I’m an LCSW (licensed clinical social worker) and I’ve been in the social work field for almost a decade, with about 3 years of those years specifically as a therapist. During my time I’ve worked with many populations, such as individuals who have/are; ■ been in foster care, or are fostering ■ geriatric and/or physically or cognitively disabled, and their caregivers/guardians ■ re-entering communities from incarceration ■ receiving special education services, and their caregivers/guardians ■ challenged by substance use (specifically opioids, and alcohol) ■ experienced physical and/or sexual abuse, and their loved ones and, ■ experienced intimate partner violence (also known as domestic violence). Currently as a therapist my work involves individuals ■ experiencing irritability and/or rigidity towards loved ones without a clear understanding of why, ■ who have a hard time with creating and implementing boundaries, ■ who believe they are tight-knit with their family yet do not feel understood and feel alone, ■ low self-esteem, and ■ feeling lost in their current stage of life. I consider therapy to be a form (because there are so many others!) of healing and connecting (with oneself). A form that I am called to as a practitioner, and that I am so happy to be able to walk alongside my clients. When I’m not seeing clients, I am eating helado de coco (de agua!) with my two kiddos, catching a play in the city, or crossing things off my bucket list!

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

In our first session we'll go over: -pronouns, -confidentiality, -confirming contact information, -asking questions such as "why therapy? and why now?" -and space for you to ask me questions!

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

My biggest strengths fall into 3 main categories: ■ I have personal experiences with therapy, ■ My identity labels are similar to those I collaborate with (person of color, child of an undocumented immigrant, first-generation college student, a survivor of abuse, parent of a child with a disability), and ■ I abide by the regulations expected of me by insurance providers, but I keep at the forefront that I, as part of the healer community, show up as myself and recognize that my therapy approaches and professional expertise are not always seen as the "standard" in White/colonized spaces.

About Jackeline Portocarrero-Mitchell