Hi, I’m Lilliam Pastora, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 6 years of experience helping adults navigate life’s challenges and create meaningful, lasting change. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based care. I support clients in building insight, strengthening coping skills, and reconnecting with their values—so they can move through difficult seasons with more clarity, confidence, and self-compassion. I specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, and eating disorders, and I also enjoy working with men around topics like emotional regulation, identity, relationships, and personal growth. My goal is to provide a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can feel understood while learning practical tools to support healing and long-term wellbeing.
During our initial session together, clients can expect a warm and welcoming environment where they feel comfortable expressing themselves. We'll start by getting to know each other, discussing your reasons for seeking therapy, and outlining your goals and hopes for our work together. I'll explain my approach to therapy and answer any questions you may have. We'll explore your current challenges, emotions, and experiences, laying the foundation for our therapeutic journey. By the end of the session, you can expect to feel heard, understood, and empowered to take the next steps toward positive change.
In my practice, I've discovered that my strongest strengths lie in my empathetic approach, my constant desire for learning and development, and my ability for cultivating a safe, nonjudgmental environment for clients. I also take pride in guiding individuals to confront their limiting beliefs, fostering deeper self-awareness, and nurturing a sense of self-love along the way.
I am best positioned to work with individuals who feel stuck in unhelpful patterns and are struggling to create meaningful change in their lives. Many of my clients experience a harsh inner critic, intense shame, low self-worth, and difficulty trusting themselves. They often feel overwhelmed by their emotions or caught in cycles of overthinking, avoidance, or self-sabotage, despite a strong desire to grow. I also work with clients navigating trauma and complex PTSD, as well as those struggling with food and body image concerns. These experiences often impact how they see themselves, relate to others, and move through the world. My clients are typically insightful and motivated, but feel blocked or discouraged because the strategies they’ve tried haven’t led to lasting change. In therapy, their goals often include building self-trust, reducing shame, improving their relationship with food and their body, processing past experiences, and developing the confidence to make and sustain meaningful life changes.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT with my clients to help them identify, challenge and re-examine negative thoughts that perpetuate negative patterns of behaviors.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
I use CPT to help my clients process traumatic or stressful experiences by identifying and challenging thoughts that keep them stuck and perpetuate trauma and PTSD.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use DBT to help my client learn how to regulate their emotions, improve mindfulness, increase distress tolerance and improve interpersonal relationships.
EMDR
I use EMDR to help my clients build coping skills and process past traumatic experiences.
Existential
I incorporate existential practices to help my clients develop deeper self-awareness and authenticity based on the individual's values.