Meet Emily
(she/her): Assoc. Marriage and Family Therapist
Adults, Teens, College Students, Families
Your Resilience Was Built for More Than Survival
You are overwhelmed. The world is a frightening place for LGBTQ+ people of color, and you are carrying weight that was never yours alone to hold. You figured life out every step of the way on your own. You were translating for your family before you could count to 100. The intersections of your identity feel more like a tangled net than an interwoven tapestry. You do not get the luxury of looking away when injustice compounds, but you do not have to just survive it. You have everything you need to thrive. Tapping into your resilience, you can build a life that sustains queer joy.
Your Healing Is Bigger Than You Know
Your healing ripples outward. As we navigate this therapeutic journey, you will find the uncertainty of the world around you loses its grip. You tap into your resilience, use the tools you have built, and continue to thrive in the face of adversity. You become part of the change you want to see.
From Stuck to Empowered, On Your Own Terms
You deserve care that prioritizes and empowers you. Drawing on an anti-oppressive, LGBTQ+ affirming, and trauma-informed lens, you will reprocess the experiences that have left you feeling stuck, building an empathetic relationship with yourself rooted in your own lived expertise. Together, we carve out space for hope.
Rooted in Community, Called to Care
As a Salvadoran-American lesbian woman, I am intimately familiar with how systems of oppression intersect and inform the lived experiences of our communities. With a passion for liberation and a belief in the right to quality care for all, I was drawn to the world of therapy. I pursued a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Mount Saint Mary's University through the Enlaces Bilingual Program in Los Angeles, CA.
I am honored to accompany each client through different phases of their lives, and I understand the gravity of the decision to pursue therapy and to trust me as a clinician. I have worked within community mental health as part of the Mental Health Department of a Health Center, providing care for underserved populations, including our unhoused neighbors, immigrant populations, and communities of color. I value the opportunity to empower and uplift marginalized communities as they push back against the structures meant to smother their joy. I’m an Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (#141921) under supervision of Renae Johnson LPCC (#6018), ATR-BC (#16-199) and Kristen Crowe LPCC (#5451).
Showing Up for the Whole Journey
Outside of the therapy room, I enjoy crocheting (and hardly ever finishing) a thousand projects. I love learning new things and have set my sights on learning to knit. I am an avid reader with a strong preference for anything with lesbians in it. I have been known to write 20-page backstories for my Dungeons and Dragons characters that I almost immediately forget, and I spend as much free time as I can learning more about the beautiful city of Los Angeles through its incredible cuisine. When I need a moment to ground myself, you can find me at the beach!
Questions About Insurance?
OSTC has partnered with Mentaya, a platform that helps clients get money back on out-of-network therapy sessions. To see if you qualify for reimbursement, click the button below.
In-person and virtual therapy for LGBTQ+ Adults, Teens, College Students & Families.
If you are located in Los Angeles, our office are conveniently in the Silver Lake neighborhood.
If you are outside of the Los Angeles area, or just don’t want to drive. We offer telehealth sessions through out California.
OSTC is a LGBTQ+ therapy collective, where you never need to educate your therapist on who you are.