Dr. Olga-Lucia Gamboa Arana is a Cognitive Neuroscientist, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Coach, Mindfulness and Dance teacher. She started as a physicist who got really interested in understanding human emotions and their consequences. That curiosity drove her to get a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and then to study Psychology. She got a specialization in emotional education and stress management, became a teacher of Mindfulness and Self Compassion (MSC), and a Life Coach. Later, she got certified as a teacher of mindful eating (MB-EAT program) and got trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Currently, she is finalizing a master’s degree in Psychopathology, Clinical intervention, and Health. 

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field? 

My first degree is in Physics. I always had a fascination for discovering and understanding how things work, how nature works and how can I use this knowledge to help. When I was little, I had a notebook where I was collecting information about different science related topics, I had a section for zoology, geology, astronomy and the brain. I also had a section with ideas and theories to solve problems or explain things. I was particularly fascinated by sky, the stars, the planets and the universe and wanted to understand how they worked, I wanted to become an astrophysicist. But around the age of 13, I read a very popular Colombian novel in which the main female character dies of epilepsy and that really caught my interest. Since then, I spent a lot of my time reading about the brain. I learned about brain’s electrical activity and started to think about the possibility to stimulate the brain with some devices to help control seizures. My interest was divided: brain and universe. At the end of my studies as a physicist I was introduced to a physics professor who had a doctorate in neuroscience. I did my thesis with him. My project was about investigating a better way to diagnose epilepsy using computerized means to predict brain irregularities. During this project I worked closely with a physics professor expert in electronics and with a geophysicist. It was an amazing experience and from there, I decided, that I wanted to study the brain, not only how it works but also everything related to emotions and behaviours. Then I went to do my PhD in Neuroscience and some years later, started to study Psychology and etc. 

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field? 

There was no hiring process because this is my own project. After doing a specialization in Emotional Intelligence, another one in Stress Management and getting my certification as a Life Coach, I created Emgenius, there I was sharing information and offering courses about emotional intelligence to improve quality of life. In the meantime, I continued developing my knowledge in this area and investigating what research was saying about methodologies that were effective to support people’s wellbeing. I learned about mindfulness and the importance of self-compassion, then I got my qualification as a mindfulness and self-compassion teacher and later I also got certified as a teacher of mindful eating. Since arrival of mindfulness in my life and experiencing how beneficial it was for me, I decided to create EQness which was similar to Emgenious but had a lot of focus on mindfulness practices and practices of the heart. I started to combine, my knowledge in Neuroscience, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion and later Positive Psychology in all my sessions and material. Last year I was offered the possibility to do a masters in Psychopathology, Clinical Intervention and Health which I happily got into. There I learned about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which according to research is a very effective methodology to improve people’s quality of life because it increases psychological flexibility. Then in parallel I started my training in ACT. As with the previous things I learned, I started to apply ACT in my daily life and my experience has been amazing. So, I have added this to the tools I share with my clients and during my workshops. You have asked about a structure in the field, my aim has been to grow my knowledge, test it on myself and then use this, to support the general population to live better. So, to your question about if there is a structure in the field, I do not know, maybe there is one. I am still learning how to evolve in it.

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role?

I am currently working part time as a Scientist and part time on EQness. There is no “typical day” when working at EQness. It depends on the number of clients and the type of cases (each case is different). But as we are still growing, normally I dedicate part of the day to work on certain programs we want to offer. It includes, selecting the theoretical content, searching for the latest research related to the topic, selecting the exercises to use (meditations, paper and pencil exercises, behavioural activities), recording videos or audios, etc. Then, if I have clients, I start to prepare my session15 min before to check their home activities (which they sent before the sessions), check my notes about possible topic and exercises and prepare the material for possible home activities. However, during the session, I keep flexible to what the client may need or prefer to work on. After each session, I take notes about what we worked on during the session, activities for next week, any important information that was said and anything useful for the following session. Sometimes, I need to record a meditation or exercise for my client, to make easier their home activities or their practice. Now, each time I have a new client, based on our first session I draft a program that is tailored to their specific needs. Here, I consider what skills the person needs to acquire to achieve their particular goal or goals. So, these are some of the things I do during my EQness days among many others. 

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment? 

The best of my work with EQness is that I am able to support others wellbeing. It gives me great satisfaction each time someone send me a message saying that one of my talks or courses was helpful. I want to do something that matters, and helping others to have a happier life, matters. Also, as you can see from my previous answer, doing this work is never boring, because it involves so many things. I love working with people, knowing their stories, thinking on strategies that can be helpful, working with them as a team to find solutions. It is really satisfying when I see them grow and get closer to their goals. I did not mention this before, but there are. More people behind EQness, I work with two of my sisters, one is in charge of the website and content and promotion in Spanish and the other helps with graphics and design.

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

Although fortunately, it does not happen to me often, it is difficult when clients pay for classes/coaching, and they do not take the time to do their activities. I try to be very clear about the importance of going into action, each time we want to change things for the better. So, that can be challenging at times. 

However, “the thing” I have found really difficult is the marketing part. I am a scientist, a person that loves to learn and teach to those who want to learn, I am not a business person. So, not knowing how to navigate in business, how to approach people, how to offer your services definitively makes things extremely difficult. I guess we all know we need to know how to market, I wish I had known it was not as simple as I thought. 

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e. have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience in your field?

I don’t think it is super common, although I would not say that now a days it is rare and definitively it is not a requisite to be successful (and by successful, I mean to make enough money to pay the bills). Some people say it helps, but to be honest with you, I am still in the process of figuring out how to make it count. The advantages of having a PhD in a relevant field, perhaps are related to the fact that you seem more reliable and knowledgeable, since you have spent some time studying in depth these topics. However, many people that have not gone to Uni or have an unrelated academic background can be very successful because they know how to communicate, they tell experiences that people can relate with and that is key. 

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now? 

One phrase, very ACT-like: In anything you do, focus on first discovering what matters to you.  For this it is important to have clear what are your values and what are your goals. Keeping close to your values and behaving according to them to achieve your goals will make more enjoyable your path while moving forward. Why? Because you will always be doing things that are meaningful to you. 

In addition to these questions, feel free to share any other information you’d like us to include in your introduction (previous positions held, awards, honors, fellowships, etc.). If you can also specify your preferred pronouns that would be much appreciated.  

Our website is www.eqness.com, we focus on supporting people’s wellbeing using evidence-based approaches. We specialize in management of stress and difficult emotions, emotional intelligence, improving social skills, improving healthy self-esteem and self-confidence and mindfulness in daily life.