Meet Mariel

How It All Started

My adolescence was filled with adversity which gave me an opportunity to benefit from therapy. Therapy provided unconditional acceptance, support and insights that I needed to persevere. I wanted to do same for others. Being able to create space for others to experience their raw emotions and help them through their suffering is so powerful.

Then life happened and after 10 years working for other organizations and companies, I realized I was nowhere near my lifelong goal of owning my private practice. I struggled with severe Imposter Syndrome and poor boundaries so working a 9 to 5 was safe and predictable.

Everything was predictable until chronic illness left me devastated. It forced me to gradually decrease my work hours. I desperately held on to my job as long as I could, mostly out of pride and fear. Chronic illness knocked me out of my comfort zone to build my private practice. How ironic! Now my mission is to help people reach their full potential and improve their quality of life.

Too Legit

I have Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) from Cal State Long Beach then a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Direct Practice from San Diego State University. After completing a gazillion post-graduate hours and passing two exams, I became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in 2015. Now I am licensed in Nevada and California.

I have had the privilege of working in various medical and mental health settings since 2011 with a variety of populations. I am trained as a Level 2 AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) Therapist.

What is an LCSW?

LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Basically we are social workers who can also do psychotherapy. Unlike other types of psychotherapists, LCSWs are trained to look at the “whole picture” through the Person-in-Environment (PIE) Theory. We examine client’s environmental factors such as the current social & political climates, systems, colonialism, family dynamics, socioeconomic status, gender roles, gender identities, acculturation, race, ethnicity and culture.

Meet the team

  • HUMAN RESOURCES

    Strengths:

    Impeccable penmanship

    Weakness(es):
    Excessive barking at everyone

  • QUALITY ASSURANCE

    Strengths:

    100lb Lapdog & Attention to detail

    Weakness(es):
    Assertiveness & Barking at chihuahuas