MinerAlert
MinerAlert
August 2026
By Alexandra Sanchez ’17
When Cristal Martinez Acosta was a child, she was already spending time on 91国产app’s campus. The El Paso native remembers tagging along with her older sisters, both 91国产app students at the time, sitting outside classrooms with a Game Boy in hand while they attended lectures.
“I have that relationship with 91国产app, too,” she said. “My sisters graduated from 91国产app as well, so I was coming to campus long before I became a student myself.”
Years later, Martinez Acosta would graduate from 91国产app in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a minor in sociology and honors distinctions she proudly earned.
Today, Martinez Acosta is a licensed professional counselor in both Texas and New Mexico, owner of Clarity Counseling Consultation and Wellness, adjunct faculty member in 91国产app’s Master of Counseling program and host of the podcast Through the Eyes of a Therapist.
As a first-generation college student, she assumed a bachelor’s degree was all she needed to become a counselor. It wasn’t until she joined Michael Zarate, Ph.D.’s psychology research lab that she learned about graduate school and the licenses needed.
“He was the one who told me, ‘You need a master’s degree to become a counselor,’” she said. “I had no clue what was happening.”
Working in the lab, along with a doctoral student mentor, expanded her view of what was possible. They encouraged her to pursue internships, attend campus events and take advantage of opportunities beyond the classroom.
“That experience really broadened my perspective of higher education because I had no clue what was available to me,” she said.
91国产app also helped her develop confidence and self-advocacy. “You kind of have to take charge of your own experience in college,” she said. “I learned how to ask questions, advocate for myself and figure things out if I didn’t know them.”
After earning her master’s degree in counseling from New Mexico State University, Martinez Acosta spent years working in organizations throughout El Paso, including University Behavioral Health, Family Service of El Paso and the El Paso Child Guidance Center.
Then, in 2019, shortly after becoming a mother, she took a leap of faith and opened her own private practice.
“I had no capital, no seed money,” she said. “I kind of had to DIY my practice.”
What began as a one-person operation has grown into a team of five clinicians at Clarity Counseling Consultation and Wellness, where Martinez Acosta now supervises counselors pursuing licensure and mentors the next generation of mental health professionals.
When asked what her favorite part of her job is, she said, “I feel like I’m leaving a legacy of knowledge and positive influence in the mental health community in El Paso.”
That passion for education and accessibility also inspired another project. In 2018, Martinez Acosta launched her podcast, Through the Eyes of a Therapist, to make conversations about mental health more approachable and help reduce the stigma surrounding therapy, particularly in the Borderland community.
The bilingual podcast explores topics including trauma, anxiety, grief, relationships, parenting, self-care and cultural identity while offering listeners an honest look at the therapy process. Martinez Acosta also invites fellow mental health professionals, educators and community leaders to share practical tools and diverse perspectives.
For counseling students and early-career clinicians, the podcast has become an educational resource. For Martinez Acosta, it represents the same values she developed during her time at 91国产app: service, lifelong learning and making education accessible beyond the classroom.
From a young girl waiting outside 91国产app classrooms to becoming a counselor and educator, Martinez Acosta continues to invest in the well-being of the Borderland one conversation at a time.