Licensed to practice in California. Specializes in LGBTQ, Trauma and PTSD, Life Transitions and 3 more.
(they/them)
New to Grow
Hello! I'm Aleida Moreno (they/them), a non-binary and queer therapist based in Oakland, CA . My practice, Raíz Psychotherapy, is deeply grounded in the understanding of how systemic issues of the world we live in play major roles in our mental health. By acknowledging the systemic, we can dive deeper in our work together to explore the factors influencing your day-to-day life to better support you in meeting your therapeutic goals.
In our first session, after reviewing any questions you might have about paperwork or policies, we will go over your goals for our time together. We can explore this by thinking about how you might want to feel in the future, any actions you feel motivated to take, or any areas of your life you want to explore. Together, we will set goals or intentions for our work together. I will ask you about previous experiences in therapy and leave ample time for you to ask any questions that might be important for you to know about your therapist.
I have worked in the mental health field for 10 years; for the last 6 years it's been in the capacity of a therapist, but before that I had counselor, advocate, and case management roles in community mental health. In this time I have worked with people of all age groups in a wide range of setting including classrooms, emergency rooms, hotlines, in LGBTQ+ Centers, and both virtual and in-person therapy offices. My experience in community mental health has given me a very decolonial and systems-aware perspective that informs the way I support others through therapy. I believe that getting a holistic view of someone's like and the way that they are impacted by the systems of oppression at large in this day and age, which result from the long term effects of colonialism, capitalism. Acknowledging the reality of the times we are living in ensures that in the therapy room, you can feel more at ease to explore mental health in a way that feels authentic and free of judgement.
* LGBTQ+ Mental Health, including but not limited to: systemic trauma, relational issues with family, romantic partners, platonic relationships, childhood and systemic trauma *BIPoC and more specifically Latine Mental Health, including but not limited to: intergenerational trauma, first generation family issues, impacts immigration and acculturation * Relational Issues: between monogamous couples, people in non-monogamous relationships, between parents and their adult children * Psychedelic and Spiritual Integration
Other specialties
I identify as
Eclectic
My eclectic therapeutic style draws from a variety of modalities. I draw from psychodynamic, somatic techniques that I blend with emotionally-focused therapy as well as other evidence-based models. When incorporating techniques from dialectical behavioral, cognitive behavioral, or acceptance and commitment therapy techniques, I like to combine the evidence-based interventions with client-centered and holistic methods to ensure that the each client's individual set of strengths and experiences is honored as we work together towards their goals.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
I completed training for Emotionally-Focused Therapy with Couples and am excited to work with couples using this particular modality. EFT is based on attachment theory and support couples in reconnecting and working together to build more secure attachment to the people they love. EFT is also a valuable modality for individuals who are looking for support around their relationships with others and are open to looking at relationships through an attachment lens. I love EFT because it is non-pathologizing and works to get to the root of relational issues.
Trauma Informed Care
My decade of experience in community mental health as well as 6 years of working as a therapist with people who have experienced complex trauma in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood makes it impossible for me to work in a way that is not trauma informed. To me, providing trauma-informed care means being aware of all of the many external factors that can influence how we shape or thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and relationships. Sometimes providing trauma-informed care means going slower in sessions, not requiring you to disclose details of your trauma to successfully help guide you in healing from the effects of your experience, or being real about how messed up the world feels in this moment and sitting with you in that pain.
Gender-affirming therapy
Both my personal and professional life make providing gender-affirming therapy absolutely necessary to my practice. I value co-creating a therapeutic relationship where my clients can feel comfortable expressing and exploring themselves authentically. I have been working with trans and non-binary folks for the entirety of my career in the field of mental health. I have experience providing trainings to largely cisgender and heterosexual audiences about creating more gender-affirming environments in schools, workplaces, and in their lives as a whole. It really matters to me that everyone's authentic self expression is honored, through all of its iterations.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Another core value of my practice is involving culturally sensitive therapy to every client I have the joy of working with. I really love working with other BIPoC to process the effects of racism, classism, sexism, colorism, xenophobia, transphobia and homophobia in a way that holds the complexities of every individual's unique cultural context. I have experience providing therapy services in Spanish and hope to get a chance to do that more often.