I am a child of immigrant parents from México and El Salvador who moved to the United States for opportunity. I grew up in the small town of Tujunga, California, where I lived with my immediate and extended family. In 2003, I attended community colleges where I studied Psychology and American Sign Language (ASL). Like many queer folks of color, I struggled with belonging and self acceptance regarding my queerness during childhood and adolescence. It was in college that I found my community via an on-campus LGBTQ+ club and continued my process of self love and acceptance.
After completing an Associates Degree in 2006, I transferred to California State University, Los Angeles, in East Los Angeles. It was then that I pursued volunteer opportunities--serving people living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of intimate partner abuse, and the DeafBlind. I also volunteered on the National Suicide Prevention Center. After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 2007, I worked with people living chronically homeless and with severe mental illness. I knew I wanted to work in the helping profession, but I was not certain what degree to pursue. After working on a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals, I decided to pursue social work because of its focus on social justice.
In 2009, I moved to the Bay Area to pursue a master's degree in social work at the University of California, Berkeley. While there, I trained with adolescents in a psychiatric hospital, called Willow Rock Center, and with clients of all ages at La Clínica de La Raza. In 2011, I graduated with a Master’s in Social Welfare. After graduating, I continued my clinical training at La Clínica de La Raza, where I specialized in treating people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2014, I became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and shortly thereafter I pursued work at Kaiser Permanente where I supported thousands of patients with acute and chronic challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, I left Kaiser Permanente to pursue full-time private practice where I am now.
I am fluent in English and Spanish, and am proficient in American Sign Language (ASL). I am formally trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Throughout my practice, I have learned and utilized techniques from other treatment modalities, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Narrative Therapy (NT), and unique teachings in areas of somatic, cultural, spiritual, and more, healing practices.
Along my journey, I have learned the importance of self cares and co-care by participating in my own psychotherapy, joining a men's group, doing dance therapy, completing a kink-based mentorship program, and reading several self-help books. In my personal time, I enjoy dance, exercise, board games, reading, travel, cycling, nature, and much more.
*All nature pictures on my profile were taken by me at various locations during nature walks*