Hi, I’m Toppacio Rodriguez (she/her/ella/ellas), but you can also call me Topy. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Southern California. As a Salvadoran American I’ve had the privilege to grow up within multiple cultures. Through life and academic experience I have gained knowledge that can help me provide support to others. My plan is to continue providing support to people via Telehealth in order to increase as much accessibility as possible. My hope is to collaborate with you in a judgement free and empathetic manner. One of my goal is to be build a safe space with you and assist you in navigating the complexities that life brings your way. As a BIPOC therapist I wish to reach various people within our community. My favorite part of being a therapist is witnessing individuals’ resilience, including their courage to heal and grow. I use different tools to help you through collaborative work, linking you to psychoeducation, and modeling transparency.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session is the most important session, it will be the time you have to determine whether you feel comfortable, heard and understood. The first session will be your opportunity to assess if I will the person to assist you in your journey or if you will be looking for someone else. I am a strong believer that finding your therapist is like finding the right "shoe", you might feel comfortable in Jordans but I'm more of Nike, both shoes are great but it is alright to have preferences. You might be wondering, "Topy, this seems like a lot of pressure for our first meeting, how could I determine this"? Great question, our first session will look like this: I will ask questions about you, how your foundation as a person was built, who are the people who shaped you and what are you hoping to get in therapy. We will review the limits to confidentiality, how to access me for support outside your therapy hour, discuss when a safety plan can be most helpful and create a goal. It will be very important to know what our Northern Star is during your journey, in order to remain focused when collaborating. I will also review consent forms and other related documents. During the first session we will explore the reasons or events that led you to seek support and change. We will discuss your strengths and abilities which have helped you navigate life to this point so far. The first few sessions will allow us get to know each other. I gather information and context of what brings you to therapy and build a therapeutic relationship based on safety and trust. Ultimately, I am finding the best way to understand how I can support you in your journey, recognizing that each individual's needs are going to be different.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe my greatest strengths as a provider lie in my ability to connect with clients though empathy, culturally sensitivity and ethical practices. I am caring and compassionate, which helps me build strong therapeutic relationships rooting in trust. At the same time, i will be direct and honest in sessions, which allows for meaningful progress and clarity in the therapeutic process. My experience spans working with survivors of sexual assault, youth in the justice system, and children exposed to complex adversities. This breadth of experience has strengthened my cultural awareness and solidified my commitment to ethical and informed care. Ultimately, I strive to be a provider who is not only clinically competent but also deeply human in my approach—meeting people where they are, while guiding them toward growth and healing.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I've found that my approach is most effective with individual adults and couples who are facing challenges with neurodivergence, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, self-esteem, and navigating life's transitions. I hope to provide people with information on mental health, parenting tools, provide access to resources for managing life’s stresses, ending stigmas related to neurodivergence and trauma. I will assist you recognize how your body reacts to environmental stresses. While my approach can be gentle it can also be direct when exploring and developing your unwavering determination in becoming your desired version of yourself. Your goal will be the anchor in treatment which will facilitate the process when addressing challenges, barriers and limitations both internally and externally. When building rapport with you, I share my own thoughts and insight to break through the pressure of unknown expectations. I invite you to explore the safe therapeutic space that's been created jointly in order to move forward and link you to the information that will resonate with you most. Part of the journey will be assisting you in depersonalizing problems, recognizing that environmental stresses influence mental health challenges and that you have the strength to move forward. There's this concept taught in school that is encouraged for therapist to implement to help you separate the problem from the person, that you are not the problem in your life and that you have the ability to brainstorm solutions to the actual problem. I will emphasize providing you a space in which you feel comfortable, safe and secure.