LGBT therapists in San Mateo, CA

I enjoy bringing humor and kindness to my sessions I want to know what you need and will do my best with helping you get there

Anxiety and perfectionism have turned your mind into a battleground. Your inner critic nitpicks every interaction, leaving you exhausted by thoughts of “Damnit, why can’t I just be better!” Painful memories get louder, no matter how hard you try to ignore them. Daily invalidations of your Latina, queer, or immigrant identity sting, and you feel isolated as you keep your suffering to yourself. You’ve tried everything: doom scrolling, drinking, and self-help books, but nothing has worked. You're left feeling hopeless and weighed down.

In counseling, my passion is to offer support to mothers and parents of any gender in the perinatal period (including trying to conceive, pregnancy & pregnancy challenges/loss, birth & birth loss, postpartum and early parenthood), as well as to those healing from trauma, and exploring aspects of any identity you hold (around sexuality, race, gender, class, ability, etc) that need compassionate witnessing and support.

I bring more than 20 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, young adults, and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. I received my Master of Social Welfare from UCLA, and my work in group homes, schools, and community-based nonprofits has shaped my understanding of how emotional, academic, cultural, and environmental factors influence well-being.

I specialize in working with Latino and bilingual families, and I strive to create a space where clients feel seen, respected, and understood.

My name is Emily and I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in the state of California. I have 6 years of professional experience as an individual therapist, parent counselor, family therapist and clinical case care coordinator. I have a school counseling credential and experience working with pre-k through 12th grade students, in both public and non public schools. My expertise is in helping clients with anxiety, life transitions, stress, depression, family conflict, parenting issues, motivation, self-esteem, confidence, ADHD and Autism.

I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment to meet your unique and specific needs. I am goal oriented, creating measurable action steps for clients to work on towards achieving their set goals. Goals will be created in a collaborative manner between therapist and client.

It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and healthier life and to take the first steps towards change. My goal is to support and empower you in that journey. I utilize a creative and collaborative approach, and I'm here to meet you where you're at.

Seeking help can be the first step to acquire greater understanding and insight into our lives and relationships.

I'm Lina, and I'm passionate about empowering individuals on their journey to healing and growth. With a diverse background in hospital social work, outpatient mental health services, and inpatient psychiatric care, I have gained invaluable experience and insights that enable me to support a wide range of clients facing emotional and mental health challenges.