Bilingual Spanish speaking individual & relationship therapist in California
M.A. in Counseling Psychology - Santa Clara University
Hi, I’m Mariana. Thank you for being here. Welcome to Inner Sanación Therapy - a real space you can be yourself.
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #162747) in California, providing individual and couples therapy for adults who are ready to discover and return to who they are.
I’m a first-generation neurodivergent Latina therapist of Mexican heritage, which means I deeply value the warmth and vibrancy that people and communities carry. I appreciate the way our cultural identities and ancestral roots can shape our personal experiences.
A large part of who I am as a therapist comes from my belief that vulnerability and healing can be deepened through a meaningful and safe therapeutic relationship. I care about the sense of safety, trust, and attunement you feel during a session with me. I believe that therapy can be a space of depth, growth, and reconnection when you’re not being asked to perform or hold it all on your own.
I hold a strong awareness of how identity, culture, family systems, and lived experiences shape the way we relate to ourselves and others. I’m especially attuned to the experiences of BIPOC individuals, first-generation adults, sensitive humans, and neurodivergent experiences. As a neurodivergent therapist, I hold a deep appreciation for the unique ways we process and move through the world.
I currently live in Bay Area, CA and some of my passions and interests include: tarot, reading, journaling, exercising, and being in nature!
My Approach
At the core of how I work as a therapist is honoring and understanding the fullness of your experiences and who you are.
I view the therapeutic process as a collaboration where safety, compassion, curiosity, and connection is important. My approach is warm, attuned, and grounded in getting to know you.
Together, we may gently explore the experiences, emotions, and patterns that have shaped how you understand yourself and move through the world. We can honor all parts of who you are.
I integrate a nervous-system and trauma-informed framework, with a culturally-responsive and insight-oriented approach. I draw from different therapeutic lenses to support deeper healing, self-understanding, and reconnection in a way that feels aligned with your unique needs and experiences. We will support embodiment and healing in a meaningful and sustainable way, beyond just talking about it.
Our work together may look like:
Building awareness of emotional and nervous system responses
Exploring recurring patterns, relationships, and life experiences
Deepening self-understanding, self-trust, and self-honoring
Supporting healing from burnout, overwhelm, exhaustion, and trauma
Reconnecting with your needs, values, and authentic self
Honoring cultural, spiritual, and neurodivergent experiences
Following and leaning in to your body’s cues of safety
Redefining how peace, relaxation, and regulation feels in your body
Re-establishing your relationship with oppressive systems through an empowerment lens
The Foundation of My Work
Somatic & Nervous System-Informed
Healing and reconnection with yourself can extend beyond building awareness of your experiences. Attention to your body’s cues and language can support your emotional regulation and mind-body connection. We may use breathwork, somatic experiencing, and grounding techniques to facilitate deeper release.
Humanistic & Existential
There will be no judgement or imposed beliefs on your personal journey. You can have a space for self-exploration, self-acceptance, and curiosity as you deepen your self-understanding. We may explore identity, authenticity, relationships, values, and what feels meaningful and aligned for you.
Relational & Trauma-Informed
Our relationships can deeply shape how we experience ourselves and move through the world. We all exist within relationships, family systems, and larger cultural identities. Together, we may explore your lived experiences to better understand patterns of connection, safety, and the relationship you hold with yourself and others.
Integrated Tools
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Exploration of the different “parts” of you that hold emotions, patterns, and protective responses. This can support greater self-understanding, compassion, and internal harmony.
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Exploration of how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected while building greater awareness of patterns that no longer feel supportive. Mindfulness practices can support in responding to experiences with more intention, self-compassion, and presence.
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Practical tools may be used to support emotional regulation, distress tolerance, boundaries, and navigation of overwhelming emotions.
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Focus on existing strengths, resilience, and inner resources as a foundation for growth and healing.
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Exploration of stories you’ve learned about yourself and how they’ve been shaped by relationships, culture, and life experiences. We can notice unhelpful narratives and reconnect with a more authentic and empowered sense of self.
Who I Often Support
Neurodivergent Adults
Exploring unique ways of thinking, feeling, and processing the world, while supporting self-understanding, acceptance, energy capacity, and nervous system awareness.
Sensitive, Intuitive & Spiritually Attuned Adults
Supporting deeper connection to your inner wisdom, sensitivities, and personal rituals to support grounding.
People-Pleasers & High Achievers
Navigating burnout, perfectionism, boundaries, and the pressure to meet expectations while reconnecting with your needs and values.
Burnout, Trauma & Life Transitions
Creating space for rest, regulation, and genuine reconnection during periods of overwhelm, change, or emotional exhaustion.
BIPOC & First-Generation Adults / Children of Immigrants
Holding space for identity, cultural experiences, family expectations, belonging, ancestral roots, and the complexity of carrying multiple worlds at once.