“Every child is different kind of flower and all together make this world a beautiful garden”- Anonymous 

Angela’s goal is to create a safe space for clients to come as their authentic selves. She works as a mirror and sound board to help empower clients to: have compassion for themselves and others, identify their current skills and strengths, and to find beauty and meaning in the things that are important to them. She is bilingual in both Spanish & English and currently learning Italian. 

Angela has over 8 years of experience and enjoys working with children ages 5 and up, preteens, teens, and young adults. Since she is a big kid at heart with a playful and kind persona, it’s very easy for her to connect with the youth. During her sessions, she emphasizes on helping the family unit work together more like a team, fostering more open communication patterns, and adopting an “attitude of gratitude.”

Children 5-12 – With this age group, Angela typically supports children with: academic concerns, separation anxiety, respect for authority figures, friendship development skills, sibling friction, regulation of big emotions, and self-awareness of their thoughts and feelings. 

• Play Therapy Skills- Sand tray, board games, and arts/crafts. Using toys and different forms of art expression to help children explore their emotional world. 

• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)- Using psycho-education to learn how trauma can manifest itself to influence thoughts, feelings, and actions. By recognizing different automatic negative thoughts and core beliefs children can modify and practice replacing these negative thoughts with ones that serve them better. 

Teens 13-19 - Common occurrences during this stage of life include: learning about the changes they experience mentally, physically, and emotionally during puberty, as well as managing different relationships (family & friends), exploring their interests, preparing for college, and feelings of self-esteem/self-worth. At this stage, they are also learning how to sit and cope with feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, and other strong emotions. 

• Solution Focused Therapy- The art of practicing simplicity to identify the prominent concern in life and creating SMART goals to find the “solution.”

• Narrative Therapy – The understanding that you are the author of your life. In narrative therapy, you take the time to share your life story or other narratives, with the ultimate goal of rewriting and modifying your life’s chapters.

• Family Systems- Recognizing that human beings are creatures of habit that fall into patterns of repeating certain behaviors. Through awareness teens may learn to modify patterns and cycles of behavior.

Young Adults 20-25 – Angela collaborates with those in this age group on topics such as: career exploration, romantic relationships, family dynamics, and finding meaning or purpose.

• The Gottman Method - An approach to therapy that helps bring couples closer through learning better communication skills and empathy. 

• Person Centered – Each person is the expert of their life. This approach is highlighting each person’s internal and external resources, strengths, and things that make them unique. .

More about Angela or "“Angie”:

Angela’s therapeutic journey unfolded gradually with different stepping stones that brought her to where she is today. As a child she remembers her mom listening every day to different psychology and self-help books using her headphones and cassette player. Angela was her number one client in which she taught her everything that she learned. In high school, Angela was voted “best shoulder to cry on” as a class superlative. When she began college and had to declare a major, the one that stood out far beyond the rest was psychology. Once she graduated from her master’s program, she intentionally sought out work with children. Angela has been able to see children in different settings which include: schools, homes, group homes, non-profits, community agencies, and private practices. 

She has lived half her life in Las Vegas Nevada, and the other half here in Florida. She comes from a large family where she has sixteen first cousins alone! In her time off she enjoys exploring different nature trails, spending quality time with friends/family, playing tennis, and any opportunity to celebrate life moments through gift-giving, decorating, and playing games.