If something here landed, that means you’re already paying attention.
If you’re curious about what it could look like to go deeper, let’s connect.
Luis Villafuerte, CSWA/LSWAIC (he/Him/él)
I come from a family that values effort, sacrifice, and care. The kind of care that shows up unspoken, whether that is through food, in hard work, in showing up for others no matter what. And like a lot of people I work with, I learned how to give everything I had, without always knowing that I mattered, too.
No one said it directly—but the message was there: push through, stay strong, carry it.
The silence was subtle, but impactful. It taught me how to shrink.
To work through exhaustion.
To carry everything without asking for help.
It took time to understand the worth and the depth of what I had to say. And even longer to trust that it deserved space.
This work is part of that return. Now I hold space for others to do the same:
To speak what hasn’t been spoken, To feel what’s been buried.
To take up space in their own voice, with strength.
This isn’t just about visibility. It’s about belonging.
Because the opposite of rejection isn’t acceptance—it’s belonging. It’s the deep sense that you have a place here. That you don’t have to earn it by being perfect, by holding it all, or by being less of yourself.
I’ve worked in and with systems that say all the right things—equity, healing, inclusion and still push culture, grief, reflection, and identity to the margins often without realizing it.
This work is about helping people remember who they are outside of survival.
And to help build spaces, internally and collectively, where we don’t have to disappear to stay safe.
My Therapeutic Style/Modalities
I am a bilingual (Spanish and English) first-generation college graduate and I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work. I am currently a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Associate (CSWA/LSWAIC) in Oregon and Washington.
I draw from narrative therapy, psychodynamic work, trauma-informed care, and culturally and historically grounded approaches. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all model. I work from the realities of who you are and what you’ve been through.
I practice therapy and facilitation as a form of return to yourself (when you have been living disconnected from yourself).
These frameworks are invitations—ways to:
• Unpack the stories you’ve been living in
• Sit with the feeling of “things are fine, but something’s off”
• Untangle yourself from roles or expectations that no longer fit
• Rebuild trust with yourself and your voice/letting go of shame
Therapy, in my space, isn’t about “fixing” because you are not “broken.”
It’s about remembering your agency and power while processing life’s hard moments.
Past and Current Experience
I bring both lived experience and professional depth. I’ve worked across systems, youth programs, residential facilities, nonprofits, therapy agencies, and community spaces. I’ve done the work behind the scenes and in front of the room.
My background includes:
• MSW from Portland State University
• Licensed Clinical Social Work Associate (Oregon + Washington)(under supervision of Rushini Jayawardena (OR) and Rita Molestina (WA).
• 6+ years of experience working with the following populations: undocumented minors, unhoused young adults, and frontline providers.
• Experience facilitating group therapy, organizational trainings and workshops, conference presentations around representation, grief, culture, and sustainability, all through a systemic and holistic lens.
• Current mentor through the Social Work Neighborhood (check them out) Link in the resources page.