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I believe in a holistic approach to therapy and have been practicing for about 10 years. I come from an Adlerian perspective, in which I believe that every individual needs a sense of purpose and wants to be part of a community and that deficits can be used as strengths.
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I believe that the mind-body connection is a very important aspect of recovery and that increasing one’s body awareness overall can promote healing on an emotional, cognitive and physical level. I have had over 20 years of technical dance training and still believe that the best dancing comes from within.
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I am bilingual, Spanish speaking. I am also very culturally aware as I have traveled in Mexico and have taken many courses dealing with Mental Health and the Hispanic culture. I have learned a lot from my own clients about cultural and individual differences, especially in terms of 1st and 2nd generation immigrants living in this country and what they have had to deal with and what their children are experiencing growing up in the US with parents who were raised in Mexico or Central America. I do not assume that I know everything, so I always ask the client about their own experience of their culture.
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I have worked within Providence Corporation as a contract provider for 12 years in different programs, including an outpatient adult mental health program with dual diagnosis patients and patients diagnosed with chronic mental illness. I have supervised a Wraparound-based program for at-risk youth and their families where I offered individual, couples and family therapy in English and Spanish. I am familiar with 12-Step programs and have worked with adults and teens with addiction issues as well as family members. I have offered dance therapy groups for teens with substance abuse issues, women with eating disorders as well as in my Private Practice in Laguna Hills.
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I am currently facilitating a support group for NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) in Newport Beach that assists family members of persons diagnosed with severe mental illness. Outside of private practice, I am the Operations Manager for The Wellness Center, which is funded by the Mental Health Services Act for individuals who are in their recovery process towards being self-sufficient.
