Welcome to 29 Blooms: What's in a Name?

When embarking on creating a company, I spent months thinking about a name. I didn't want anything that was location specific, because I knew I would primarily offer virtual services. On the other hand, I wanted an ode to my desert home, where I have lived most of my life.

A Desert Love Story: I love the desert. My family is from the west coast. Many of them have teased me for loving the desert so much. I often hear, "It's so brown" or "there's nothing to do". The desert is so full of beauty and wonder. Have you ever seen a Joshua Tree? If you have ever seen one up close, you will see the miraculous state of these strange trees. It has a fuzzy, rough, but strong trunk, and odd, spiky clusters of hard "leaves". What I love about the Joshua Tree is that it completely challenges our idea of what a tree is. It doesn't have long, sweeping branches, with rustling leaves. It also has a duality that emphasizes life. It is both strong and weak at the same time. Joshua Trees do not have falling leaves that grow in again in the Autumn; they are unchanging during the fall and winter months. They are also endangered and are a protected species of tree. The last thing that makes a Joshua Tree so impressive is their roots and how they grow. Their roots can reach over 30 feet into the ground. New plants can grow from seeds, but many grow from the rhizomes from the roots themselves! They live in the harshest of climates and live hundreds, sometimes thousands of years.

The pace of life is also something I enjoy in the desert. Living in Southern California, life is busy, hectic, and fast-paced. In a small, desert town, there is more of an emphasis on community, enjoying nature, and sitting calmly. Slowing down. This has taught me how to be mindful and present in the moment.

Cactus Blooms: With my love of the desert and Joshua Trees in mind, I continued to mull over different variations of choices for names. I thought about how unique it is that there are species of cactus that bloom flowers and produce water. What a powerful and beautiful plant! After realizing that "Cactus Blossom", "Cactus Bloom", and "Desert Bloom" are all types of consulting firms already, I felt disheartened and started to consider other options, but even my last names were already consulting firms!

I then came across a quote by author, Matshona Dhliwayo: "A flower blooming in the desert proves to the world that adversity, no matter how great, can be overcome". That was my sign that I was on the right track for a company name.

I took a couple of ideas to my Facebook focus group and with their contribution, 29 Blooms was born.

Our Mission: Our mission at 29 Blooms is to empower individuals, students, groups, and organizations to reach their goals through clinical supervision, life coaching and mentorship, and community outreach. We believe everyone has innate strengths that can be harnessed to reach their full potential. That potential and what success looks like is unique to each person. We believe that by investing in individuals and communities, we can improve the well-being of everyone. We believe that each person can bloom, and together we blossom!

My Purpose: I created 29 Blooms because I knew I had more to give than what I was doing in my full-time practice. I feel there are more ways to help people than traditional therapy and I want to reach as many people as possible. Often, the complexities of insurance and authorizations can be a major barrier to people who know they need some kind of mental health support, but do not feel they need psychotherapy or are not in crisis.

I also love to teach. I actually wanted to be a teacher from the first day of Kindergarten, until the day I applied to transfer to a university. I DO teach, I just don't teach 2nd graders. I was an agency supervisor for Cal State San Bernardino's MSW program for 3 years and I have been an Adjunct Instructor since 2019. I teach the seminar course that accompanies internship/practicum experience. In that capacity, I also provide supplemental supervision to students who's Agency Supervisors are not MSWs. I am very passionate about this part of my job.

I know that it can be a struggle to find a job with supervision hours as a benefit. I also know how expensive this can be. I started to wonder why we are told to offer affordable prices to our clients, but not to our new colleagues in supervision. I decided I would offer supervision, at a discounted rate, and even offer pro-bono for ASWs who really need the assistance. This is my way of paying it forward to a profession that has given me so much. It gives my work meaning, knowing that I can teach other workers to go out and make an impact.

My Team: As I embarked on creating this vision, one person kept coming into my mind as someone who would both enjoy this work and be good at it. I couldn't do anything in my life without the support of my spouse, Dereck LaGuardia. I thought Dereck would be a great addition because he brings such a different perspective. He has been a stay-at-home-dad for several years, a cook, a musician, an instructor, volunteer, and a student. He understands life from a male perspective, without the toxic masculinity. Dereck is also a very calming, chill presence that I think clients will appreciate.

I hope this glimpse into the making of 29 Blooms was interesting for you. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or for a free consultation to see if our services are right for you. We look forward to partnering with you!

-Britney