Welcome, I’m Dez— a licensed mental health counselor working virtually with adults across New York State.
About Me
I was born and raised in Fresno, CA and now call New York City home where I work as a therapist, educator, and activist.
As a first-generation college graduate and proud Latina, I know firsthand what it’s like to navigate spaces where you don’t always feel seen or understood. Growing up as the eldest daughter in a Mexican-American family shaped how I show up in the world, and it is ultimately what called me to this heart-centered work.
Much of my practice is about creating the kind of space I once longed for—one that is safe, identity-affirming, empowering, and rooted in cultural pride. Whether we are navigating complex family dynamics, systemic oppression, or personal trauma, we will honor your full context, viewing your history as a source of strength rather than a barrier.
Healing is a deeply personal process, and it looks different for everyone. My hope is to walk alongside you with care, curiosity, and warmth, helping you reconnect with your inner wisdom and reclaim your power in ways that feel true and meaningful to you.
“No one is born fully-formed; it is through self-experience in the world that we become what we are.”
—Paulo Freire
My style is warm, non-judgmental, and deeply collaborative.
My Approach
In our work together, we will explore both your past and present to deepen your understanding of who you are today—your challenges, as well as the unique ways you love, create, and dream.
I believe that psychological distress is rarely just an individual issue. Instead of viewing your struggles through a rigid, pathologizing lens, we will look at the whole picture. We honor your intersecting identities and recognize that your symptoms are often brilliant survival strategies developed to protect you in an unjust world.
Because our survival strategies live directly within the nervous system, our sessions will invite you to slow down. My practice is deeply rooted in a gentle form of somatic psychotherapy that utilizes mindful, assisted self-discovery to explore how you organize your experience of the world.
Together, we will:
Gently notice your “felt experience” in the present moment by tracking emotions, subtle gestures, posture, and bodily sensations to hear what your subconscious is expressing.
Meet your protective patterns with deep appreciation rather than trying to fight or eliminate them, recognizing them as brilliant adaptations designed to keep you safe.
In the safety of mindful awareness, gently uncover the deeply held, unconscious core beliefs that shape how you view yourself and the world, opening the door to updating them.
Provide your body with the nourishment, safety, or validation it may have lacked in the past, allowing you to experience new ways of being held and seen.
Move past clinical labels to safely look within, reclaim ancestral wisdom and wellness, and step into new, liberated ways of being.
"Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation.
Healing is an act of communion."
— bell hooks
Credentials
Clinical Training
Throughout my 6 years of clinical training, I have worked in a variety of clinical settings, including The Trevor Project, Crisis Text Line, College Counseling Centers at City University of New York (CUNY), as well as group practice settings throughout New York City.
Licensure & Certifications
Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York State (#014659)
Certified Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor, 2023
Certified CPI Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Instructor, 2024
Education
Post-Masters Certificate in Advanced Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice, New York University, 2022
M.A. in Mental Health Counseling, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2021
Ed.M. in Psychological Counseling, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2021
B.A. in Psychology, emphasis in Cognitive Neuroscience, UC Irvine, 2017
B.A. in Education, emphasis in Human Development, UC Irvine, 2017