Therapy for the ones who hold everything together — and are ready to stop doing it alone.

Specialized, depth-oriented therapy for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ adults in Texas & Virginia who are ready to move beyond people-pleasing, perfectionism, and burnout.

This is relational therapy that unfolds over time. We focus on long-standing patterns and build change gradually, in ways that honor your nervous system. This work is most impactful when we can engage it consistently and with intention.

My Approach

Relational, Not Symptom-Focused

I practice relational therapy rooted in understanding the deeper patterns that shape how you move through the world. This isn’t a space for quick fixes or surface-level coping—it’s where we thoughtfully untangle the deeper patterns shaping how you move through the world.

Context Matters

We don’t just look at what’s happening inside you—we look at the family, cultural, and societal forces that shaped how you learned to survive. Your patterns make sense in context.

Real-Time Work

I track what’s happening in real time—the protective ways you learned to cope, the shifts in your body, and the relational dynamics between us.

I may ask, “Where do you notice that?” or “When have you felt this before?” Not to push you faster, but to build awareness. We move at a pace your nervous system can sustain.

Structured, Human

I’m not a blank-slate therapist. I show up as a real human—warm, attuned, and willing to challenge you when it serves your growth.

This isn’t linear. And it can’t be rushed. Sustainable change happens gradually, with consistency and intention. Over time, something subtle shifts — you begin trusting yourself more. The tools you’ve learned start to stick. You make decisions with more clarity and less external noise. Not because you forced change, but because it finally feels aligned.

You’ve Been the Responsible One

You’ve been the responsible one for as long as you can remember.

The steady one.
The capable one.
The one who keeps everything moving — at work, in your family, in your relationships.

Somewhere along the way, your own needs became negotiable.

Maybe you were raised in a family where survival meant staying helpful, staying strong, staying quiet.

Maybe you learned that disappointing others wasn’t safe — that love was something you earned by being useful, agreeable, or selfless.

These patterns didn’t come from nowhere. They were shaped by culture, family, and systems that taught you who you had to be in order to belong.

And for a long time, those patterns worked.

But at some point, coping isn’t enough.

You’re not just exhausted — you’re ready to look deeper.

You want to understand why you overfunction. Why guilt shows up so quickly. Why setting a boundary feels like betrayal.

You don’t want another surface-level strategy. You want clarity. You want choice. You want something that lasts.

If that’s where you are, you’re in the right place.

Hi, I’m Monica.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Texas and Virginia, and a Board-Approved Supervisor in Texas. I practice long-term, relational therapy with adults who have spent years holding everything together — and are ready to look at what that’s cost them.

My work is shaped by both training and lived experience. As the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, a lifelong overfunctioner learning to trust myself, and a queer woman who stepped more fully into my identity in my 30s, I understand how deeply culture, family expectations, and systems of power shape the way we learn to survive.

As a social worker, I am trained to see the whole picture —

Not just symptoms, but context.
Not just behaviors, but history.

That lens follows me into every session.

Clients often tell me they appreciate that I’m warm and real. I won’t leave you to figure it out alone. And I won’t rush you through your patterns either.

If you’re looking for therapy that honors your complexity and unfolds at a thoughtful, sustainable pace, we may be a good fit.

Get to Know Me

This work often begins here.

A young woman with long black hair wearing a brown sweater sitting on outdoor concrete steps, looking contemplative.

Therapy for People Pleasers

You’ve learned the boundary scripts. You understand the advice. And yet, in the moment, something still freezes or floods with guilt. That’s rarely about skill — it’s about safety. Together, we explore the deeper relational patterns that make boundaries feel dangerous, building change that actually sticks.

A woman and a little girl hugging and smiling at the camera.

Therapy for The Ones Everyone Depends On

Overfunctioning, Burnout & Perfectionism

You’re capable, steady, and the one others turn to at work, in your family, and in your relationships. Over time, that role can stop feeling like a strength and start feeling like pressure. In our work, we look at what carrying so much has cost you and what it might mean to set some of it down without losing yourself.

Young woman with long black hair squatting in a field of dry tall grass, with mountains in the background during sunset or sunrise.

Therapy for Adult Children of Immigrants

Balancing your own desires with family expectations can feel impossible. The guilt isn’t just personal — it’s layered with culture, history, and sacrifice. We honor all of that while helping you build a life that feels chosen, not inherited.

Person holding mirror reflecting their eye and part of their face.

EMDR and Trauma Therapy

Sometimes insight isn’t enough. When patterns are rooted in relational trauma, they live in the body as much as in memory. Through EMDR and attuned, relational work, we process what was overwhelming at the time so it no longer dictates how you move through the present.

Starting Therapy Can Feel Overwhelming—

I’m Here to Make It Easier

Book a Free 30-Minute Consultation

We’ll have a relaxed conversation, scheduled at a time that works for you, to explore your needs, answer your questions, and see if we’re a good fit. No pressure—just a chance to connect.

Invest in Yourself

In our sessions, we’ll dig into what’s keeping you stuck, process what’s weighing you down, and build the tools you need to move forward with confidence.

Step Into the Life You Were Meant to Live

Over time, you’ll break free from guilt, set boundaries with confidence, and step into the life you deserve—one where you matter, too.