My mother immigrated to the United States from Mexico at a young age, and I grew up speaking and understanding both English and Spanish. My cultural background has shaped my values, identity, and understanding of family, resilience, and community.

I was raised by a single mother and my maternal grandmother in a low-income household with strong Catholic beliefs and traditions. These experiences helped me develop an awareness of how culture, socioeconomic circumstances, family systems, and spirituality can influence an individual's experiences and access to mental-health support. There is undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression that runs within my family. I identify as a Mexican American woman and first-generation American.

Mental health has also been personally meaningful to me. Within my family and cultural community, I have witnessed experiences related to anxiety, depression, and trauma that were notalways openly discussed or formally addressed. These experiences have increased my awareness of the stigma that can surround mental health and strengthened my interest in reducing stigma and promoting culturally responsive mental-health services.

Professionally, I have over ten years of experience in the human services field, including working with survivors of domestic violence and individuals from diverse backgrounds. My recent experience in an Intensive Outpatient Program included facilitating group therapy with adolescents and adults using DBT, CBT, and ACT approaches.

As I continue becoming a social worker, I strive to practice with cultural humility, remain open to learning from each client's unique experiences, and recognize the importance of culture, identity, and lived experience in the therapeutic process.