Chynna is Caribbean American and a Womanist in every way. Her mother’s Trinidadian roots and her father’s Puerto Rican heritage are integral to who she is, how she loves herself and how she loves others. In different counseling iterations over the years, first as a substance abuse counselor and later as a case manager, she watched patients wrestle with their pain while knowing there was a better way but lacking the skills and knowledge. For her it is not about solving issues for her patients, but rather introducing more light for them, so that they are able to see their own path to liberation from pain. Over time, Chynna learned the deep power of curiosity and the roaring strength of silence. She learned to love the non-linear healing and wholeness that inevitably reveals itself to patients. She believes in each patient, and that the goals for change they set out for themselves are attainable. It is imperative to her that it is the patient’s goals, not her own, that are primary. The value she adds to the lives of her patients is that she approaches her work from a strengths-based perspective. In assessment, she spends time identifying her patient’s strengths, because these can often be overlooked. Drawing upon these strengths, Chynna helps patients see their own resources for change and growth. Unlearning long held patterns is important work that requires patience. Having patience as a guide to help patients learn to replace unhelpful patterns is key to developing healthier ways of seeing themselves, others and the world. Chynna knows wellness is achievable so she continues to offer hope and possibility as patients grow towards their goals. Her practice is unique in the way she infuses humor throughout her work. Chynna hopes that patients graduate from working with her feeling confident in their abilities to recognize and meet their needs with deeper knowledge and commitment to their own healing journey.
Brainspotting (BSP)
Maria Thompson
Maria is a first-generation Mexican-American woman who has worked in the mental health field and with the geriatric population for over 10 years. She has provided grief counseling, transitional support through life changes with couples, families and groups of unrelated persons. We are all individuals who require different interventions for navigating our personal goals and challenges/changes in life. The process of creating individual plans based on a patient’s strengths and resources is a creative process that helps Maria find joy and excitement in the work that she does. She loves that her work allows patients to build their tool box for managing phases in their lives. In addition to being a psychotherapist, Maria is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), Substance Use Disorder Rehabilitation Counselor (SUDRC) and Zumba Instructor.
Giselle Facemire
Giselle is an Afro-Latina, Army Veteran, survivor, and overcomer. She is also fluent in Spanish. She has always known her calling was to become a therapist in order to help others overcome. After serving in the military, Giselle felt she needed to get into the field to better support and serve those who are struggling and need guidance toward the light out of darkness. She enjoys working with patients who are brave enough to reach out for help and willing to work towards reaching their goals. She walks alongside her patients, helps them process, and teaches them tools and skills to their goals. Giselle adds value to her patients’ lives by giving them her full attention, showing them she is invested in their wellbeing, and by being there for them every step of the way. Giselle most enjoys the therapeutic relationship and seeing progress in the work she does. She uses her own life experiences and curiosity to empathize and validate her patients. She wishes for her patients to graduate from therapy feeling like they no longer need it because they’ve learned the tools and skills they need to make it and to also feel secure knowing that if they ever need help they can reach out anytime.
Anum Rathor
Anum is a first-generation South Asian American. As a first-generation American, she sees the value in breaking down the stigma surrounding seeking help and the importance of eliminating the negative connotations or assumptions that are attached to therapy. She wishes to be a voice for those that have not found theirs yet. She speaks Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi fluently and is currently learning Arabic. She enjoys working with adolescents, adults, and couples. Anum believes therapy is about creating a safe space for the patient to open up about what they want to address with no judgment. She is driven to make sure her patients feel comfortable, respected, and validated. Through the use of various evidence-based practices, Anum enjoys working with patients to cater to their emotional needs through the use of. She has experience working with people who have experienced trauma, anxiety, and depression as well as with people who engage in substance use and risk behaviors. She feels lucky to have worked with individuals from various sexual orientations, religious, and cultural backgrounds. She wishes for her patients to graduate from therapy feeling liberated and empowered to take on the world and to be able to process their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a healthy way.
LaToya Washington
LaToya is an African American woman who provides comprehensive counseling and crisis intervention services. Working as a counselor is not only a job but rather a passion. LaToya views her role as a facilitator who helps to guide her patients to and beyond the goals they have set for themselves. She believes it is important to help her patients find their own answers.
One way she adds value to the lives of her patients is by offering space with the opportunity to restore or heal one’s relationships with self and others. LaToya enjoys collaborating with patients to identify and discover their core values and how they can apply them to their current lifestyles.
Geovana Marquez
Geovana is a child of immigrants (First-generation Chicana) and understands the experience of adjusting to both the family’s culture and American culture. She is a feminist who advocates for mental health, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ issues that need to be heard. Her therapeutic work experience includes working with young adults with various mental health concerns. Geovana hopes that sessions are a safe space for her patients to share and grow. She hopes to add value into the lives of her patients by instilling confidence in knowing they have grown within their time together.
