Past and Current Experience
Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from Portland State University
Clinical Social Work Associate in Oregon and Washington
(under supervision of Elizabeth Delgros-Ryan, LCSW and Rita Molestina, LICSW)6+ years of experience supporting undocumented youth, unhoused young adults, first-generation communities, and helping professionals
Experience facilitating therapy groups, workshops, organizational trainings, and conference presentations focused on mental health, grief, identity, culture, representation, and sustainability
“Wellness philosophies are wholistic approaches that consider equally the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical aspects of the person, whereas Western psychology generally focuses on the mind and behavior, and Western medicine treats the mind and body as separate entities” (Letendre, 2002). ”
My Therapeutic Style
Therapy with me is collaborative, relational, and culturally grounded. My approach is shaped by both lived experience and years of community-based work supporting first-generation individuals, undocumented youth, unhoused young adults, and helping professionals navigating burnout, identity, and survival.
My work is deeply shaped by conversations around liberation, identity, history, masculinity, culture, burnout, storytelling, and systems. Some of the authors and books that continue to influence my work include:
Trauma and Recovery — Judith Herman
Decolonizing Latinx Masculinities — Arturo J. Aldama & Frederick Luis Aldama
The Will to Change — Bell Hooks
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Rest Is Resistance — Tricia Hersey
Pedagogy of the Oppressed — Paulo Freire
The Wretched of the Earth — Frantz Fanon
Decolonising the Mind / Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas — Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
I believe therapy can be about understanding yourself more deeply, reconnecting with your voice, unpacking inherited patterns, letting go of shame and trauma, and creating a life that feels more sustainable and aligned with who you are.