Isabel Ortiz-Cheek: A Lifelong Calling to Help Others Heal

For Isabel Ortiz-Cheek, becoming a mental health therapist has meant more than simply choosing a career. It has been a journey of curiosity, education, personal growth, and a deep desire to walk alongside others as they navigate life’s challenges.

A May 2026 graduate of Southern Nazarene University’s (SNU) Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program, Isabel has spent years building the knowledge, clinical experience, and compassion necessary to support individuals through some of life’s most difficult moments.

Originally from Oklahoma City, Isabel spent four years in New York City earning her undergraduate degrees at Fordham University. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies, then returned to Oklahoma to continue her education and pursue her goal of becoming a licensed professional counselor.

A Lifelong Interest in Understanding People

Isabel’s interest in mental health began long before she entered a college classroom. She remembers becoming fascinated by social psychology in middle school, when researching experiments on human behavior sparked a curiosity that would shape her future.

That curiosity grew into a commitment to understanding people, their experiences, and the factors that shape how they navigate the world.

Although the journey to becoming a therapist required years of education and practical experience, Isabel has come to see it as part of a bigger purpose.

“I believe at my core that the path I have followed is not only an occupation for me, but a lifelong vocation,” she shared.

For Isabel, the opportunity to be present with people during difficult seasons of life is at the heart of counseling. She describes the experience of sitting with another person as they work through their struggles and begin their healing journey as something she would not trade for anything else.

That perspective has helped guide her professional interests, including trauma-informed care, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment, and helping individuals explore their experiences, better understand themselves, and work toward personal growth.

Finding the Right Fit at SNU

After returning to Oklahoma, Isabel chose SNU’s Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program to continue preparing for a career in mental health counseling.

Friends who had attended SNU spoke highly of the program, describing its approach as well-rounded, authentic, and centered on the individual. Their experiences helped Isabel recognize that the program aligned with the kind of therapist she hoped to become.

She was especially drawn to SNU’s emphasis on understanding human nature, living out its values, and showing up for others through advocacy, outreach, and compassionate care.

“The professors in the program when I first entered truly laid the groundwork for changing the way I not only view the world, but engage with it on a daily basis,” Isabel said.

Throughout her graduate studies, she deepened her understanding of counseling while gaining practical experience supporting individuals, couples, and groups in community mental health settings. Her clinical training included working with adolescents and adults, including university students and clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, and ADHD.

She also developed experience with several therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychodynamic therapy, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

This combination of academic preparation and hands-on learning helped Isabel build the skills needed to begin her professional career.

Building Experience and Preparing for the Future

Isabel’s path into the counseling field included meaningful experiences she had even before beginning her graduate program. She worked as a behavioral interventionist supporting children with autism spectrum disorders, participated in crisis intervention through Crisis Text Line, and contributed to peer support efforts through social media management and content development.

At SNU, she also focused on outreach initiatives that promoted mental health access and helped connect people with resources to support their well-being. Her undergraduate research explored self-injurious behaviors and mental health outcomes among marginalized populations, further informing her interest in accessible, compassionate, and evidence-based care.

For Isabel, becoming a licensed professional counselor required more than earning a degree. Her preparation included clinical practicum and internship experiences totaling nearly 1,000 hours, along with professional examinations and the supervised experience required for licensure.

She credits SNU’s program with helping her access clinical training opportunities through connections with sites across the state, as well as providing the knowledge and resources needed to prepare for her examinations and next steps.

The experience also helped her identify the areas of counseling she hopes to continue exploring, particularly trauma-informed care, treatment for OCD and anxiety, and approaches that recognize how individuals’ backgrounds and life experiences can shape their mental health and well-being.

Finding Community Along the Way

While her education and clinical preparation were essential to Isabel’s personal and professional growth, some of her most meaningful experiences at SNU came through the relationships she built.

She especially values the close-knit cohort of classmates who became friends and a source of support as she prepared to enter the counseling profession.

Having people she can rely on in both personal and professional settings has been an important part of her graduate school experience. Those connections are something she will carry with her as she continues building her career.

For Isabel, the opportunity to learn alongside others who share a commitment to helping people has reinforced the importance of connection, empathy, and community in the counseling field.

A Future Centered on Compassionate Care

Looking ahead, Isabel hopes to continue developing her work as a mental health therapist. She is passionate about helping people feel seen, supported, and valued, especially those who may have difficulty accessing the resources and care they deserve.

Her journey reflects a commitment to understanding people beyond their circumstances and meeting them with compassion as they work toward health and healing.

Outside of her professional life, Isabel enjoys reading fantasy novels, cross-stitching, spending rainy mornings with a cup of coffee, and spending time with her husband and their two cats and two dogs. She also stays connected with her friends from her time in New York through virtual Dungeons & Dragons games and trips to meet up in different states.

Although her path has taken her from Oklahoma to New York and back again, her desire to connect with and help others has remained constant.

Through her education at SNU, Isabel has built a foundation for the work she feels called to do. As she begins the next chapter of her career, she carries with her not only the knowledge and experience gained through graduate school, but also the relationships and perspective that helped shape the counselor she is becoming.