The Joy of Fatherhood -An interview with Walt Torchon, LCPC

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Walt is a young therapist at The Personal Wellness Center. He has a good sense of humor and enjoys connecting with people.  His ability to connect with children, teenagers, and adults is great.  He is dedicated to the work he does with his clients and recognizes that his first priority is to his family, and I have always admired that about him.

As Father’s Day is approaching, I wanted to interview Walt and ask him to share his joy of fatherhood. Walt is 33 years old, and he is an admirable example of being a family man.  He is dedicated to his family and his two young daughters, a three-year-old and a newborn baby.  I was curious how Walt’s laid-back attitude toward life played out in his family life and raising two daughters.

Veronica:  Have you always wanted to be dad?

Walt: Yes, I always wanted to be a dad, but my wife and I waited a while before having children.  We wanted to get my professional career going before we started a family.  I also wanted to continue the legacy of my own family, life as I knew it with my own family.

Veronica:  How was life growing up with your own dad?

Walt:  It was great! My parents were always together, and my dad was always in the picture.  He was active in our lives while we were growing up.  He participated in our sports, and he was hands on with activities.  My dad taught us responsibility and hard work and instilled those values in me.  I heard the values of responsibility and hard work “a lot” from him while growing up.

Veronica:  Is it fun being a dad?

Walt:  It is fun! and it is also a lot of work.  There were challenges that my wife and I were not expecting.  For example, when our first daughter was born there were some complications and she had to stay in the hospital longer than we had anticipated. That was a scary experience and I like to remind myself of that experience to remember to be grateful for my daughter.

Veronica:  As a father, what values do you want to instill in your daughters?

Walt: I want to instill values of care, support, responsibility, and hard work like my dad did with us.

Veronica: How has becoming a father impacted your work as a therapist?

Walt:  Fatherhood has impacted me in many ways.  Being a parent allows me to connect with clients in a different way.  I treat my younger clients as I would like my daughters to be treated. When doing couples counseling or individual adult counseling I can see all the different angles of the different family members. Fatherhood gives me a deeper appreciation for every member of the family.

Veronica:  What are your goals and dreams for your children?

Walt:  I want my children to grow up healthy in all areas of their lives. I want them to know that they will always have my support and that support is going to be honest and challenging at the same time.  I want them to be their very best and never settle for anything less.

Veronica:  What advice would you give to a young man who is about to become a dad?

Walt:  I would encourage young fathers to lock in the responsibility of being a parent and viewing responsibility not just as a weight but also as a privilege because it is twofold.  While there is a lot of hard work that goes into being a dad, there is also that privilege to connect with your child and help shape and mold them into the best version of themselves.

Veronica:  What are your favorite things to do with your daughters?

Walt:  First of all, I love cuddling with them.  My three-year-old loves to workout with me and I enjoy that very much.  I just love playing with them.

Walt shared that the biggest lesson he has learned about parenting is that children expose you.  “An exposure can be a bad thing if you see it that way but if your exposure challenges you to be better it can be a good thing.  For example, if you think you are a patient person have children and you will find out how patient you are. Also, I thought my wife and I worked well as a team and after we had our children, we realized that we had more work to do.”

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the wonderful fathers who make raising a child their priority and practice gratitude for the beautiful privilege of parenthood.

Veronica Correa

Veronica Correa, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker, certified hypnotherapist and life coach.

To learn more about her work visit: www.thepersonalwellnesscenter.com

or call 410-742-6016

Walt Torchon Head Shot

Walt Torchon, LCPC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor.

To learn more about his work visit: www.thepersonalwellnesscenter.com

or call 410-742-6016