A bit of my history
I love the work that I do. So much so, that I chose to pursue my career again after moving to Canada. I received my degree in Psychology from the Universidad de Chile in 2011, where I practiced as a psychologist for two years. After moving to Canada in 2013, I completed my Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology from the University of Alberta. Now I am a registered psychologist located in Edmonton.
After graduation, I worked for three years as an Adult Therapist at the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE). Now I work in Private Practice full time, supporting people with issues of anxiety, self-worth, history of trauma, and relationship problems.
My philosophy
I believe everyone deserves to live their life to its fullest, and to feel like they have a right to exist in the world. My approach is based on building a great working relationship with my clients, and working to create enough safety that they can be their authentic self with me. I try to be genuine and I enjoy laughing with my clients, while creating room to work through difficult emotions. I believe that by creating insight into what is happening in the moment, we can learn valuable information about the ways in which people live in the world and are affected by it.
I also believe that people want to feel safe and loved and that, when we feel this way, we can grow, be creative, smart, and trusting. I understand our bodies to have multiple ways of searching for that sense of safety, and that if we work with how we feel instead of despite our feelings, we can create long-lasting change.
My approach
I rely on self-exploration.
This means I help my clients become aware of what they’re feeling and to make sense, manage, and regulate what they experience. To do this, I use mindfulness and process-oriented interventions; awareness of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations; and aim to create meaning out of experiences.
My work is compassionate and relationship-based.
Because I understand that people adopt beliefs about their worth from relationships and messages they have received from the world, I use the therapeutic bond to create new experiences in relationships. I aim to be a good caregiver for my clients. When clients struggle with their self-worth, I use re-parenting strategies, self-compassion, and self-soothing skills.
I have experience working with clients that have experienced trauma.
I see trauma like a short-circuit to the brain, and I use a framework based on neuropsychology to work with it. Because of that, I usually start with helping my clients regulate what they’re going through, before processing what has happened to them. To do this, I rely on grounding techniques, self-soothing techniques, psychoeducation, mindfulness-based and body-based interventions.
My work is informed by feminism, multiculturalism, and intersectionalism.
I understand that we are part of a bigger picture, and I try to keep in mind that my clients move in many circles: family, friends, and society at large. In this sense, I like to pay attention to a person’s relationships, be it with themselves or others, as well as the ways in which culture and institutions affect someone’s life. I happily share my knowledge and experiences with my clients, and I try to help and support them in learning advocacy strategies. I’m a strong believer in that the system needs to change and, while we work on that, it’s important to help people have better lives.
I welcome adult clients of all backgrounds, non-binary folks, and people of all gender identities, gender expression, and sexual orientation. I include fatness as a social justice issue, and I see fatphobia as a sociopolitical concern.
Polyamorous and non-monogamous clients welcome. I’m a kink-aware therapist. I’m a racialized Latina and immigrant.