LMHC, 6 years of experience
New to Grow
I spend a great deal of time building a connection with clients so that we can get to a place of vulnerability that feels comfortable. I incorporate science, reflection, warmth, and humor to sessions to help build a safe space for you. I am a Latina from Chicago, bilingual, and a musician in my spare time. I like to joke that "I never grew out of my emo phase" and being a therapist gives that statement a whole new meaning.
Our first session is a “get-to-know-you” session where I will go over your history and interests. I try my hardest to never push clients too far where there is emotional flooding. I will go at your pace, and we will build a relationship before diving into some of the tougher experiences you have had.
I experienced mental health challenges myself and continue to live with chronic mental illness. I aimed to change the parts of treatment that harmed me as a child. I wanted to support the Latinx community in exploring mental health and destigmatizing conversations about struggles.
Healing is not linear and it's different for everyone. If you have tried therapy in the past and did not connect with your therapist, feeling invalidated and broken, I might be a good fit for you. If you have been looking for a BIPOC, bilingual therapist, I hope you will reach out to talk. My approach is viewing behaviors through a compassionate lens and with cultural humility. I never want someone to feel invalidated or shut down by their therapist which is why my approach is a gentle yet direct one. We'll explore your life with curiosity, compassion, and creativity.
I am EMDR -trained and can be used in a hybrid form with any of my other interventions. This is an effective treatment for trauma, depression, anxiety, and attachment-based relationship issues.
This is what is commonly referred to as "talk therapy". This is the reflection on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and how they all connect.
I am certified in DBT which is commonly used for folks with mood swings, reactivity, and suicidal thoughts/behaviors. I use elements of DBT with all clients even if we don't fully use "just" DBT.
I approach therapy from a decolonization lens. I do a lot of research on my clients' cultures and use a culturally-sensitive lens to evaluate and treat folks from marginalized groups. My own experience as a BIPOC woman supplements my unique approaches to therapy.
My education in school was in clinical psychology, not counseling or social work, because I wanted to learn more about the biological bases of mental health concerns. I incorporate psychoeducation as needed to help people understand what is happening from a biological perspective.