My love for trauma work began during college when I volunteered to offer education and support to rape victims and their families, in emergency rooms around Chicago. I completed a Bachelor 's Degree in Psychology at The University of Chicago. Later I pursued a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling at Suffolk University in Boston. I spent two years in the Psychiatric Epidemiology Department at Harvard Medical School in a study for individuals at high risk for schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. I fell in love with neuropsychological testing there. I was part of the research group that conducted the  study about the MATRICS neuropsychological battery. Concurrently, I was also working as a clinician at a rape crisis center, where I did a practicum. I applied for a doctorate, but only in places where I had family as I had become home sick. That decision took me back home to the Carlos Albizu University in Puerto Rico. I had practicums in our local clinic, working with underserved populations, joined the child abuse program, and spent a year at the public psychiatric hospital. I worked in research at the University of Puerto Rico "UPR" Medical School, at the Centro de Investigación y Evaluación Sociomédica (CIES). When internship time came, my journey led me back to California, specifically to the Child and Family Guidance Center in Northridge. 

For the past 8 years I have worked for the County of Ventura, spending time in all of its divisions:  Youth & Families, Adults, and Substance Use Services. I worked as a psychologist providing evaluation and therapy to a very wonderful group of LatinX people, with complex presentations. I opened the newest Youth and Family Clinic in South Oxnard and was the Clinic Administrator for a couple of years. I worked in the A New Start for Moms Program providing clinical services to women with substance use and mental health disorders, and supervising doctoral practicum students.

More recently, I had a short stint at a short-term residential treatment center (STRTP) for sexually trafficked youth, started doing evaluations at a bariatric clinic and see private clients. About 5 years ago, I learned about and trained in Lifespan Integration, a therapy to address trauma. Many of my private clients seek me for this intervention.