I’m Dr. Mikaela Zuniga, a proud queer Latinx clinician passionate about supporting individuals, families, and communities as they move through life’s complexities with strength and intention. With over a decade of experience in crisis stabilization, community mental health, and trauma-informed care, I bring a deep commitment to holding space for healing, growth, and transformation. I specialize in working with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folks, first-gen professionals and students, caregivers, and those walking alongside loved ones navigating severe mental illness. My approach is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and culturally responsive care. Drawing from evidence-based practices like Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychoeducation, I help you reconnect with your inner resources, shift limiting patterns, and take meaningful steps toward the life you envision. Whether you're navigating a transition, processing trauma, or simply seeking more ease and clarity, I’m here to support you in building resilience and creating lasting, empowered change.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

In our first session, you can expect a welcoming, judgment-free space where we take time to get to know each other. I’ll invite you to share what’s bringing you in, what’s been feeling heavy or stuck, and what you’re hoping for—but we’ll move at your pace. There’s no rush and no pressure to go deeper than you’re ready for. We’ll talk about what therapy might look like for you, explore some of your past experiences, and begin noticing patterns that may be shaping how you show up in the present. My approach is collaborative and rooted in your strengths—this is a space where your voice leads. Together, we’ll start sketching a roadmap toward healing, clarity, and meaningful change. More than anything, our first session is about creating a space where you feel safe, seen, and supported as you take this first step.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

One of the strengths I bring to this work is the ability to hold space for people in their most difficult moments—and help them find their way back to something steady, meaningful, and real. I know how life stressors can pile on—family expectations, identity struggles, burnout, trauma, and the weight of systemic barriers—until it all feels like too much. Suicidal thoughts don’t come out of nowhere; they often speak to deep exhaustion, pain, or the sense that nothing will ever change. With three years of experience in high-stakes crisis settings, I’ve supported individuals navigating suicidality, severe depression, and acute mental health episodes—offering grounded, compassionate care when things feel most unstable. I also specialize in psychosis and schizophrenia-related disorders, not just from a clinical lens, but from personal experience supporting loved ones. I understand how isolating and overwhelming it can be to care for someone living with severe mental illness—and I work with families to build clarity, find balance, and access tools that truly support both their loved one and themselves. My approach is trauma-informed, practical, and deeply human. I focus on helping clients understand their experiences, reconnect with their strengths, and rebuild a sense of direction and hope—even in the hardest chapters. Healing is possible. And you don’t have to walk through it alone.

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

Even in the messiness—when things feel heavy, unclear, or like too much—you carry so much wisdom. I work alongside BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, first-gen professionals, students, caregivers, and cycle-breakers who are navigating the in-between: honoring where they come from while carving out space to heal, grow, and breathe. Maybe you’re feeling stretched thin, burnt out, anxious, or in the middle of a life shift. Maybe you’re holding space for someone else’s pain and losing track of your own. You don’t have to hold it all alone. In our work together, we’ll create a space that feels grounding and real—where your experiences are honored, your resilience is celebrated, and your next steps feel like your own.

About Dr. Mikaela Zuniga