Areas of Expertise
Counseling and Psychotherapy
Counseling is the professional relationship that empowers individuals, to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. I like to use a holistic style, utilizing different types of therapy approach.
It is the term used to treat psychological clinical issues. As per with counseling, I utilize a holistic approach in the psychotherapy process. The combination of Humanistic/Client Centered Approach, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, among others.
Affirmative Therapy
Affirmative Therapy is the most used approach while working with LGTBQ+ individuals. It is used to work a vast variety of issues like Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, Depression, Anxiety and Trauma related issues.
Resilience Informed Therapy
Resilience is defined as an ability to flexibly adapt to challenging, adverse, or traumatic life events. This ability to “bounce back” from traumatic events is deeply connected to having the opportunity to work through difficult life experiences. Resilience is not a trait that you either have or do not have; it is a set of strategies that can be learned and practiced.
Resilience Informed Therapy helps you to:
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Build your Resources and focus on your strengths.
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Increase Distress Tolerance
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Feel Empowered to take an active role in your health and wellness
My Approach
Therapy with me is empowering, engaging, and you will be part of a non-judgement system.
Together, we leverage on your individualized goals and how to make them. My clients say I’m easy to talk to because I’m real with them. I am not the kind of therapist who sits silently in my chair. I am engaged. I listen and I reflect. I will ask questions and offer interpretations.
I work with you to identify limiting beliefs and offer “reframes” for habitual thinking patterns. Many times, I will challenge your thoughts if I think they are harming you. That said, you are the expert on your life.
Warning! Here comes the theory part: I was trained in what's called Behaviorist and Constructive Theories, but my work is, as I expressed before, is extremely holistic. My work with clients draws on Gestalt, Acceptance Commitment (ACT), Humanistic referred as Person-Centered, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT), as well as Harm Reduction, Mindfulness-based work, feminist, and multicultural frameworks. The reality is: no one approach works best for all people or all problems. The most important element to effective therapy is a good client/therapist relationship.
I know you are curious to know about my educational background! As I said before, I started by achieving a B.A. in Elementary Education, and went onto doing an M.A. in English as a Second Language. My Psychology career started when I reached my goal of graduating with an M.A., in Counseling Psychology, and finishing my formal education with a Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology. I have not finished educating myself, a psychologist education is continuing. I have certification as LGBTQ+ Psychotherapist, Transgenerational Trauma Studies and more.
So, I get to know you first, and then we co-create your treatment based on your challenges, your goals, and your style. My observations and questions in session are aimed at increasing your trust in your inner authority and your power to make positive changes.
I listen deeply. There is truth in the idea that you need to “feel it to heal it.” In our sessions, I make space for whatever you’re feeling. Therapy is your time and I invite you to bring your whole happy, sobbing, ambivalent, or exhausted self to the table.
I am nonjudgmental. I will think critically about how to best serve you, and how we can together develop skills to reach your goals. Furthermore, I will not be critically of you. I know that showing up to therapy takes courage. I respect my clients for doing it! Not only that, but I work hard to support them and inspire positive change.
