Hi! I'm Cecilia
I too know what it is to experience an array of emotions and go through uncomfortable experiences. In my work with my own therapist, I have learned how important it is to have a therapeutic alliance built on trust and unconditional acceptance, respect and without judgement. I have experienced what it's like to heal and grow from such relationship. My wish is that you can experience that too.
I'm a highly trained therapist of bi-cultural identity with my own number of lived experiences. I specialize in working with women who experienced trauma, working with women struggling with anxiety and relationships, new parents going through difficult transitions, and empaths/highly sensitive individuals.
A little About me
Since becoming a mom, I have found it difficult to find time to do the things I love. Through every phase, I'm learning to be both creative and flexible in finding time to tune into my needs and meeting them. I'm working hard on being intentional in seeking time for myself and doing the things that recharge me. I love art of any form and I'm always open to exploring new techniques. I completed this painting after one of the hardest nights of my baby not sleeping and feeling exhausted and defeated. It was rejuvenating to find some time to work on this and finding support from a community of other artists.
I find it recharging to go on hikes with my husband and spend time in nature. Whether it's soaking up the sun, walking, or spending time in the water-it all feels rejuvenating and so good to my soul!
I love animals! If I could, this would be my second job. Here's my furry bestie. His name is Hoci (pronounced oh-see). I enjoy training him and spending time with him. He is the best at discerning when good snack are nearby and can't stand being too far from his mommy.
How I work
For therapy to be effective, we need openness and honesty. A therapeutic relationship that is based on trust and honesty is important for creating growth. I believe you are the professional of your life, you know yourself best-even if you don't believe it yet (Don't believe me? I'll how you! ;) ) . I believe you are capable of taking steps toward growth as well as figuring out what we need and want in life. Sometimes, we just need a little help in the process to tune back into these and learn to listen to our inner selves.
Aside from any tool I can ever use with you in session, this is the thought that mostly resonates with me- "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us". Timothy Keller
In therapy, my goal is to get you to a place where you can Fully know you and Fully love you--this is healing at its best.
But if you're really wanting to know what type of techniques I use in sessions, here it is-
I will use not one, but many different modalities to aid you in achieving your goals. Some of these include: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), trauma focused CBT, Internal family systems (IFS), ACT, Solution focused, Mindfulness, Strength based, and more. I will utilize any of these techniques in session in a very natural, conversational way. Sometimes we will have things to work on between sessions, other times we might spend some time learning and other times we might engage in the hard work of unpacking various parts of you. This is crucial in therapy as it is the channel that allows us to 'do the work' and create change.