About Me
My Journey & the Lotus
Lotus Rising was named from an intuitive knowing before I fully understood how deeply the lotus mirrored my own journey. The lotus grows through darkness and dense mud, using those very conditions to rise toward the light—emerging resilient and whole.
As a first-generation American with Mexican and Indian roots, I grew up feeling different, overly sensitive, out of place and groundless. Much of my life has been shaped by navigating cultural complexity, healing ancestral and intergenerational wounds, while honoring my own lived experience as a trauma survivor with chronic pain in life-long recovery. Through my own journey, travels, and education, I came to understand that what once felt like my greatest vulnerability—my sensitivity, depth, and hyper-awareness— became one of my greatest strengths. Experience and wise teachers have taught me compassion, humility, and that we are all interconnected on the same path seeking unconditional love, belonging, and a safe place that feels like home.
Today, as a therapist in Austin, I have the honor privilege of walking alongside others as they reconnect with themselves and find home. Like the lotus, I believe we are all capable of rising— transforming what we’ve endured into resilience, service, compassion, clarity, and self-trust.
Passions & Hobbies
At home, you’ll often find me tending to my plants—indoors, in my garden, or sunroom—usually alongside my kitty, Sushi, who loves outdoor time. I decompress through nesting and interior decorating, arts and crafting, and settling in with a good binge-worthy show.
When I’m out and about, I’m connecting with my community—dancing at festivals and raves, enjoying good food with friends, attending meditation or spiritual support groups, finding rhythm in drumming or singing circles, or engaging in ancestral and/or advocacy work.
I also love to travel and experience different cultures and have had the great privilege of visiting nearly 30 countries (I’ve lost count). In sharing these interests with my clients, I’ve noticed that many of the folx I work with are creatives, musicians, artists, plant people, or ravers seeking support that honors their true selves and embraces their creativity. They continue to inspire me to thoughtfully integrate these passions into my work—such as offering walk-and-talk sessions in nature and incorporating music- or movement-oriented approaches.
Education & Licenses
Master’s of Science in Social Work
University of Texas at Austin (2015)
Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology, University of California Berkeley (2012)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Supervisor (LCSW-S) TX License #61355
Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) TX License #15627
Social Justice & Land Acknowledgements
As a trauma-informed therapist and social worker, my work is inseparable from social justice.
I acknowledge the privileges that allow me to advocate for change with relative safety, and I honor those who came before us — people who endured immense suffering and fought for the rights many of us have today.
My work is rooted in the understanding that trauma does not exist in a vacuum. Our nervous systems carry the imprint of colonization, patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy — systems that have shaped generations.
Because healing is not only personal.
It is collective.
It is relational.
And it is part of liberation.
Land Acknowledgements
I live and practice on the Indigenous lands of Turtle Island and honor the Alabama-Coushatta, Caddo, Carrizo/Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Kickapoo, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo peoples — the rightful caretakers of the land now called Texas.
The Tonkawa, Comanche, and Lipan Apache peoples continue to be strong and vital self-sovereign tribes now located in northern Oklahoma, southwestern Oklahoma, and Texas, respectively. I encourage you to read more about them and their history on the tribes’ official websites.
Tonkawa Tribe: https://tonkawatribe.com/
Comanche Nation: https://comanchenation.com
Lipan Apache Tribe: https://lipanapache.org/
Mission
My mission is to provide therapy that is anti-oppressive, culturally affirming, trauma-informed, and liberation-focused.
I recognize that this work is ongoing. I remain committed to continual learning, self-reflection, consultation, and accountability as I strive to practice in ways that honor the diverse communities I serve.
Advocacy
Advocacy has always been part of my path — from supporting immigrants and refugees seeking asylum in high school to participating in movements such as Black Lives Matter, Occupy, and the Women’s March.
I continue to advocate for DREAMers, undocumented communities, LGBTQIA+ folx, and survivors of violence — both inside and outside the therapy room.
Because healing isn’t just personal.
It’s collective.
It’s relational.
And it’s a part of liberation.
I believe that sustainable healing requires addressing the conditions and systems that create inequity. When people feel safe enough to reconnect with their bodies, their stories, and their communities, healing becomes possible. From that place, we can begin to imagine — and build — a more just and compassionate world.
My hope is to contribute to a world where dignity, safety, and liberation are possible for everyone.
