For many people, beginning therapy involves more than acknowledging emotional pain. It may also mean moving through cultural expectations, family beliefs, mental health stigma, or the feeling that you should manage everything on your own.
¡Hola! My name is Gabriella Villalvazo, and I am a bilingual Mexican American Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, AMFT 149085, practicing under clinical supervision. I earned my master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis on the Latino/a community.
I am passionate about supporting individuals and families, particularly members of the Latino community, as they navigate emotional challenges, strengthen their relationships, and prioritize their mental health. My goal is to help reduce the stigma surrounding therapy and create a space where seeking support is recognized as an act of courage, self-respect, and care.
My Approach to Therapy
My therapeutic approach is integrative, culturally responsive, and tailored to your individual needs. I draw from:
- Humanistic and client-centered therapy
- Terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC)
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Culturally responsive and strength-based practices
Rather than applying one method to every client, I take time to understand your experiences, cultural background, relationships, values, strengths, and goals. Together, we can determine which approaches will provide the most meaningful support for you.
I strive to offer a warm and collaborative environment where you can speak openly, explore difficult emotions, and feel respected as a whole person.
Culturally Responsive Therapy
Our cultural experiences can shape how we understand mental health, relationships, family roles, personal identity, and the decision to seek therapy.
As a bilingual Mexican American therapist, I understand that cultural expectations and family values may be important parts of your experience. You may be balancing your individual needs with loyalty to your family, navigating expectations across generations, or questioning messages you have received about emotions, vulnerability, and asking for help.
Therapy does not require you to leave your culture, values, or identity outside the room. I welcome the opportunity to understand how these parts of your life influence your experiences and healing process.
My intention is to help you honor the parts of your identity that give you strength while examining patterns or expectations that may no longer support your emotional well-being.
Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy recognizes that you are more than the challenges that brought you to counseling. You have strengths, values, experiences, and the capacity for growth.
This approach allows us to build a genuine therapeutic relationship grounded in empathy, respect, and acceptance. I will meet you with curiosity rather than judgment and help you explore what feels most meaningful to you.
Together, we can work toward greater self-awareness, self-compassion, authenticity, and confidence in your ability to make decisions that reflect the life you want to create.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, can help you understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
At times, unhelpful beliefs or patterns of thinking can affect how you view yourself, interpret situations, and respond to difficult experiences. Through CBT, we can identify these patterns and develop practical strategies for approaching challenges in healthier and more balanced ways.
CBT may also help you strengthen coping skills, challenge self-defeating thoughts, and respond more intentionally to stressful or emotionally difficult situations.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy provides space to explore how past experiences, early relationships, and unconscious emotional patterns may influence your present life.
Some reactions or relationship patterns can feel confusing because their origins are not always immediately visible. By exploring your history with care and curiosity, we can begin identifying recurring themes and understanding how they may be affecting your emotions, relationships, and sense of self.
Developing this insight can help you make more conscious choices and create meaningful, lasting change.
Therapy in English or Spanish
Therapy is available in both English and Spanish. You are welcome to communicate in the language—or combination of languages—that feels most natural and comfortable for you.
Being able to express emotions in your preferred language can make therapy feel more personal, accessible, and authentic. My goal is to provide a space where you do not have to translate or minimize important parts of your experience to feel understood.
Beginning Your Healing Journey
Starting therapy is a courageous decision. You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out, and you do not have to navigate this process alone.
I am committed to walking alongside you as you explore your experiences, uncover your strengths, and develop a more empowered relationship with yourself and your mental health. Together, we can work toward meaningful change, emotional healing, and a greater sense of connection and well-being.
Start Therapy with Gabriella at Paloma Therapy
Paloma Therapy offers psychotherapy and mental health services with options for in-person and virtual care depending on clinician availability.
Book a consultation with Paloma Therapy to learn more about working with Gabriella Villalvazo and determine whether her culturally responsive, integrative approach is a good fit for your needs.
Email: hello@palomatherapy.com
Paloma Therapy — Where Healing Begins.
