My Story & Values

I was born in the high desert of Northern New Mexico

Raised by the Pacific Ocean in California

&

I now make my home by the forests and rivers of the Pacific Northwest in Oregon

My Story

I am a Latina transplant to Oregon from New Mexico and California. I have lived in Oregon for 14 years.  I grew up in a mixed New Mexican, Guatemalan and European American/white home. I identify as mixed ethnically. I am a receptive bilingual in Spanish which means I understand a great deal verbally but cannot speak Spanish fluently and do not provide services in Spanish. I was raised in a high control religion and left that religion as a teen and have been on a journey since then of healing and repair from that experience. I am a parent and it was when I became a mother that I realized how much was left to be healed within myself if I was going to break intergenerational patterns of trauma. Before becoming a therapist in my mid-30’s, I was focused for most of my early adulthood in the arts - theater, dance, and video art. I still value creativity in my day to day life which currently looks like gardening, sewing, dance and video. I have always been drawn to wanting to understand what it means to be human - with its potential for joy and also for great struggle and suffering. I never get tired hearing the stories and experiences that shape and impact all of us.

My Values

I believe the personal is political. Therapy is political. I will not remain neutral when it comes to the well being of all humans. I believe in fundamental human rights that include access to universal healthcare, food security, safe housing, clean air, clean water, safe neighborhoods to name only a few. I believe that many of the structures of our society are oppressive and are a huge contributor to both mental and physical health concerns - in particular white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism. Many folks would not have their current mental health struggles if they had access to these fundamental human rights and were free of the oppressive systems that dominate life in the United States. I will strive to acknowledge these larger oppressive systems and how they connect with your mental health. I am always striving to learn and grow with a focus on decolonizing myself and my therapy practice. I will always be open to feedback if I make mistakes because I will. There is no such thing as perfect, even as your therapist. I approach my work with humility and a spirit of learning and growth.