ART IS HEALING
ART IS THERAPY
Art Therapy is a healing modality that asks you to be honest and courageous. It does not require you to be an artist. But it will support you with tools to tell the story that moves you from a place of struggle to a place of empowerment.
Have you thought about connecting with a therapist? Have you considered the benefits of having a confidential space to unravel the thoughts in your mind? Do you want to feel supported in your mental and emotional well being. Sometimes, having the ear of a trained and experienced listener/professional is a way to put life into perspective.
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As a Family Art Therapist in the San Diego area, I am committed to children, families, and individuals seeking a therapist they can connect with on multiple levels of understanding. I am of service to empower, reflect, and offer guidance on your healing journey with a calm presence. As a therapist who roots her practice in cultural, social, and historical acknowledgement, we can sift through the layers of your story, your family, and identity.
WHAT IS ART THERAPY?
Trust the Art. Trust the Process.
Art Therapy is the use of art to express a feeling, a thought, a memory, or a vision. There is no right or wrong way to draw. Only what you feel is important. This is not about the finished product, it is about the process. This is the reason why art is therapy.
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Art in therapy is about being seen, being understood, and being held at this moment in your life so that you can walk your healing journey.
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Do you have the courage to name what you are ready to heal?
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Sometimes, to be on this journey can seem scary. Sometimes it seems impossible to make the changes you desire. And sometimes we do not even know what needs to change. But the art will reflect back your inner wisdom.
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Art can be many things and it can be surprising or beautiful. Art can can even be ugly. But it will tell a story and above everything else, art will always be honest. This is the reason why, as an art therapist, we trust the art.
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To trust the art is to trust the most ancient, the most universal form of expression of the soul. The invitation is to trust the shape, the lines, and the patterns that emerge. Trust the spiral, the dot, and the color that reveals itself to you. Art therapy is a creative documentation of who you are, where you have been, and where you want to lead.
SERVICES OFFERED
Individual | Family |  Collective Community Healing
MY STORY
Building a therapeutic relationship takes time. Trust is a core value in the work that I do. Trust is necessary in our journeys in order to keep taking steps forward.
I began to build trust in myself at a young age when I used education as a ticket out of any semblance of poverty or abuse. I was focused on what I was running away from, but could not have told you what I wanted in my life instead. This would reveal itself through my healing journey and continued personal development.
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I left South Central Los Angeles in the early 2000's and attended UC Santa Cruz for my undergraduate degree. I experienced a tremendous cultural shift and adjusting was not easy. This was the first time I reached out for mental health support. I also began to form a support system among friends, student resources, professors, and mentors in order to survive college and graduate. I graduated with a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies and a minor in Education.
After college, I returned to Los Angeles. I was painting murals and writing poetry as a way of healing and empowerment. I developed an after-school arts and media program at Inglewood High School and my students began sharing stories in which they were experiencing poverty, immigration anxieties, parent incarceration, survived violence, and witnessed substance abuse. I decided that if I would continue to be of service in community, I had to learn how to hold space for these realities and empower someone on a journey to heal from trauma.
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I found a path where I could keep the practice of art and healing by going to school for a dual Master's degree at Loyola Marymount University in Marital and Family Therapy and Clinical Art Therapy. I have kept art in my work with youth and families in order to restore trust in the self, in others, and support the healing of intergenerational trauma.​
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The opportunity to work as a therapist has allowed me to show up for a range of populations and communities. When I sit with my clients, I am present and whole. It is deep and fulfilling work. I have done the work in my community and also in myself to trust that what I offer is healing, timely, and important.
CONTACT ME ...
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If you would like a free 15-20 minute consultation to find out if I am the right therapist for you.
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If you would like to discuss the needs of your family. Please share why you are looking for counseling at this time.
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If you are interested in community art projects, collaborations, and workshops.