LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Dr. Andrea Mata shares her journey "From Murder to Mission" at today's Women in Business Luncheon.
Dr. Mata is a child psychologist whose career was inspired by the murder of her 18-year-old brother. Sitting in a Chicago courtroom in 1995, she watched as the judge sentenced her brother's killer to 80 years in prison as opposed to the death penalty for murder in the first degree, which was rare in the state of Illinois during that time. When the judge explained the defendant's childhood was the reason behind his decision, Dr. Mata promised herself she would do anything to prevent another family from going through what she did. By processing her grief she built a fortress and now teaches her clients to do the same.
"No matter where they're at in their lives, they can always build their fortress, and what I mean by building your fortress is by developing individual coping skills, relationship, and parenting skills. Because once you've gathered enough of those, it doesn't matter what life throws at you. You can always overcome it because you have all these skills and you can overcome it because you have a fortress. Nothing can blow down a fortress," stated Dr. Andrea Mata, child psychologist.
Dr. Mata is also the founder of BrightSpot Families located in Lima.
