Here's what I want you to know before anything else:

I love my job and I genuinely believe in the power of the human spirit to grow, to learn and to overcome painful and difficult circumstances. I believe in change and have had first row seats to amazing transformations as a result of my career. 

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 I'm so glad you're here. I've been doing this work for over 20 years, and the part that still breaks my heart—in the best way—is when someone walks into my office for the first time and says, "I didn't know if anyone would understand." I understand.

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I grew up between two worlds. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and moved to Montgomery County when I was ten. I spent my childhood translating—not just Spanish to English, but cultures, expectations, identities. I know what it feels like to not quite fit anywhere. To feel like you're too much of one thing and not enough of another.

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And that experience taught me something that decades of training only reinforced: The most healing thing you can offer someone is to truly see them.

Not fix them. Not judge them. Not rush them. Just see them.

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), trained in Play Therapy, and I've specialized in just about everything you can think of—ADHD, addiction, couples therapy, teen gaming addiction (yes, that's a thing, and yes, it's as frustrating as it sounds). I've been named an expert witness by Montgomery County courts in cases involving abuse and neglect. I've trained hundreds of county employees in diversity and equity work. I have degrees from Mount Saint Mary's University and the University of Maryland.

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But honestly? The credentials aren't the point.

The point is: I love this work. I love sitting with an anxious teenager and watching them realize they're not broken. I love helping parents stop yelling at each other long enough to remember why they fell in love in the first place. I love when a kid who's been told he's "bad" finally gets to hear, "No, your brain just works differently—and that's actually pretty cool."

 

I've worked with families navigating everything from ADHD to addiction to teen gaming addiction. I've helped kids process trauma through play therapy. I've trained hundreds of Montgomery County employees in diversity and equity work because I believe everyone deserves to be seen and understood.

And through it all, I've stayed rooted in one simple truth: People aren't problems to be fixed. They're humans who need to be heard.

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So if you're looking for someone who'll actually listen—not just nod and take notes—someone who gets what it's like to live in Montgomery County's pressure-cooker culture, someone who speaks Spanish and understands what it means to straddle two worlds, someone who genuinely gives a damn?

Hi. That's me. Let's talk.