Yanina Rivera Lopez

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a background in community organizing, performance art/dance, and trauma-informed mental health care. All of these experiences shape the way I practice: relational, culturally rooted, body-aware, and grounded in a decolonizing approach.

To me, decolonizing therapy means we look at you within the full context of your life; your culture, your histories, your families, your identities, and the systems you’ve had to navigate. We look beyond the symptoms and explore the stories behind them.

I work with adults navigating trauma, anxiety, burnout, identity questions, complex family dynamics, and patterns that feel hard to break. My clients range from high-achieving professionals to people who feel disconnected, unmotivated, overwhelmed, or stuck. You don’t need to “perform” a certain way to work with me. You can show up exactly as you are.

My goal is to offer a space where you don’t have to shrink or translate parts of yourself, where your emotional world is taken seriously, and where we build a healing process that feels meaningful, honest, and aligned with who you are.

My approach is relational and collaborative. I pay attention to how your body responds, how your emotions show up, and how your environment and relationships influence what you’re carrying. I believe healing happens through awareness, connection, creativity, and the courage to see patterns clearly.

I integrate somatic practices, expressive arts, mindfulness, and trauma-informed interventions; in ways that fit your personality, history, and pace. I also bring a strong systems lens - looking at how culture, family, and lived experience shape your emotional world.

A big part of my work is helping people reconnect with parts of themselves that have been dismissed, minimized, or misunderstood. I honor both survival strategies and the desire for change.

In our first session, we slow down and get curious together. You can expect warmth, questions that help you make sense of what you’re carrying, and space to talk about what you want help with. There is no pressure to tell your whole story all at once.

I center your voice and move at a pace that feels safe and manageable. We’ll explore what’s working, what isn’t, and what you hope therapy can offer. My intention is that you leave the first session feeling understood, grounded, and clearer about how we’ll move forward together.