Our Students

I completed my traineeship at Fred Finch Youth and Family Services, WRAP Connections, providing wraparound support to children, youth, and families across school, home, and community settings. My developing practice is shaped by Emotionally Focused and Solution-Focused therapies, and by a deep commitment to serving queer and intersectional communities with warmth, respect, and cultural humility.

"Plans fail, people don't."

It was an honor to dream, play, and collaborate with kids and families during my time as a Trainee at UPAC CMH. There, I practiced integrating narrative and emotionally focused family therapy to collaboratively story clients' ever-in-motion emotional landscapes. Worlding Emotions provided us with contestable places from which to invite others in, to rest, to express, to imagine, and make real our selves as collective. 

I feel free and humbled to be here. I am forever in gratitude to the kids and families who bravely made such moments of life with me.

"All that you touch
You Change.

All that you Change
Changes you.

The only lasting truth
is Change.

God
is Change." 

Octavia E. Butler

I completed my training at License to Freedom, where I worked primarily with Middle Eastern immigrant and refugee communities. I have worked with families, couples, individuals, and groups, including those who have been impacted by domestic violence. I carry deep gratitude for the worlds, languages, and stories I have been invited into, which also continue to influence my own becoming as both a person and clinician.

I am deeply invested in relational work and practices. My approach is primarily influenced by Narrative Therapy and post-structural and social constructionist thought, and I also draw on elements of EFT. In my world and in my clinical work, important anchoring forces I hold close are: an activist spirit, an appreciation for complexity, and ethics of care.

I completed my training at Monte Vista High School, where I had the privilege of walking alongside a diverse community of youth, couples, and families. Love, humility, curiosity, and a deep respect for the wisdom and resilience inherent in us all have been at the heart of my work. I am committed to creating a space of companionship, where clients’ stories and emotions are witnessed and held with care, and where new possibilities can emerge. My therapeutic work has been grounded in Emotion-Focused Therapy and trauma-informed and relational approaches to care.

“The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love — whether we call it friendship or family or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other's light.”
― James Baldwin, Nothing Personal

My clinical experience includes work in community mental health and counseling settings, including UPAC CMH and CCCE, where I have worked with children, adolescents, families, adults, and couples. My work incorporates Emotionally Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and decolonial framework. 

I am intentional about creating spaces where those I work with feel heard, respected, and understood within their unique cultural and relational contexts as they navigate challenges, process experiences, and reconnect with their strengths and sense of possibility.
I support healing through connection, honoring stories, challenging dominant discourses with compassion and love, while creating space to reimagine new possibilities and worlds.

I’ve been privileged with growing my therapeutic work with teenaged youth at Monte Vista High School this past year. Focusing on a contextual lens, systemic focus and always a client centered approach, I’ve learned how to meet student’s where they are at and to balance the individual focus of their lived experience while also bringing their families in the room.
I’ve always been a therapist in my spirit, I just needed to find my community to realize it.

  I completed my training at CRF Nueva Vista Family Services, where I had the privilege of supporting children, youth and families from diverse cultural backgrounds through individual, family and group therapy. My therapeutic work is grounded in an attachment lens and systemic framework by using Emotionally Focused Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. My training also included Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

I am passionate about supporting diverse communities in cultivating meaningful change in their lives and relationships with the people and systems they are connected to. I strive to be a collaborative, grounded and reflective presence in service to the community through supporting others in their journey of life.

"Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion."- bell hooks

I completed my clinical training with San Diego Unified's Outpatient Program as a school-based clinician. During this time, I had the privilege of engaging with middle and high school students and their families, using a client-centered and strength-based approach. My therapeutic methods draw from Narrative Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy. I am deeply passionate about continuing to work with marginalized communities and advocating for the dismantling of oppressive systems.

“Pain travels through families until someone is willing to feel it.” - Stephi Wagner

I had the privilege of completing my traineeship at UPAC Multicultural Community Counseling, serving children and youth of AAPI and Latinx communities through individual and family sessions. My theoretical orientation is informed by IFS, EFT/EFFT, and Narrative therapy. I have a strong desire to honor my clients and families' stories, and to create a safe enough space for their pains and needs to be seen and understood, not only by me, but also by each other. I'm passionate about helping individuals and families break out of unpreferred cycles of coping and communication to reach deeper connection with themselves and others around them. I'm deeply committed to continue serving the AAPI community, with hopes to grow my clinical competence in trauma work.

