(she/her)
New to Grow
Hello! My name is Mercedes. I am a bilingual (English y Español) first-generation Latina Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and daughter of immigrant parents who values creating a space where people feel understood, supported, and able to show up as themselves. I have worked with children for over 15 years and within the mental health field for the past 5 years, supporting children, teens, adults, and foster youth through a variety of emotional, relational, and life challenges. Throughout my experience in community mental health, I have provided individual, family, and group therapy, including DBT-focused groups, while working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. I enjoy walking alongside clients as they gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationships, and the patterns that may be keeping them stuck.
The first session is an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and creating a better understanding of what brings you to therapy. We’ll spend time discussing the concerns, challenges, or patterns you’ve been experiencing, along with different areas of your life that may help provide a fuller picture of your experiences and goals. I also understand that starting therapy can feel unfamiliar or vulnerable, so I aim to create a space and pace that feels supportive for you.
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is building rapport and creating a space where clients feel comfortable showing up as themselves without fear of judgment. I value open communication in therapy and encourage clients to share what feels helpful, supportive, or even unhelpful throughout the process. Many of the individuals I work with are used to holding things in, minimizing their feelings, or not feeling fully heard in other areas of their lives, so I see therapy as a space where their thoughts, emotions, and experiences can be openly explored and validated. I enjoy helping clients slow things down, better understand what they’re feeling, and recognize patterns that may be impacting their relationships, confidence, and emotional well-being. Along the way, we work on developing healthier ways to cope with stress, communicate needs, and create more balance in everyday life so clients can feel more grounded and connected to themselves and others.
I work well with clients who recognize that therapy is a process and that meaningful change often takes time, patience, and self-reflection. At times, therapy can involve unpacking years of learned behaviors, thought patterns, relationship dynamics, or ways of coping. Progress is not always linear, and there may be moments where growth feels uncomfortable or slow, but meaningful change can still happen through continued effort and willingness to keep showing up for yourself. I strive to create a space where you feel comfortable being honest about where you are in the process while also feeling supported and gently challenged toward growth.
Attachment-based
I approach therapy through an attachment-based lens by exploring how past relationships and experiences may influence the way you connect with yourself and others today. The ways people learn to cope, respond emotionally, or navigate relationships often develop from early experiences and environments, especially around how emotional needs were met, ignored, or responded to growing up. At times, these patterns may show up as anxiety, avoidance, difficulty trusting others, people-pleasing, fear of vulnerability, or challenges with boundaries and self-worth. Many of these responses develop as ways to adapt and protect ourselves within the environments we grew up in, even if those patterns may no longer feel helpful in current relationships. Through reflection and increased awareness, we work on identifying these patterns, understanding where they come from, and developing healthier ways of relating, communicating, and responding emotionally in relationships and everyday life.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I incorporate CBT to support clients in recognizing unhelpful thought patterns that may contribute to anxiety, self-doubt, or emotional overwhelm. Through this process, clients can begin developing more balanced ways of thinking, coping, and responding to challenges in daily life.
Strength-Based
I use a strengths-based approach to help clients recognize and build on the resilience, insight, and abilities they already carry within themselves. Therapy can be a space to reconnect with those strengths while navigating challenges with greater confidence and self-understanding.
Trauma Informed Care
I approach therapy through a trauma-informed lens by recognizing that talking about difficult or painful experiences can feel vulnerable, and everyone opens up at their own pace. For some people, sharing comes more naturally, while for others it may take time to build comfort and trust, and both are completely okay. I focus on helping you feel emotionally safe and supported while exploring not only what happened, but also the emotions, triggers, and patterns connected to those experiences. I also recognize that trauma can impact both the mind and body, which can sometimes cause emotions or physical reactions to feel heightened when certain experiences are discussed. Along the way, I provide psychoeducation, encourage reflection, and explore coping skills to help you better understand your responses, regulate emotions, and feel more grounded throughout the process.