Services
- Individual
About My Clients
I primarily serve first and second-generation immigrants of color, women of color, survivors of childhood abuse and domestic violence, individuals navigating faith transitions, individuals navigating imposter syndrome 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.