Hola! My name is Jessica.

I am a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California and I have been in the mental health field for 13+ years.  I received my bachelor’s degree in Family Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Family Studies at Cal State Northridge. I went onto work with pregnant and parenting teens and later with children in the autism spectrum in the years between undergrad and graduate school. From there, I attended Cal State Fullerton where I earned my master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Child Welfare. My clinical experiences range from intensive case management, non-profit organizations, and field-based community mental health.

I identify as 1.5 Generation Latina as I was born in Nicaragua and moved to the United States during my infancy. I was raised in a bicultural environment where I was expected to assimilate the American culture as well as maintain the cultural expectations held for me by my family of origin. Those expectations included being the family mediator, therapist, and as the oldest chid, I was the one who had to set the example for my younger sibling. However when it came time to transition to college, I had to navigate applications and the financial aid process alone as I was the first of my family to do so. The lack of support I received during my formative years is what led me down the path to becoming a social worker.

My approach to therapy is always to work collaboratively with my clients. The clients are the driver and I will be your navigation. I like to use an eclectic approach to help develop a treatment plan that is customizable to a client’s needs. I typically pull from modalities such as strengths based therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing. Together we can discuss your goals and from there we can develop your treatment path.

I’m here and ready to start when you are. I invite you to reach out and let’s discuss what I can do to help you evolve to a stronger you.