"here i raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help i've come"

  Hello! I completed my clinical training at Douglas Young Youth and Family Services, where I had the privilege of working with children, adolescents, and families from diverse backgrounds. This experience deepened my passion for supporting families through a culturally sensitive and systems-oriented lens. Grounded in the Filipino principle of kapwa, which emphasizes our shared interconnectedness and humanity, I strive to create a collaborative and compassionate therapeutic space. My work draws from Family Systems, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Family Systems to help individuals and families better understand the relationships and patterns that shape their lives.

“Kapwa is a recognition of a shared identity, an inner self, shared with others. This Filipino linguistic unity of the self and the other is unique and unlike in most modern languages. Why? Because implied in such inclusiveness is the moral obligation to treat one another as equal fellow human beings. If we can do this – even starting in our own family or our circle of friends – we are on the way to practice peace. We are Kapwa People.” 

— Professor Virgilio Enriquez, founder of Sikolohiyang Pilipino.

Hello, 

My name is Mariana Machaen Morales. I’m currently working at Fred Finch Wrap connections with youth ages 5 up to age 21. In my therapy work, I use Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy through an eclectic, decolonial, and collaborative approach where I consider the needs, knowledge, and agency of the people I work with. I also specialize in working with transitional aged youth who experience suicidality and self harm. I also implement art and music within my therapy sessions. I speak Spanish, English, and Spanglish and can code switch easily between languages. 

“I really appreciated the program’s approach to therapy as postmodern along with the Spanglish decolonial certificate. I have had personal experience being a provider and a client in the mental health field where providers didn’t let me have a chance to have a say in my treatment. Now I know that there is therapy that is more collaborative and promotes agency and expression through many mediums, such as art and song.”

I completed my traineeship at Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC) in the Multicultural Community Counseling program (MCC). I primarily worked with children, teens and families from AAPI & Latinx communities. The theoretical approaches I leaned into were EFIT/EFFT and SFBT, along with sprinkles of narrative therapy and somatic experiencing when appropriate. My work with individuals and families is grounded in cultural humility, client advocacy, emotional experiencing and care. I am committed to continue my work with teens and families in co-creating spaces to witness and shape new meanings and connections. Estoy empoderada a seguir creando forma y lenguaje junto a las comunidades que forman parte de mi.

"Do work that matters. Vale la pena" ~ Gloria E. Anzaldúa

I had the opportunity to complete my clinical training with the SDUSD Outpatient Program, where I worked with children, adolescents, and families, primarily providing services in Spanish. My theoretical approach is rooted in a systemic and attachment lens--including influences from EFT, SFBT, and Narrative Therapy. I believe in leading with care, empathy, and genuine connection.

"This is the spirit of therapeutic work. We let our clients touch our hearts, with the hope we might briefly touch theirs. Our work will always change us--informing the way we practice in the future, how we see the world, and even ourselves." - Michelle Bogart :)

  I completed my clinical training at the San Diego Unified School District: Mental Health Resource Center San Diego Outpatient Program, working with low-income Elementary and Middle School students and their families. My therapeutic work is grounded in client-centered approaches, drawing from Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy.

“좀 부족해도 너무 아름다운 걸”
"Not so perfect, but so beautiful"— BTS Jin

I completed my clinical training at License to Freedom, where I had the honor of supporting immigrant individuals and families whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence. My practice is primarily rooted in Narrative Therapy and informed by a decolonial spirit. I am dedicated to co-creating spaces where resilience is honored, and liberation and restorative justice are centered.

"Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within” - James Baldwin

I completed my clinical training at License to Freedom, working closely with immigrant survivors and intergenerational families. My experience at a domestic violence agency deepened my passion and commitment to destigmatizing mental health in Middle Eastern communities. My therapeutic work is informed by Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Bowen Family Therapy.

"I am a mosaic of everyone I've ever loved, even for a heartbeat." -Anonymous

  I completed my clinical training at License to Freedom, where I conducted most of my clinical work in Arabic, working with families from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. I am committed to the Decolonial Project and my work is grounded within postmodern, poststructural frameworks, with a particular interest in narrative therapy. I have worked with individuals, couples, and families, including those who have experienced domestic violence, walking alongside them as they navigate their life paths, journeys, and the barriers they encounter, while holding space for the challenges that arise in the process of healing and becoming.

