Start Your Journey By Connecting With
Your True Self
Take the Archetype Guides Test™ to learn how to connect with sacred parts of yourself (archetypes) and how to work with them to discover your true Self and create an authentic brand if you have a business.
About Monica
My Roots
I’m Mexican, indigenous (Aztec), a woman of color, and an immigrant. My parents (who were farm workers) brought me to the U.S. when I was 5 years old. As a child, I was raised in trauma (much of it I found out during my healing process, was due to the impacts of colonization). I was raised around domestic violence, I lived in poverty, I was raised in a culture that oppressed women, I experienced abandonment (I didn’t see my parents for 2 years after they moved to the U.S.), I experienced bullying for many years (for being an immigrant, of color, and creative), and I was raised in a home that was rigid and controlling – just to name a few.
Reaching The American Dream
I managed to use my difficult experiences as a catalyst to create a better life for myself. At the age of 21, I became the first in my family to graduate from college. I had finally reached the American dream!
After college, I worked for a worldwide engineering firm in the San Francisco Bay Area as a Graphic Designer. I thought I had finally made it and at the same time, I felt like something inside me was missing. All through my life I also experienced random spells of depression, anxiety, and a sense of not belonging. My life felt like a constant struggle and yet to others, I appeared in control and strong.
Graduation day from the Art Institute of CA-SF
How My Near-Death Experience Changed The Course Of My Life
In 2010 I went through a near-death experience in a car accident that completely changed the course of my life. After that, I realized I didn’t know who I was and felt a strong pull to figure that out.
I went against my Mexican parents’ wishes and left my corporate job and moved to Sedona Arizona to live in a spiritual community where I would have the support to explore who I was. During this time I also earned my Master’s in Divinity Certification and became an Ordained Minister. This is where my journey as a Spiritual Coach began.
The point of my story is that I’ve experienced a lot of trauma. I was born into it and lived through it for many years. I never knew how much my trauma was controlling all aspects of my life. For example, through my trauma-healing journey, I learned I went to college as a way to get out of my toxic home situation. Yet, to my family, going to college was about living the American dream.
For many years I explored the New Age movement trying to find ways to heal, make a positive impact in the world, and help others. Yet no matter what spiritual modalities I tried, the impact didn’t last long. Soon I felt myself falling back into my spells of depression, anxiety, and feeling completely alone in the world.
A few months after moving to Sedona, AZ
What Finally Helped Me Heal From My Traumas
The impacts of all the traumas I had experienced started to take a huge toll on me. I started to have intense thoughts about leaving this planet. This intensity was something I had never experienced before. Because I believe in God, I prayed to God for help. Soon after that, I was introduced to the world of Internal Family Systems (Parts Work).
Internal Family Systems saved my life! It helped me gain clarity about the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing and I was able to finally unburden them. It also helped me see how much harm all the trauma I had experienced had caused on all levels of my life. I finally started to understand why no matter how driven I was all the trauma I experienced kept me stuck, in a state of confusion, and was preventing me from moving forward in my life.
I also learned that due to being Latina, indigenous, and an immigrant I had experienced traumas that were unique to my race and culture. I learned the way the system in the U.S. and in México is set up made it almost impossible for someone like me to truly thrive. This helped me realize the American dream was not truly possible for me until I healed internally first. The traumas I experienced were getting in the way of me living my fullest potential in the world.
The Results From Healing From A Bunch Of My Traumas
The more I healed from my traumas the more I started to feel hopeful, happier, and clear in myself. I was finally connecting and living from my authentic and true self. I was creating a secure sense of self.
My confidence and self-esteem started to increase and new visions and goals for my life started to become clear. As I healed and shared my journey, others started to get inspired by my healing. This work helped me so much that I got trained in Parts Work and began working with clients to help them process their own traumas too!
I helped other Latinas and trauma survivors process their own traumas which ranged from depression, dealing with anger spells, not feeling safe in the world, gender inequality, and abandonment just to name a few.
