Erika Marcoux, MA | Founder of Your Truth Revealed. |Masters in Counseling Psychology
Erika Marcoux, MA
With a master's degree in Counseling Psychology and almost 20 years of experience, she's passionate about helping others thrive.
Erika is the host and producer of YOUR TRUTH REVEALED podcast. As a mindfulness teacher, yoga instructor, co-author of Foundations for Living Mindfully, and team captain for NAMI, creating and sharing life-changing content is her fuel.
Erika's hometown is Austin, Texas where she lives with her husband of 20 years, daughter, and chihuahua.
"There’s a benefit of being aware of those moments where you're just being. We're human beings, not human doings. We forget that. We have so many distractions, and it's our responsibility to connect back to who we really are. It's the fundamental self which I call the true self." - Erika Marcoux, MA
Q: We'd love to know your story!
A: (The answer to this question is a transcript from a podcast interview.)
After getting my undergrad degree in Archaeology, I needed to pay off my student loan and be practical. I knew I wasn't going to be a professor of archeology, that’s not my thing. I worked for a subsidiary of IBM Tivoli here in Austin. I had a job in marketing and that wasn't my thing either.
I met my now husband at that time, and we decided to move to DC. I worked again in marketing at the American Red Cross headquarters. What led me on the healing path was September 11. The Red Cross building was catty-corner from the White House. During the attack, we were locked into the building. I was totally freaked out, it was so scary, and everyone in the area was affected. And what happened for me is that I stopped sleeping well and had a lot of anxiety. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to see a woman who did energetic healing. I had no idea what that meant, but she bought a session for me for my birthday.
I got those sessions and it initiated me on the whole path that I've been on. I learned more about alternative healing and wanted to get training in it so that I could do that for other people. I received training in what's called Polarity Therapy and it was originated and created by a naturopath named Dr. Randolph Stone. He traveled extensively to China and India and learned all these different healing modalities. He included those in the way that he worked with people. His method was hands-on and very holistic in how he would work with his patients. And that created the model for me which I still use today.
This is just a funny thing, but during that time I was getting my training, I had a dental appointment. You're not going to know where this is going. I went to his dental office that happened to be in the Watergate hotel. He asked me what I was up to now. I told him about my training and that I was starting a private practice. His eyes lit up and he was really interested. He asked if I needed an office space, and I said sure. And he walked me down the hall and there was an office space that he let me use or for a year. I had a private practice with instant clients, and they were his dental patients. A lot of people have anxiety about getting major dental work done. I would work with patients to calm down their nervous system before and after the procedure. And I became really interested in how people heal and how people get stuck from a holistic perspective.
I decided to receive more training and did a lot of research. I found a masters program called Somatic Counseling Psychology. “Soma” means body and it looks at the whole person and is quite different from psychoanalysis and more traditional counseling. In the early two thousands, there were three programs in the U.S. that offered this training. There was one, Naropa University in Boulder, and two in the San Francisco Bay area. I chose one of those, it's John F. Kennedy University. We moved there and I received my education, which was very extensive and took about almost six years. I learned a lot of different modalities of healing. I would say the most important thing I learned is that our brain really isn't just our head. It's our whole body that has life experiences and we hold emotions and memories. We can feel that throughout our whole body. That's the emphasis and the type of work that I do with people.
After grad school, I came back home to Austin because I was terribly homesick. My husband and I had been away for almost ten years. When I came back, I got yoga teacher training to add to my education. I co-wrote a mindfulness workbook that's available on Amazon titled Foundations of Living Mindfully. I taught events, silent retreats, and workshops. All along I've had a private practice and taught yin yoga. I also started my podcast Your Truth Revealed that launched in 2019.
YOUR TRUTH REVEALED® Helping You Be Your Own Mental Health Expert. I interview industry professionals to explore your hidden physical and mental health potential. Receive guidance on being your own mental health expert. This original podcast offers resources for living your truth that generates an informed and empowered relationship with yourself.
Q: What has been the most rewarding phase of your career?
A: The most rewarding phase of my career is now. I enjoy guiding clients and learning more about mental and physical health from industry experts who I interview. I'm currently writing a book based on the podcast which is also title Your Truth Revealed.
Q: What do you do for inspiration? Do you ever hit creative roadblocks and how do you overcome them?
A: Being in nature is my greatest inspiration. It allows me to get out of my head and into a broader, more profound experience. As soon as I step outside on my property, I feel more alive. Meditation is also inspirational at times. It gives me an opportunity to connect with my spiritual nature and let go of everyday mundane details. And for enjoyment I love dance jam.
Q: Who has been the most inspirational person in my life and at what stage?
A: This is pretty funny to answer. The earliest inspirational person for me was actress and author Shirley MacLaine. When I was 15 years old, I read her book Out on a Limb. It’s an honest autobiography of her self-discovery and journey inward. I felt honored that she shared her personal insights with me as a reader. She discovered a new sense of purpose, joy, and energy that encouraged me as a teenager. In 1991, I remember being elated to see her as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She courageously shared her ideas on spirituality and conversations she had with physicist Stephen Hawking. She was steadfast even while Carson peppered her with questions that seemed somewhat condescending. She held her own on national television.
Q: What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a career similar to yours? *
A: Honestly, I don’t know many people with my career. I see my role as being an educator to the public about psychology, self-awareness, and mental health. I’ve had a private practice helping people one-on-one. And I create content for people, including books, podcasts, workshops, and trainings. In terms of having a private practice, I would say that you absolutely cannot lead someone further than you’ve gone yourself. Meaning, you must do the inner work on yourself before you are ready to help someone else. It’s important to get the proper education and mentorship to really help someone change their life for the better.
Q: What are the best resources that have helped you along the way?
A: I've read endless books on psychology and spirituality. If I were to pick three books of the top of my head, it would be: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach, and The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield.
Q: What are your top self care routines?
A: I see self-care as an act of self-love, which is more a way of life rather than a routine. Spending time with my husband is at the top. Then there’s petting my dog, doing yin yoga, and walking in nature. This feeds my soul.
Q: What is the most challenging part about what you do?
A: In my private practice, it can be challenging to watch people suffer. Life can be so difficult. And there are moments when I realize that I don’t have the specific training or life experience to help.
"There’s a benefit of being aware of those moments where you're just being. We're human beings, not human doings. We forget that. We have so many distractions, and it's our responsibility to connect back to who we really are. It's the fundamental self which I call the true self." - Erika Marcoux, MA
Listen to YOUR TRUTH REVEALED® Podcast here
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