Licensed to practice in California and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Child or Adolescent, Trauma and PTSD and 10 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
Hi, I’m Andrea, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist originally from Costa Rica. I specialize in working with young children and their caregivers, helping families navigate emotional, behavioral, and relationship challenges with greater confidence, connection, and understanding. Many of the families I work with are feeling overwhelmed by frequent meltdowns, anxiety, behavioral concerns, school difficulties, or the lasting effects of stressful and traumatic experiences. My approach is rooted in the belief that children thrive when they feel safe, understood, and connected to the important adults in their lives. Rather than focusing only on a child’s symptoms or behaviors, I work collaboratively with parents and caregivers to strengthen relationships, build emotional regulation skills, and create lasting change within the family system. With specialized training in trauma, attachment, play therapy, and PC-CARE, I provide an integrative and family-centered approach that supports both children and their caregivers. I am known for being warm, engaged, and deeply invested in the families I work with. I strive to create a supportive space where parents feel empowered and children feel seen, valued, and understood. As a bilingual therapist and someone who understands the experience of navigating different cultures, I bring cultural sensitivity and curiosity into my work. My goal is to help families move beyond survival mode and build stronger, healthier, and more connected relationships.
Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. I take time to learn about your child, your family's strengths, the challenges you're facing, and the goals you hope to achieve. Parents often come to therapy carrying a great deal of stress, uncertainty, and self-doubt. My goal is to create a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where you feel heard and understood. Together, we will explore what's happening beneath the behaviors, identify patterns that may be contributing to the challenges, and develop a collaborative plan that feels practical and meaningful for your family. You can expect me to be warm, curious, and engaged as we begin building a strong therapeutic relationship and a path forward together.
One of my greatest strengths is my ability to connect deeply with both children and parents while helping them feel safe, understood, and supported. Families often tell me they appreciate my warmth, empathy, and collaborative approach. I bring extensive experience working with young children, trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, and parent-child relationships. Rather than working with a child in isolation, I focus on supporting the entire family system and empowering caregivers with practical tools they can use outside of sessions. I am also highly engaged in the therapeutic process and genuinely invested in the families I serve. My goal is not only to help reduce symptoms, but to strengthen relationships, foster resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change.
I am best positioned to support young children and their caregivers who are navigating emotional or behavioral challenges, anxiety, trauma, attachment concerns, emotional regulation difficulties, family transitions, parenting stress, and parent-child relationship challenges. I also work closely with parents who are seeking guidance, support, and practical tools to strengthen their relationship with their children, improve communication, and build more connected family relationships. In addition to supporting parenting challenges, I help caregivers care for their own mental health, navigate stress, anxiety, burnout, and the emotional demands that often come with raising children and supporting a family. I also support women who have experienced trauma, unhealthy relationships, domestic violence, or significant life transitions. Together, we work toward healing from past experiences, rebuilding a sense of safety and self-trust, and creating healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
Other specialties
I identify as
Child Parent Psychotherapy
Child Parent Psychotherapy is one of my favorite approaches because it actively involves both children and caregivers in the healing process. Through real-time coaching, I help parents strengthen their connection with their child, build confidence in their parenting skills, and learn practical tools to support emotional regulation and reduce challenging behaviors. I love helping families discover new ways to connect and create more positive interactions at home. Parent-Child Care (PC-CARE) is an evidence-based treatment designed to strengthen the parent-child relationship while reducing challenging behaviors and improving emotional regulation. Through live coaching and practical strategies, caregivers learn skills that promote connection, confidence, and positive interactions with their child.
Attachment-based
Strong relationships are at the heart of emotional well-being. My attachment-based approach focuses on understanding how early relationships and life experiences shape the way we connect with ourselves and others. Whether I'm working with a young child, parent, or adult, I help clients build greater emotional security, strengthen relationships, and develop healthier patterns of connection.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma can impact how we feel, behave, relate to others, and experience the world around us. As a therapist with specialized training in trauma, I approach every client with curiosity, compassion, and an understanding of how past experiences may be influencing present challenges. My goal is to create a safe, supportive environment where healing can happen at a pace that feels comfortable and empowering.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I've been using CBT in my practice for the past decade. It's helped dozens of clients challenge recurring thoughts and manage their anxiety and depression. CBT helps clients better understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. I use CBT strategies to help children, parents, and adults identify unhelpful patterns, develop healthier coping skills, and build practical tools for managing anxiety, stress, emotional challenges, and everyday life situations.