Supervised by Licensed Therapist Lynnea Molina, LCSW #81451

Who I am as a Therapist

My therapeutic approach is integrated and grounded in humanistic care to address the mind, body, and spirit of youth, adults, and couples/twosomes. You are the expert on you and your life story. As we explore together what brought you to therapy, we collaborate on goals at a pace that makes sense. 

I’m here to listen, offer perspective, and give space to re/consider what comes next. Sometimes, we may need to review and reaffirm our choices. I welcome the authentic you; no performances necessary. Bring the jokes, vents, puns, pop culture references, work/family/friend stories, and tissues as you need! 

I support clients from a second-generation immigrant, neurodivergent, and gender-affirming frame of mind. There is no shortage of ways to navigate this life. Areas I specialize in include intergenerational trauma, anxiety, depression, identity as an individual and within a collectivist family system, healthy communication, LGBTQ+ mental health, emotional expression and regulation, and life transitions/aging. 

My goal is to walk with you and help tell your story to heal from past wounds and nurture the inner strength to keep going. 

Therapy with Me Is…

A mixed bag of comfort and slight discomfort for virtual clients throughout California

As an integrated, trauma-informed therapist, I listen with more than ears to see, hear, and feel what you’re sharing and experiencing. My first responsibility is to nurture a relationship that helps you feel safe, comfortable, and reassured that I’m on your side. We go at your pace, where you can always say no and stop, and I do. We can also put pins in topics to revisit. 

Integrated means that I may draw from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), existential, expressive arts, EMDR, psychodynamic, or Gestalt approaches. As we work together, discomfort may arise as we seek a deeper understanding or an opportunity to visualize from a different perspective. 

Imagine the head-tilt dogs do and see what the other view might be. It is a skill to adopt another perspective without being rigid about “this is the only way.” Most importantly, seeing differently never means agreeing; it’s more about flexing to see other possibilities. And there will be lighter moments where we’re cheering and laughing. 

My goal is to work myself out of being your therapist, because you’ve become self-sustaining in tackling what once felt insurmountable. Consider therapy as a pit stop to review and reset.

You can expect a space that is:

• Adaptive, nonjudgmental, and sometimes goofy

• Tuned to incorporate thoughts and feelings (physical and emotional)

• Conscientious of systemic challenges, the different flavors of stuck 

• Focused on strengths, skills/tools, autonomy

The Clients I Connect Best With.

• Second-generation immigrants grappling with conflicting perspectives on values

• Individuals looking to develop strategies to support acculturation, executive functioning, depression, anxiety, LGBTQ+ mental health, self-worth, high-pressure school or work environments, burnout prevention, caregiver stress, healthy communication, and life transitions

• Individuals wanting to revisit and resolve past trauma through talk therapy or EMDR to reprocess specific memories

• Couples stuck in a cycle of chronic communication breakdowns, repetitive negative conflict patterns, emotional disconnection, and compromised trust

My Core Areas Are…

• Intergenerational trauma/acculturation

• Trauma and childhood trauma

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Life transitions

• Competing responsibilities: school, work, family, self, “success”

What You Might Experience During Treatment with Me…

My priority is to cultivate a confidential space where you feel safe, heard, and at ease. Early on, we will focus on information gathering to explore experiences and concerns, while also identifying strengths, values, and contributing factors. As it takes shape, we’ll create a plan for goals with space to always come back to revisit and revise.  

From there, sessions start with a check-in to transition into our space, and we end with a mindful transition before you continue on with your day. We collaborate on the day’s topics for our time and pin any for the future. 

During our time, there will be “work” involved. There will be distress, although never more than you can handle. We move slowly with numerous check-ins and slow down as needed. Resilience thrives as we continue to expand what we can handle: gently extending our edges.

There are times when therapy may center on play as a soothing entry point. Or perhaps you simply need it that day. My style aims to nurture a body-mind connection, which looks like tuning ourselves to hear what our bodies are telling us. Are we doing what our inner selves need? Do we really have capacity for this now? Am I supporting myself/others by doing this? Do I even like this? Is there a compromise to be made? Am I missing something?

As therapy deepens, many clients begin to feel:

• More attuned to the self, the inner voice, and others 

• Shift in how to approach situations

• Impact on conversations with healthy boundaries

• Improved emotional regulation and decrease in reactivity

• Reprioritizing how your energy gets spent

• Gratitude without guilt

Additional Trainings

In recent years, I’ve pursued additional specialized training to deepen my clinical work. This includes:

• EMDR Basic Training from Sonoma Psychotherapy Training Institute

• Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 1

• Relational Life Therapy – Level 1 

• Introduction to Narrative Therapy

• Multiple trainings through The Trevor Project for crisis counseling

Beyond My Clinical Work…

A lifelong Californian, I spent a decade in the technology industry before finding my way to a new career in my 40s. I’m a fur-parent, who grew up with dogs, now have a cat, and a “sibling” that is a red-eared slider turtle. 

I am late-diagnosed ADHD and a creative spirit who enjoys finding wonder and joy, because life is tough enough on its own. My life experiences span moments when I provided care or led with empathetic curiosity, serving as a listening space for friends and colleagues.