Hello, my name is Paola and I am a mental health therapist within the QT-BIPOC fellowship program. I am a queer, Brazilian, Latina and Arab, child of immigrants, and I carry so much love and gratitude for the people, land, and cultures I come from and am a part of. My path to becoming a therapist began with noticing how often mental health care felt completely out of reach and out of touch for people in my communities- including myself and my family. I wanted to be part of changing that, so… here I am! At the core of who I am and the work I do, is the belief that all of our healing and liberation is interconnected. I feel humbled to do this work alongside so many wonderful humans and am deeply committed to ongoing learning and growth, personally and professionally.

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Therapeutic Approach

In therapy, my intention is to build a space of trust and security between us, where you can bring all parts of yourself and discover what healing means for you. My therapeutic approach is warm, collaborative, and rooted in curiosity and respect for the layers of who you are, what has led you here, and what you hope to get out of therapy. 

I work with teens, adults, and couples navigating many experiences and challenges, such as:

• Complex trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Anxiety and depression
• Identity exploration
• Burnout
• Relationship issues
• Grief and loss

The therapeutic modalities I use are responsive to each individual or couple’s needs, as well as their cultural and systemic contexts, and often include:

• Narrative Therapy 
• Emotion-Focused Therapy
• Somatic and Mindfulness-based Practices
• Liberation Psychology and Health Model

These modalities can support you to explore your stories and experiences, understand and express your emotions in new ways, cultivate a deeper connection to yourself, your body, others, and the world around you, and foster a sense of agency in your healing process.

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Professional Background

I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from California State University Channel Islands and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Portland State University, with a focus in Clinical Social Work. I have experience providing culturally-responsive therapy to adults, teens, and couples in English and Spanish, and have primarily worked with immigrant, BIPOC, neurodiverse, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

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Outside the Therapy Room

You can find me chasing the sunshine year round! I am my happiest and most connected self when surrounded by nature, especially when submerged in water. I fill my cup through spending quality time with loved ones and facetiming my far away family. I find a lot of joy and hopefulness in the presence and learning that I experience through reading, cooking, dancing, biking, making random art, building community, and tending to my plants.