Martha Ceballos spent the first 15 years of her life growing up in Mexico, with no idea she would one day be a United States citizen – let alone, a Kearns resident and Taylorsville entrepreneur.

When not busy growing her Taylorsville counseling business Inclusive Minded, Martha Ceballos enjoys visiting the Utah mountains with her family. (Photo courtesy Martha Ceballos)

The owner of Inclusive Minded Counseling & Consulting also never knew she would meet her husband, Armando Mendes, as he was visiting Utah, while fleeing civil war in his southwest African country of Angola. They would wed in a West Jordan restaurant, have a son (Roderick) and daughter (Kiara), divorce – but remain close – and make plans to remarry, “someday.” 

Oh, and just for good measure, Ceballos would launch her business a half-year into the COVID-19 pandemic, just as most of us were still hiding from the virus and counting the days until we could make that all-important decision: Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. 

“I began working on my business plan for Inclusive Minded in July 2020 and saw my first client in my (Kearns home) basement on Oct. 1, 2020,” Ceballos explained. “By the end of that year I was seeing about 15 clients each week – and already thinking about hiring additional therapists and moving to an office outside my home.” 

Ceballos is proud her therapy service is focused on often neglected or overlooked members of the community: people of color, LGBTQ+, Spanish-speaking, Native Americans and others. She now employs five therapists – in addition to herself – and an office manager. 

Inclusive Minded clients meet with therapists in Taylorsville inside warm and welcoming spaces. (taylorsvilleut.gov)

“I graduated from Copper Hills High School in 2004; but it took me 10 years to earn my (2-year) associates degree at (Taylorsville-based) Salt Lake Community College,” she said. “In between, I got married and started my family.”

When she resumed her studies at SLCC in 2013, Martha thought she might become a teacher.

“I feel social work chose me,” Ceballos said. “I took an intro to social work class and fell in love with it. Many of my family members are victims of sexual assault and substance abuse. I felt comfortable in the field.”

After that, Martha’s degrees came quickly: SLCC associate degree in 2014… University of Utah bachelor’s degree in 2016… and her Social Work Master’s, with an emphasis in mental health (also from the U of U) in 2018.

Ceballos first moved Inclusive Minded from her basement to an office in South Salt Lake. While there, she hired her first employee – therapist Arlyne Arteaga – fresh out of the University of Utah, in May 2023. Earlier this year, Arteaga became an officially-licensed Utah Clinical Social Worker.

“I became aware of Martha and Inclusive Minded just a few months into my university program,” Arteaga said. “When it came time to look for work, I landed on her web page and really liked their mission. It seemed like a great place.”

Mayor Kristie Overson (R) was on hand when Inclusive Minded owner Martha Ceballos (L) hosted her ribbon cutting in Taylorsville. (taylorsvilleut.gov)

Two-and-a-half years in, Arteaga is still excited about her first big career choice.

“I have stayed here for good reason; we have such a wonderful team,” she added. “Everyone has such diverse skills. It really feels like a family. And Martha is amazing. She sees us as one team, working together. We don’t have a workplace hierarchy. She’s always very transparent and honest with us.”

Inclusive Minded therapists now see 55 to 60 clients per week – most of them for a single, weekly session. Ceballos reports, most of her clients are Hispanic, the male/female mix is about 50/50 and several are transgender.

Mayor Kristie Overson was among those welcoming Ceballos and her business to Taylorsville at the ribbon cutting.

 “We welcome all businesses that find their way into Taylorsville,” the mayor said. “It’s particularly rewarding to see people from diverse backgrounds join our business community. The city and ChamberWest stand ready to assist Inclusive Minded to grow and remain successful, any way we can.”

Inclusive Minded trauma-informed counseling center is on the west side of Redwood Road, across from Taylorsville High. (Photo courtesy Martha Ceballos)

Ceballos is also proud of her YouTube channel, “Viviendo Mejor con Martha,” or “Living Better with Martha.” The content on her channel is exclusively in Spanish now. But their plan in the coming months is to provide content in both English and Spanish, while adding subtitles in the “other” language. Inclusive Minded also just launched a monthly newsletter.

“I am very excited with our new location in Taylorsville,” Ceballos concluded. “We are thrilled to be located on Redwood Road. And the community has been so welcoming. I am pleased we are able to service such a diverse community and hope to provide therapy to even more clients in the future.”

Learn more about Inclusive Minded Counseling & Consulting, LLC on their website (inclusiveminded.com) or call 801-210-1686.