Paola (she/they) holds a Master in Counselling Psychology from Adler University and is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Paola offers therapy services in English, Spanish, and German.
Paola believes that whether you go into counselling for yourself or to change the way you show up with others, change happens when there is trust and safety. She prioritizes ongoing consent and trauma-informed practices to encourage insight and tools that realistically support your growth.
We all live in a world that tends to individualize our problems, often leading us to feel lost or alone. Paola works to contextualize your challenges and recognize the role that culture and society play in shaping your experiences and worldview. She recognizes that change is often a complex and non-linear process and that all humans struggle to navigate. Sometimes part of the change process can bring up experiences and emotions that can feel too heavy to bear. Paola uses compassion, empathy, cultural respect and humility when supporting you with the emotional heavy lifting.
As a queer, neurodivergent, immigrant, Paola personally understands the challenges of reconciling opposing cultural values and the importance of accommodating individual and contextual limitations and strengths. Given her clinical experience working with neurodivergent adults and children, she understands the importance of supporting each client with creativity and flexibility. No client can be reduced to one identity or experience, and Paola recognizes that navigating change in the context of your relationships and responsibilities is unique to you. She also offers to incorporate creative interventions such as art and experiential and visual metaphors if you would find it helpful.
Outside of Peak, you can find Paola spending time with her family and friends, walking around the seawall, or creating art with paint, yarn, or punch-needling.
Paola’s informed consent form can be found here.
