Qualifications & Education:
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist # 52379

Master’s Degree:
John F. Kennedy University

Bachelor’s Degree:
Mills College

Clinic:
Berkeley

I grew up in Modesto, CA. My father immigrated to the US from Brazil at age 15, without knowing English and not having a high school education, and my mother was unable to finish college. I was the second person in my family to graduate college and the first to receive a Masters degree and a professional License.

We had very little money growing up, my mother was a single mom raising 3 kids. I struggled with my anger growing up but was able to focus my energy on sports, education and working full-time in restaurants to pay my way through school. I received my Bachelors of Arts in International and Ethnic Studies at Mills College.

After college I took a job in a residential treatment program where I discovered my passion for helping and inspiring youth and young adults to achieve their goals regardless of the mistakes they made in the past and their struggles with mental illness.

From that day on I realized I wanted to be a Mental Health counselor and did everything I could to achieve that goal. I worked my way through graduate school in Clinical Psychology at John F. Kennedy University by working and interning with children, adolescents and families in the Foster care system in both residential and outpatient programs. To gain the most experiences possible I interned in substance use programs, child development centers, inpatient hospitals, county public health and private practice. You could say I love to live life, experience and to learn as much as I can about life, people, and animals.

In the past 5 years I have been focused on working with LGBTQQIA youth and young adults, in rural and inter-cities, to achieve their personal and educational goals, cope with mental illness, discrimination, trauma and social anxiety related and unrelated to growing up with oppression and fear. I am excited to be working at BACA and I am working towards EMDR certifications and nutritional psychology. I enjoy the outdoors, swimming, hiking, biking, carpentry, and vegan cooking. I love animals and even started my own bunny and bird rescue.