Who am I?

Hola! My name is Jen. I am a Xicana, introvert, and homebody. Soy hija de Mexicanos and the youngest of four. I had an older sister and have two older brothers. I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. After High school, I felt a little lost with what I wanted to do with my future, but I knew I had to pick something. After a few years, I receive a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Studies. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but after some trial and error and some personal experiences, I decided I wanted to become a therapist. In 2019, I earned a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology. Along the way I trained at People’s Yoga and received a yoga teaching certificate. After a few years, 5000 clinical hours, a pandemic, and a four hour exam, I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (fun fact: my siblings and I all went into helping fields; Sister- Teacher, Brother - Fireman, Brother - Policeman). As a therapist and coach (long before I became a therapist I received training as a life coach, but wasn’t sure what to do with it) my focus has become on working with women of color who are experiencing anxiety, stress, mother wounds, and are struggling in relationships. I absolutely love the work that I do, but sometimes I feel so limited in how I can reach and help others.

*My blog does not replace therapeutic services. However, I do want to share what I have learned along the way and hope that in some way it can help you gain tools to cope and reflect on your own experiences. I want to share personal experiences I’ve had as a recovering people pleaser and as someone who has experienced mother wounds. I want to share the challenges I’ve had with setting boundaries, the difficulties I’ve had with my self-esteem, and the ones I’ve had with relationships including family, friends, and romantic ones. I also want to share my accomplishments and the things that have helped me get through.

Some of the things I bring into my work include mindfulness and breathwork practices, somatic work, tarot work, yoga, and journaling. There’s probably more, but that’s all I can think of for now. My hope for this blog is to share with you what I have learned and most of all to build community. I believe that being in a community where you feel safe, seen, and heard is one of the best ways to heal and to feel less alone. So welcome and I hope you take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t.

Con Cariño,

Jen