Meet Victoria Blanco, COTA/L, B.H.S., M.S. | Co-Owner of The Synergy Approach Therapy, PLLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Blanco, COTA/L, B.H.S., M.S. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My husband has always been my rock in terms of believing in aspects of me that I dream of, yet fear stepping into. When he first suggested we open our own business, I was very nervous but went all in; I am so glad I did! We have been in love with our profession of occupational therapy since we began 10+ years ago and starting our own business enabled me to learn so many more qualities about myself that I did not know I had. My thought process for our business is related to freedom to practice occupational therapy in the way we intend to so we can impact lives to the best of our ability. Additionally, this enables us to share our family’s personal struggles related to the worlds of neurodivergent and mental health issues so that we can uplift those who feel lost within their family’s journeys. Since my husband has ASD and ADHD, both of our daughters are neurodivergent, and I have major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and am currently being evaluated for ADHD, we are no strangers to living with circumstances that are constantly pushing against us. Through faith, commitment, and consistency, we have worked on our therapeutic use of selves to be able to not only be the best therapists we could be, but also share our personal strategies with others. We value sharing our personal strategies with families going through relatable situations so we could be an example of the positive possibilities associated with therapy within debilitating circumstances. If we can’t be vulnerable and humble ourselves, why should we expect others to do the same with us? Although this world wants to shape all of us into circles that fit into square pegs, we embrace our different shapes and find a way to enhance our pegs to build our personalized independence.
Traditional OT is associated with learning independence and I feel that many children do not learn the traditional tools that are foundational to independence. Along with addressing developmental milestones, we love to guide families with techniques (according to ages) in areas that relate to independence within today’s day and age. We address additional areas, such as: nutritional exposure (associated with multi-sensory and social-emotional skills), self-awareness and awareness of self in social facets, adaptations and time management associated within our technological era, and financial literacy (traditional money management, strategies changing within money management, and cognitive behavioral skills associated with it). I personally love learning innovative techniques we can use in order to guide through traditional avenues but also guide within the world the child is growing into. Being adaptable is key and that aspect is exciting for me.
Although we seek to assist our community, our community has also assisted me into understanding myself better. Through learning about how the world is changing for future generations, I learned that I personally love financial technology and am pursing additional education in that in order to qualify as a guide toward these changing times both for my family and for others. The only way to build a support system the way we envision it is to make our own business, and I’m happy to say we have made that happen since 2020. Also, with the choice of having my own business also came the opportunity of consistent self-analyzation and growth. As the saying goes by Miss Dunne, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”, so we choose to stand for what we believe is right.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider everything I do to be my art, even my business and personality, since I make it a priority to express myself within my efforts and personalize the things I invest my time into. With that being said, my art in a traditional understanding of art is a combination of abstract painting with acrylics and watercolors along with black and white portrait art. When asked how I got to where I am professionally, I can say prayer, persistence, consistency, and intention deserves full recognition. Education can always be learned and experiences always gained, but the foundation to where I am now and where I want to be are related to those four factors. Literally nothing about my journey so far has been easy; I am not one to read a paper once and have everything memorized. Although it isn’t easy, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Diamonds are formed under pressure and what good is a sculpture without its imperfections? Self-awareness, self-forgiveness, and continuous work on self is essential in this process. I overcome challenges by taking one step at a time, even if it is just getting out of bed and dressed. The days I could leap ahead on my to-do list were far and few in between, but I took advantage of them when they came. Painting and drawing definitely provide me an outlet during my struggles. Witnessing the completion of consistency and intention behind the art is a reminder that those elements are necessary for my success.
I learned various lessons along the way but the foundational lessons include: no journey is ever completed, nothing is ever perfect, and emphasis about other’s opinions do not form success but instead debilitate it. When asked what I want the world to know about me, I respond by stating that I am dedicated to my purpose in this life. Everyone will have their own perceptions on how to analyze what I say and do but I will dedicate myself to what I believe is meant for my purpose in my life and how to positively impact my community. Imagine a world in which everyone would consider that on their journeys while considering forgiveness and love of others?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh boy- this is a difficult question. My response would really depend on who is visiting. My preference would be to visit South Pointe beach, have lunch in Wynwood, and end the day with a Dolphins or Heat game. I really feel that anywhere in Miami has exciting people (hence, Only in Dade’s success) and every neighborhood in Miami has something interesting to experience or eat.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My success is definitely thanks to literally every person I have had the chance to interact with. Whether the experience ended on a positive, neutral, or negative note is irrelevant since every interaction is a learning experience and is beneficial to one’s soul. God and my family are the foundation to my persistence, habit formations, and mental well-being. My friends are support systems that encourage me to stay on my path and remind me to take care of myself. The families I work with do not realize how much they help me continue to grow as a person and continue to educate myself in order to help them. The children that I treat bring me joy and motivate me to give my all. AMP Mental Health and Dr. Stephen Cabral’s podcasts additionally provided me with tools in how to move forward. With that being said, my husband and children are my hugest advocators since they see the days I am motivated and the days I can’t stop crying, and yet still dedicate their hearts to believe in me. That deserves the most recognition in my eyes.

Website: https://www.synergyapproach.com

Instagram: @thesynergyapproachtherapy