word-of-mouth recommendation strengthens the mission behind A Life Line Counseling: to make healing accessible, empowering, and deeply human.
I’m excited for continued growth, new partnerships, and the opportunity to keep building a space where people feel seen, supported, and understood.
Pricing:
- Individual sessions: $105 per session
- Couples sessions: $110 per session
- Payment options: Private pay/cash rate accepted
- Insurance: I am in-network with several major insurance companies and continue adding new panels throughout the year
- Bilingual services: Same pricing for both English and Spanish sessions
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alifelinewellness.net/a-life-line
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alifelinewellness/