“إِذا الشَّعْبُ يوماً أرادَ الحياةَ
فلا بُدَّ أنْ يَسْتَجيبَ القدرْ
ولا بُدَّ للَّيْلِ أنْ ينجلي
ولا بُدَّ للقيدِ أن يَنْكَسِرْ”
-ابو القاسم الشابي 

“If the people will to live, 
then fate must surely answer their call
And night is destined to fold
And the chains are certain to break”
-Abu al-Qasim al-Shabbi

My clinical journey at Crossroads Family Center welcomed a new experience working with children ages 5-18 in El Cajon. Through a CBT and Narrative Therapy framework, I was honored with exploring clients' lives, stories, and experiences. In addition, I supported clients and their families with developing skills and accessing community resources based in relational healing as they entered their mental health journey.

Thank you to SDSU’s faculty, supervisors, and colleagues for supporting this journey and providing a wealth of knowledge.

I completed my clinical training at Project I.M.P.A.C.T., supporting children and families in City Heights. This experience allowed me to grow both personally and clinically while addressing ADHD, emotional dysregulation, and trauma. I provided individual, family, and group therapy, integrating CCPT and narrative therapy while centering play, curiosity, and each child’s inner world to foster insight, resilience, and growth.

“The journey toward self-understanding is not about becoming someone new, but uncovering what was already there.” — Carl Rogers

I completed my training at South Bay Community Services (SBCS), with the Youth Prevention and Intervention (YPI) department. I had the honor of collaborating and serving the South Bay community down at Chula Vista. I was able to work with young individuals, families and provide group therapy services. My clinical work draws from collaborative approaches, including Narrative Therapy and Solution Focused Brief Therapy. I move forward committed to serving marginalized communities and expanding access to the resources I once had to go without, and hope to continue providing an inclusive space for all. 

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths”. — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

I completed my clinical training at UPAC Children’s Mental Health, where I had the privilege of being invited into the worlds of children and their families. My work is rooted in trauma-informed, decolonial, and relational approaches to care. I am grounded in the spirit of Narrative Therapy, which I bring to life through the integration of play and expressive arts, inviting fun and creativity into the therapy space. At the heart of my work, I aim to create a space where people feel seen and understood beyond problem-saturated stories, labels, or diagnoses and where their stories of resilience, strength, and values are honored and celebrated.

"May we do work that matters. Vale la pena." -Gloria Anzaldúa

As a daughter of immigrant parents, I have spent much of my life navigating the complexity and beauty of being a patchwork of cultures. This thread of multiplicity is reflected in my experience in the program – I have been a trainee at License to Freedom, Open Heart Leaders, and the Center of Counseling and Community Engagement. My theoretical orientation is one informed by narrative therapy and emotionally-focused therapy, and I hope to continue deepening the lens through which I connect with my clients. This program has been an honor, and I intend to continue learning how to practice from an ethic of care and liberation, and how love can be a revolutionary force.

“I dream of a world where asking for help is seen as something beautiful and courageous, where we just all help each other because we are each other. I dream of a world that is tethered together with love.” – Alok V. Menon

I completed my clinical traineeship at Monte Vista High School, working with adolescents and families navigating identity, relationships, and life transitions. Growing up across cultures continues to shape how I understand connection, belonging, and the ways people make meaning of their experiences. I’m especially drawn to working with couples and relational dynamics, integrating Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), mindfulness, and a deeper understanding of how emotions and attachment shape our relationships. I value creating spaces that feel genuine, collaborative, and culturally attuned. Where people can slow down, make sense of what’s coming up for them, and move toward more connected, grounded, and fulfilling ways of relating.

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves-Rainer maria rilke

Vanessa "Nessa" Romero completed her clinical traineeship at Open Heart Leaders and serves the reentry population through Project In Reach. Her therapeutic orientation is shaped by compassion, cultural humility, and a strong commitment to supporting clients in healing, empowerment, and meaningful change.

"What I value most about clinical work is being trusted with people’s stories. It is an honor to hold space for healing, growth, and the small but powerful moments that can lead to lasting change"

I completed my traineeship at The Elizabeth Hospice, gaining clinical experience in the grief therapy space. I would describe my orientation as Narrative Therapy with Solution-Focused Tools, seeing myself as an idealistic collaborator with a keen attention to agency, power and unexplored possibilities.

"Power is everywhere; not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere." - Michel Foucault

I completed my training at the San Diego Unified School District: Mental Health Resource Center San Diego Outpatient Program, where I provided school-based mental health services to children, adolescents, and their families. My work is grounded in narrative therapy and centers on emotional expression, collaboration, and culturally responsive care.

“The beauty of life isn’t in pursuing happiness; it’s in pursuing experiences.” — Luke Belmar