Marissa Whorton
Are you experiencing critical thoughts or feeling that you’re not good enough? Have these thoughts started to cloud your sense of who you are and weigh you down?Â
I am here to help you put these painful thoughts to rest.Â
The burdens of tough experiences pile up and cause both an emotional and a physical toll. You may have noticed that not only are you feeling down, but your work and relationships are also suffering. When our feelings have not been sorted out, it is common to feel the weight of them and to feel stuck.Â
I view myself as a guide to walk side-by-side with you, supporting you with getting to know the parts of yourself that at times lead you to spiral as well as the parts of yourself that help you to thrive. Confidence, courage and connection are a few of the natural results of working mindfully to manage both what is pleasant and unpleasant.Â
As you learn to experience calm, it helps with resilience and continued self-discovery so that you enter into a sustainable relationship with yourself and those around you.Â
When you feel good on the inside, you radiate on the outside.
Click on the “web site” button to schedule a consultation so that we can learn more about one another. I’m excited to hear about the goals you have for yourself and explore ways I can help you to accomplish them.
Desiree Botelho
Do you want things to be different, but struggle with finding the motivation to make changes? Do you have a support system that wants to support you, but they are struggling to understand what you need?
Wherever you are in your journey, together, we can explore what is contributing to feeling stuck and empower you to make the life changes you desire. My hope is to create a therapeutic relationship, in which clients feel seen, heard, and valued. I will provide a safe space where you can reflect on who you are, who you want to be, and how you show up in your relationships with others.Â
My therapeutic lens is client-centered, trauma-informed, and strength-based. I have experience working in school based mental health and community mental health. Meeting clients where they are is a value I hold with high regard. My focuses include trauma, depression, anxiety, life transitions, exploring family systems and grief.
Let’s work towards increasing your confidence in making decisions to move toward the life you want-free of guilt and shame. Schedule an appointment today to begin moving forward in making the changes you would like to see in your life.
BIPOC Adult Group Therapy
Join AMJ and Christhmus Presence for pay-as-you-may virtual group therapy. Sessions start 8/24. Late enrollment closes 9/7.
Sessions are 90 minutes and will be held once a week over the course of 10 weeks. Group capacity is 8-10 people.
About AMJ (they/them/their):
AMJ, ASW is a queer, disabled, nonbinary Black femme descendant of Africans who were enslaved in the Southeastern United States and ultimately settled in Low Country/Gullah Geechee/Lower Creek/Yamasee lands (Savannah, GA). They are a “coachy therapist”, focused on helping (QT)BIPOC blend ancestral healing traditions with therapeutic approaches such as Brainspotting, healing-centered (aka trauma-informed) therapy, expressive arts, aromatherapy, and problem-solving. AMJ resides in San Pedro and takes care of self via gardening, music, food, and their adorably snarky doggo named Dilla.
About Christhmus (pronoun at your pleasure):
Christhmus Presence (Chris Chu) will be facilitating all groups above, and is a 3.5-generation Muwekma Ohlone (San Francisco) land-settler, and Chinese-American Queer by Ancestors’ way of Guangdong, China. Pillars that guide them are liberation psychology, narrative psychology, somatic psychology, trauma-informed therapy, spirituality, and expressive arts. Tools held in support of self-resourcing, clarity, and ancestral connectivity include meditation, Tapping, and Brainspotting. They enjoy plants, creative expression, the power of community, and being in water.
Registered Associate MFT #125037 through The Center for Mindful Psychotherapy, supervised by Shawana Booker LCSW #29165
Relational Growth Group for Bodies of Culture
For adults who are ready to go from internal turmoil and suffering as the result of old wounds to thriving with internal safety and social confidence!
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to better understand your inner world and how to:
– slow down or completely stop being triggered & high jacked
– quiet the inner critic or inner perfectionist that sabotages your greatest efforts
– release yourself from the grip of stuck, stale and painful relationship patterns
This group uses Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a foundation for teaching about parts of your personality and exploring how they interact with each other. Group members will learn to recognize and identify those emotions, thoughts and reactions that create internal and external challenges throughout life. Sessions will include getting to know those parts of ourselves, and learning how to access the core qualities of a Self that is present within all of us.Â
With others, you will have an opportunity to:
– Work through discomfort and anxiety so that you can achieve the level of closeness and intimacy you desire
– Courageously connect with vulnerability and anger rather than engaging in avoidance and repression
– Experiment with expression of Self which will help you to increase assertiveness, self-confidence and calm
– Practice welcoming all of your parts while increasing presence, awareness and mindfulness
IFS is a powerful tool that can help you achieve greater well-being and balance by not only becoming more aware of these internal patterns, but by going toward them with curiosity and compassion to better understand and heal them.Â
Get to know your Self better, understand why you act the way you do, and develop a toolkit you can use to empower your sense of courage and creativity.
NEXT Step? Email our office to schedule a brief phone chat with leaders Karla. We would be delighted to answer any questions you have about the group and support you with preparing for the learning and growing experience ahead.