Because trauma healing is only one step of the journey, I also got trained and became a Credentialed Holistic Life, Career, & Executive Coach (ACC – ICF) to support my clients in reaching their goals and actually manifesting their fullest potential in
the world.
Me, one year after working with IFS and Archetypes to heal from the traumas I experienced.
Supporting The Growth and Healing Women Like Me
The more I worked with Latinas and driven women who are trauma survivors – the more I knew this was my calling. I understand their journey – what living with trauma feels like – what finally healing from it feels like and how the internal
world works.
To me doing this work is my way of also giving back to my community because I believe that when we have finally made it – it’s our responsibility to extend our hand out to those who are ready to heal and manifest their fullest potential in the world as well. This is my intention with all my clients and it brings so much joy to my life to witness their healing and growth!
Professional Education & Experience
- Professional Certified Coach
Goal Imagery® Institute, International School of Coaching Mastery™
(ICF accredited)
Working towards my PCC accreditation by the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
June 2022 – Present - Certified Holistic Life, Career & Executive Coach
Goal Imagery® Institute, International School of Coaching Mastery™
(ICF accredited)
January 2022 – June 2022 - IFS Anti-Racism Peer Mentor Group
A group created by Parts Work students.
November 2021 – February 2022 - Parts Work Certification
Leadership That Works (ICF accredited)
A one-year Parts Work Certification Program facilitated by IFS Practitioner Guthrie Sayen, PhD, PCC.
September 2021 – Present - IFS (Parts Work) Therapy
Worked with an IFS Therapist to process many of my own traumas.
September 2020 – Present - Archetypes Education
Studied, researched, and began working with Archetypes with a spiritual and branding emphasis.
October 2017 – Present - IFS Annual Conference
IFS Institute
Attended workshops on IFS and anti-racism, indigenous groups, and
ancestral trauma.
2021 - IFS (Parts Work) For Coaches
A six-week peer mentor group by IFS Practitioner Brian Jaudon.
October – November 2021 - IFS (Parts Work) For Coaches
IFS Institute
A six-week live training by the IFS Institute.
August – September 2021 - Advanced Social-Emotional Intelligence
Human Accelerated Performance (HAP) Training
An eight-week live course.
June – July 2021 - Social-Emotional Intelligence
Human Accelerated Performance (HAP) Training
An eight-week live course.
January – March 2021 - Ordained Minister Certification
Certification by Wisdom of the Heart Church
Arcata, CA
January 2016 - Masters of Divinity
University of Metaphysical Sciences
Arcata, CA
January 2016 - Karma Yogi Intern Program
Ananda Center at Laurelwood
Gaston, Oregon
January 2015 – April 2015 - Bachelor of Divinity
University of Metaphysical Sciences
Arcata, CA
2014 - Bachelor of Science in Advertising
The Art Institute of California San Francisco
March 2008
Best Portfolio In Advertising Award
PROFESSIONAL BIO
Mónica O. Duarte, ACC, CPWC, helps Latinas and driven women safely process trauma and reach their goals so they create a secure sense of self and live their fullest potential in the world. Her passion is helping Latinas and driven women connect to their inner wisdom, so they can make sense of their thoughts and feelings and connect to their true sense of self.
After being part of the corporate world, in 2010 she experienced a near-death experience that changed the course of her life. She left the corporate world to follow her soul’s calling, discover her authentic self, heal from her traumas, and support others in their healing journey.
She’s an empowered first-generation Latina with indigenous roots (Aztec), a trauma survivor, a Trauma Coach (Parts Work), and a Credentialed Professional Goal Coach (ACC – ICF) that has been on her own personal healing and spiritual path for over 12 years.
She’s also the Culture & Entrepreneurship Writer for Epifania Magazine (a digital Latina lifestyle magazine) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising Degree from The Art Institute of California – San Francisco.