Services
About My Clients
I primarily serve first and second-generation immigrants and refugees, women of color, survivors of childhood trauma and domestic violence, individuals navigating faith transitions, and individuals navigating major life adjustments and identity development.
My Background and Approach
I completed a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a certificate in Trauma-Informed Services at Portland State University. Prior to my graduate degree, I completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Women's Studies. I have experience working with individuals who have survived childhood abuse, intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, religious trauma, trauma associated with immigration and cultural assimilation, and on-going systemic and institutional trauma. Specific trainings I have completed include suicide intervention and crisis management (ASIST), basic advocacy training for survivors of domestic violence, Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for individuals, and Basic EMDR therapy.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, I believe that mental health issues don't exist in a vacuum. Our identities impact the systems we navigate and vice-versa. Mental health issues are not acknowledged in some cultures, and some cultures are not acknowledged in mental health settings. I hope to help bridge that chasm by providing culturally-informed therapy that acknowledges a person's marginalized and privileged identities. I hope to challenge the idea that mental health counseling only serves individuals with dominant identities. My counseling is person-centered and systems-based (i.e. I take someone's different backgrounds into account while also recognizing that each person is unique), and I work to incorporate cultural humility into counseling by acknowledging that social justice work is always evolving and I need to do my part to keep learning as a practitioner.