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Schedule your first appointment. For follow up appointments (existing clients), please contact your therapist at 773-774-4444.
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Hi! My name is Varinia, and I’m a therapist who works with adolescents and adults navigating identity, trauma, life transitions, and the complexities of being human. As a Latina, queer and first-generation professional, I understand how culture, family expectations, and systemic pressures can shape our experiences and our mental health. Many people move through the world carrying invisible stress — whether that’s the weight of immigration stories, exploring sexuality, and generational expectations, or simply trying to figure out who they are in a world that often asks them to be someone else.
My work is also grounded in feminist and liberation psychology perspectives, which means I pay attention not only to individual experiences but also to the broader social systems that influence our lives. Mental health does not exist in a vacuum — factors like culture, gender, race, power, and social expectations all play a role in how we understand ourselves and move through the world. Therapy can be a space to explore those influences and reconnect with your voice, your values, and your sense of agency.
I believe therapy should be a place where you can show up exactly as you are. My goal is to create a space where you feel seen, understood, and supported while we make sense of your experiences together. Seeking help can feel vulnerable, but you’ve already taken a powerful step by being here.
I take an integrative approach to therapy because I believe healing is not one-size-fits-all. My work draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), strengths-based therapy, person-centered therapy, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based practices.
Alongside these approaches, I incorporate feminist and liberation psychology perspectives, which emphasize understanding how social systems, cultural expectations, and power dynamics impact our mental health. This perspective allows us to explore not only personal patterns and coping strategies but also the ways larger societal pressures may shape how we see ourselves. Together we can explore patterns, build coping strategies, and develop tools that help you feel more grounded, empowered, and aligned with your values.
I strive to create a therapy space that is non-judgmental, collaborative, and culturally responsive. Therapy with me is about curiosity, compassion, and making meaning of your experiences. We’ll explore what has shaped you, identify patterns that may no longer be serving you, and develop skills to support your growth. I also believe it is important to acknowledge the ways systemic and social factors influence mental health, and therapy can be a place to process those experiences with honesty and care. My goal is not to “fix” you, but to help you reconnect with the strengths, insight, and resilience that are already within you.
I believe our identities, culture, and lived experiences are central to the therapy process and deserve space to be explored with care and respect.
I believe healing is not linear. Growth often involves reflection, discomfort, and learning new ways of relating to ourselves and others.
Therapy with me is collaborative and conversational. I want sessions to feel like a space where you can speak freely without worrying about being judged. We’ll talk about what’s going on in your life, but we’ll also slow down and explore the deeper patterns underneath your experiences. Sometimes sessions involve reflection, learning new skills, or challenging unhelpful thinking patterns. Other times we may simply sit with difficult emotions and make space for them.
We’ll set goals together at the beginning of our work and check in regularly to see what is helping and what might need to change. I encourage clients to guide the direction of sessions because your needs and experiences matter most. Some sessions may feel insightful, some may feel challenging, and others may feel like a moment to breathe and process. Therapy is a process, and we’ll move at a pace that feels supportive and sustainable for you.
Schedule your first appointment. For follow up appointments (existing clients), please contact your therapist at 773-774-4444.