Dr. HOPE TORRES

LPC-S

My path to becoming a therapist wasn't a straight line through a clinical lab—it was built in the real world, working alongside people navigating some of life’s heaviest moments. Long before I sat in the therapist’s chair, I spent years learning how high-stress environments affect the human brain and body. Grounded in Service & Crisis Response My foundational understanding of resilience and crisis started during my time as a Flight Weather Forecaster in the U.S. Air Force. While I was analyzing high-stakes data, I was also stepping up to lead prevention briefings on suicide and domestic violence for hundreds of personnel. It was my first deep look at how critical community support and real, open conversations are to survival and wellness. That passion for being there on someone's worst day led me into law enforcement as a Police Officer with the Copperas Cove Police Department. For years, I was the one responding to active mental health emergencies, conducting crisis negotiations, and working on task forces for human trafficking prevention. I spent every shift providing face-to-face, immediate support to victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and severe trauma. This wasn't textbook theory; it was real-world, high-stakes de-escalation that taught me exactly what the human nervous system looks like when it's stuck in survival mode. Specializing in Trauma & First Responders Realizing that people needed deeper, long-term healing after the crisis vehicles left, I co-founded and served as the Director of Counseling for a nonprofit focused on supporting veterans and first responders. Partnering with local police departments, I developed trauma-focused programs and peer support systems. This is where my expertise in complex trauma and crisis stabilization truly solidified—helping people who carry the weight of public service process their own deep-seated wounds. Bringing Therapy to You For the last several years, I have taken all of that "on the street" experience and brought it directly into the therapeutic space. Working with major virtual platforms like BetterHelp and Rula, I’ve helped many of clients navigate severe anxiety, depression, major life transitions, and complex trauma through accessible, online care. Today, as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (LPC-S) and the founder of My Journey PLLC, I combine my training and experience with a straightforward, laid-back approach. My background means I don’t shock easily, and I don’t hide behind clinical jargon. Whether you are a survivor of abuse, a first responder processing the job, or someone feeling completely overwhelmed by life, my past has prepared me to help you navigate yours—no judgment, just real talk and real tools to help you move forward.

If I had to pick one movie that perfectly mirrors my approach to therapy, it’s Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Life—especially when you are dealing with trauma, high stress, or massive transitions—can feel exactly like being dropped into a massive, confusing maze. The walls shift, the rules change without warning, and it’s incredibly easy to feel lost, overwhelmed, and stuck in survival mode while trying to outrun the "monsters" in your head. In therapy, my goal isn't to hand you a cookie-cutter map, because your journey is entirely unique to you. Instead, I’m right there in the maze with you. We look at the dead ends, figure out which way is actually forward, and confront the obstacles together using real, down-to-earth tools—no clinical fluff or judgment. The biggest reason this movie resonates with me, though, is the ultimate showdown. When Sarah finally looks at the Goblin King and realizes, "You have no power over me," the entire illusion shatters, and she wins her freedom. That is exactly what we work toward in our sessions. Whether it's past trauma, severe anxiety, or old wounds holding you hostage, the destination is helping you reclaim your own authority, strip away the power those heavy things have over your life, and realize you've had the strength to break through all along.

I am very real in how I talk, I do not follow the "cookie cutter counselor" style. We talk like two people having a conversation. I am relaxed and welcoming, I bring humor in, and am very understanding. Sitting in the hard talk for periods of time and leaving session to have you "reflect on it and manage stirred up emotions" is not my style. We touch into the hard things and step out to allow regulation to come back. I believe in clients setting the pace when to talk on difficult things, this gives you control and works towards building strength.