In this episode of the Traveling Therapist podcast, Kym interviews Arilda Surridge, a licensed marriage and family therapist who has merged her passion for travel with her profession. Arilda started her journey in community mental health, transitioning to private practice in 2016. The pivotal moment came during the pandemic when she decided to diversify her work, leading to the introduction of couples retreats, mainly in Mexico. These retreats were inspired by her clients' suggestions and have since become a key component of her practice. Arilda also traveled to Spain with her children for eight weeks, continuing to see clients online and immersing her kids in the local culture and language. Recently, she has expanded her offerings to include therapist destination retreats, with upcoming events planned in Panama and Mexico.

The logistics of traveling with children are a significant part of Arilda's story. She discusses the balance of work and family time during retreats, ensuring her children are engaged and cared for while she conducts workshops. Arilda's husband, also a therapist, often co-facilitates these retreats, contributing to their success. She emphasizes the importance of family-friendly resorts with kids' clubs and nanny services to facilitate her work. Arilda's approach to travel and work is not just about income but also about enriching experiences for her family, networking, and cultural exploration.

Key Points:

• Daycare: sharing how to manage kids while on retreat or traveling with them when you still need to work. 

• Family Integration: Balancing professional retreats with family life, including traveling with her children and ensuring their engagement and learning.

• Expanding Offerings: Therapist destination retreats, adding a new dimension to her travel-focused professional life.

About Arilda Surridge:

Arilda is a LMFT.  She specialize in working with Trauma and Couples. She found a way to combine her love of travel with the love for the work she does. Aside from seeing clients while she’s abroad, she also organize and facilitate destination couples retreats and therapist destination retreats. This is possible to do even with young children. Arilda travel with her family EVERYWHERE. She’s happy to share tips from her many work travels with her young children. 

Connect with Arilda:

Website: https://www.wellnesscounselinginc.com/

LinkedIn:

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Connect with me:

• Instagram: @thetravelingtherapist_kym
• The Traveling Therapist Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandtraveling/
• The Traveling Therapist Website & Offers:
  www.thetravelingtherapist.com

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