I’m a Bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor Psychologist. (Virginia Professional License #0701004872) with more than 15 years in the counseling field. I believe, my own personal journey, professional intuition and extensive training in counseling are the main skills I possess as a counselor psychologist. Therefore, I work with individuals, couples, families and groups from different backgrounds and situations. So, my main focus is to provide long term changes. Moreover, I like to help people not only to solve problems but to have more fulfilling lives.
Education
I’ve a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology (ASPP) at Argosy University in Washington, DC. My Bachelors’ Degree is in Social Science and Communications from University of Piura, Peru. In addition, I possess a vast post graduate training and experience in human development, social behavior and neuroscience. As a counselor psychologist, I consider myself a long-life learner and believe in the importance of continuing education. Thus, I regularly seek out professional training to stay current on the latest science and best practices for treatment.
Counseling Post Licensure Education:
After graduating, I continued my clinical counseling education by:
- Fellowship at the Washington DC Psychoanalytic Institute
- Trauma Certificate at the Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education, Inc. in Maryland.
- PAIRS Relationship Mastery Program, a couple’s marriage enrichment class.
- I continue to deepen my knowledge of Attachment, Imago and Emotionally Focus Therapy. Those are the main theories I combined to better help couples and people trying to improve their relationships.
- Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
- EMDR for treating PTSD & Dissociative Personality Disorders
- Memory Reconsolidation Processing
- EMDR & Attachment/ Addictive Behaviors
- The Internal Family Structures Model teaching appearance to become a practitioner of IFS.
- Somatic Intervention by Ricki Berstein.
- Acelerated Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
During my growth as a counselor therapist I became more and more passionate about Attachment Theory. I realized that in many cases such as addictions, depression and anxiety, relationships, couples and marital problems, parenting, and self-esteem, the underlying issue is attachment. Therefore, as an attachment expert, the most recent additions to my toolbox include:
- The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy-DNMS (an Ego State Therapy for Healing Adults with Childhood Trauma & Attachment Wounds),
- EMDR-Attachment Focused for healing Relational Trauma,
- SATe Somatic Experiencing-based attachment repair program.
- The Marriage of EMDR and Ego State Theory in Couples Therapy
- Accelerated Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) level 2
My goal in counseling is to practice counseling therapy that produced long-term results. Therefore, all my training incorporate the latest research on neurobiology and the integrated brain.
Counseling Psychology Professional Affiliations:
- Member of the American Counseling Association
- Member of the Virginia Association of Clinical Counselors
- American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)
- Chi Sigma Iota Counselors Honor Society Member
- Member of the Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA)
- A member of the International Association of Eating Disorders
- Member of the International Society of Mental Health Online
Background
Prior to entering the mental health counseling profession, I worked for ten years in Communications in the non-profit field, which allowed me to work with people from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds from all over the world. Moreover, I consider myself an open and curious person. I love working with clients of different age, gender, religion, culture, personality, and lifestyle.
I also have a Hispanic background and have experienced on my own what it is to come, learn, and adjust to a new country. In addition, I began since I was very little. I was born in Spain and raised in Peru since I was 8 years old. Moving from Spain to Peru, and even speaking the same language, I started to learn what it is to be and adjust to a new world.
I say that because I feel sometimes it parallels the counseling process. Those changes from an early age provided me with a different way to look at things and life. Today, as a professional counselor, I bring that expertise into my practice and I am able to provide clients with the opportunity to explore other authentic ways to solve problems, look at life, and even to relate to other people.
Our Past:
I believe that a lot of what happens in our lives is based on the way we handle, or do not handle our emotions. We all have them, people from all cultures, ages, and family histories. However, it is part of our journey to learn how to be emotionally balanced if we want better lives. Some cultures are very emotional and others are pretty low in emotional expression and recognition of negative emotions.
Like everything else, the goal is to reach a balance. Because of my background, I offer my clients new ways of exploring their emotional lives, enriching their relationships, controlling or getting in touch with them (depending on the case), and the opportunity of looking at new options of seeing and doing things. Therefore, sometimes we are trapped by the ways we have been taught to do things or even live our lives, depriving ourselves of the wonderful and most powerful experience of growth that trying new things entails. Processing trauma and offering healing as needed is a big part of the therapeutic experience.
Being a Spanish speaker also gives me the opportunity to work with the Hispanic community that needs help from a therapist that can truly communicate with them.
Vision for the Center
My dream is to be able to provide a more unique customized service to each client. It is to help people go back to their natural state which is to have a secure attachment from where to live, love, create and enjoy!
Often people strive to look for a therapist because of the generalization of training and services provided. So, I provide focus, depth, and specialization. Moreover, the therapists that work with me are carefully selected and have the same values, style, and professional goals. I will also help you find the best fit for you based on your particular needs. Moreover, I am proud to introduce you to the other members of the team: