Kathy Acosta, LCSW | Founder
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Hi! I am a NJ- based licensed therapist. I am a first generation Latina and I am passionate about empowering other first generation adults. I understand the importance of healing from generational and unspoken trauma. Breaking down barriers and being the first to reach certain accomplishments can be exciting but also very exhausting. Our layers and experiences matter!
Much of my work is centered around trauma, working with survivors of interpersonal violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and intergenerational trauma. After experiencing something traumatic we often feel lost, hopeless, and can sometimes blame ourselves. I bring my expertise in trauma and mental health to help you process your feelings and heal.
My approach is relational, culture inclusive, holistic, strength focused, and trauma informed. I also use EMDR and Brainspotting (BSP) a tools to process trauma. Clients would describe me as energetic, non judgemental, direct when needed, authentic, and positive.
Finding a therapist that can best help you can feel like an overwhelming task and it takes a lot of courage to take this step. Therapy is work and as your therapist I am here to walk alongside you and to hold that space for you. It’s important to be understood and seen. Let’s explore if we are a good fit, book a free 15 minute consultation.
If you are a Latinx professional in the mental health field, learn more about my consultation services at https://www.heroconsultations.com/
Karina Garcia, LSW
If you are a parent of a young child who is struggling with big emotions, behavioral challenges, or difficulty communicating what they are feeling, you are in the right place. I specialize in working with children ages 3 to 8, using creative and expressive approaches that help them understand their inner world and build the skills to express themselves in healthy, age-appropriate ways. I am trained in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and bring years of clinical experience working with young children in nonprofit settings.
My work with children always includes you as a parent. We meet monthly so I can share what your child is working on, answer your questions, and give you tools to reinforce their growth at home. When clinically appropriate, I also bring parents into sessions directly. This is not family therapy — it is child-centered work that recognizes you as an essential part of your child's healing. I also welcome working directly with parents seeking support on their own parenting journey, offering guidance to navigate behavioral concerns, strengthen the parent-child relationship, and feel more confident responding to everyday challenges.
I specialize in working with young adults on relationship and attachment issues. Whether you are struggling in your romantic relationship, navigating complex family dynamics, or finding yourself in patterns that keep showing up no matter how hard you try, I can help. As a therapist trained in somatic therapy for attachment trauma, I work with adults to understand the emotional patterns and attachment needs that shape how we connect with the people we love most.
As a first-generation Latina therapist, I am deeply committed to providing culturally sensitive therapy to the Latinx community. Hablo español — because healing should never be limited by language.
If this resonates, I invite you to reach out. I look forward to supporting you on this journey.
Christopher Astacio, LAC
Therapy shouldn’t feel intimidating — it should feel like a safe space to show up just as you are. As a therapist, my goal is to provide that space for clients to explore their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors without judgment. I want our work together to feel empowering, healing, and collaborative.
I’m a bilingual Licensed Associate Counselor who specializes in supporting adolescents and young adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional regulation challenges. I’ve worked closely with high-risk youth from diverse backgrounds and understand how important it is to create a space that feels both affirming and supportive.
As a first-generation Latin American, I bring a culturally informed perspective to my work and understand how family dynamics and cultural identity can shape the therapeutic experience. I often use a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and person-centered practices to support clients in building skills they can carry with them beyond the therapy room.
Whether we're working on mood regulation, self-esteem, or navigating life transitions, my goal is always to meet clients where they are and help them move toward the life they want — with clarity, resilience, and support.
Marian Hanna, LAC
Living with anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder is hard enough, but when mental health carries cultural stigma, it can feel profoundly isolating. As a first-generation Egyptian and Arab American therapist, I have seen firsthand how that stigma silences mental health struggles, and how heavy that silence can become. I know what it's like to navigate a world where what you're going through is minimized, where you might be called "crazy," or where you feel you have to keep your struggles hidden from the people closest to you.
I specialize in working with first-generation adults who are living with mood disorders and trauma while carrying the expectations of their culture and family. As a first-generation Egyptian and Arab American, I bring both personal understanding and professional training to this work to create an environment where you feel heard, understood, and supported. If you've grown up in a household where mental health was never spoken about, where struggle was expected to stay silent, you don't have to carry this alone.
Working with clients as a DBT-trained therapist with a trauma-focused background, I offer culturally sensitive therapy that draws on DBT, person-centered, and trauma-informed approaches to help you build emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and a deeper understanding of how your experiences have shaped you. Our work together will also address the loneliness that can come when your family or community doesn't understand what you're going through.
I believe that connection is at the core of human experience, and seeking support when it goes against everything you were taught is a courageous step. If now feels like a good time to take the first step towards healing, I invite you to reach out! Together, we can break patterns and build skills so you can move through life with more confidence and ease. I look forward to supporting you on your journey to healing.
Kimberly Ortiz-Samayoa, LSW
Not all wounds leave bruises, and not all battles are visible but that doesn't make them any less real.
As a bilingual Spanish-speaking licensed social worker, I support teens and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and hormonal mental health concerns. One of my core areas of focus is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and other hormone-related mood challenges, helping clients better understand the connection between their emotional well-being, life experiences, and physical health.
I also specialize in trauma recovery and have extensive experience working with survivors of community violence and domestic violence. Trauma can affect how we relate to ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us. My goal is to provide a supportive space where you can process your experiences, build resilience, and reconnect with your strengths.
In our work together, we will explore the different parts of yourself that may be showing up, whether that is the inner critic, the protector, the people-pleaser, or the part carrying pain from past experiences. Drawing from CBT, trauma-informed care, and parts work, I help clients develop greater self-awareness, self-compassion, and understanding of the patterns that shape their lives. I believe healing happens when all parts of ourselves are given the opportunity to be heard, understood, and supported.
As a Latina therapist, I am deeply committed to providing culturally affirming care that honors the unique identities, values, and lived experiences of the Latinx community.
Therapy is not about fixing yourself. It is about creating space to better understand who you are and what you need. If you are looking for a therapist who understands the intersection of trauma, identity, and hormonal mental health, I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Lori Petrozzello, LSW
Maybe you're a creative professional. Maybe you're autistic, have ADHD, or identify as neurodivergent in another way. Maybe you're both. Whatever brought you here, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Being a creative person comes with unique pressures. So does living in a world that isn't designed for the way your brain works. You may feel burned out from masking, overwhelmed by deadlines or financial uncertainty, or exhausted from feeling like you're constantly too much for some people and not enough for others. Many of the people I work with have spent years believing they're the problem — that if they were more disciplined, more organized, or just tried harder, everything would fall into place. There isn't something fundamentally wrong with you.
I believe therapy should help you better understand yourself rather than teach you how to fit someone else's mold. Together, we'll identify what's getting in the way, build on your strengths, and create practical strategies that work for your life, your values, and the way your brain naturally functions.
My style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in curiosity and compassion. As an experienced meditator, I draw from mindfulness-based approaches and, if it's important to you, I'm happy to incorporate spirituality into our work. I also strive to practice with cultural humility, recognizing that your identity, culture, and experiences shape how you move through the world and deserve to be understood and respected.
I work with adults navigating anxiety, burnout, self-esteem, and relationship challenges. My goal is to create a space where you can be yourself without judgment, feel genuinely understood, and make meaningful progress toward the life you want. If you're ready to quiet your inner critic, strengthen your relationships, or build a life that feels more authentic, I invite you to schedule a consultation.
Kat Bowes, LSW
Anxiety and depression can make it hard to feel like yourself, especially when you are also navigating life transitions, identity, or feeling unseen and misunderstood by those around you. I work with teens and adults who are ready to move from surviving to living with more intention and ease.
In addition to my work with hearing clients, I am fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and deeply committed to providing accessible and inclusive therapy for the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. My goal is to offer a safe, affirming, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel seen, understood, and empowered.
My approach is client-centered, strengths-based, and rooted in cultural humility. I believe you are the expert on your own life. Our work together will be guided by your goals, your values, and your lived experience. I specialize in anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-esteem, and neurodivergence. I work to create a space where you can better understand yourself and build the tools to navigate life with greater confidence.
As a first-generation Jamaican American therapist, I bring an intersectional lens to my work and am deeply committed to supporting individuals who navigate the world through one or more marginalized identities. Understanding your experiences within the context of your culture and community is central to our work, not an add-on.
If you are ready to take the next step in your healing journey, please reach out. I look forward to partnering with you.
Bryanna Araujo, LSW
If your child is struggling to express their emotions, build confidence, or navigate friendships, you are in the right place. I specialize in working with children ages 5 to 12 using play-based, developmentally appropriate approaches that help young children communicate what they are feeling in ways that feel natural and safe for them. Parents are an important part of this process and I work closely with you to make sure the growth your child experiences in sessions extends into everyday life.
I also work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, self-esteem concerns, and life transitions. My approach is collaborative and evidence-based, drawing primarily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and tailored to your unique needs and goals.
As a bilingual Spanish-speaking Latina therapist, I understand how deeply culture, family, and identity shape our experiences. I provide culturally responsive care where clients from all backgrounds feel seen, respected, and understood.
I believe therapy should feel like a place where you can show up exactly as you are, without judgment. If you are ready to take that first step, I invite you to reach out.
Yareimy Patrocinio, MSW Clinical Intern
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Hi, I’m Yareimy, a Master’s Level Social Work Clinical Intern. As a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, a queer Latina woman, and a first-generation college graduate, I understand what it means to carry multiple identities at once and how exhausting it can be to move through spaces where you never feel fully accepted or fully yourself.
I work with individuals of all ages, from children to adults, and I am especially passionate about supporting those who are navigating identity, cultural expectations, belonging, and the unique pressures that come with being first-generation or part of the LGBTQ+ community. Whatever brings you here, my goal is to make therapy a safe, nonjudgmental, and affirming space that centers who you are as a whole, not just one part of you.
Whether you are navigating something you have struggled with for years or something you are only just beginning to name, I believe every story deserves to be heard without judgment. I know how powerful it can be to simply feel heard, especially when you have spent so long translating yourself for everyone else.
Yo hablo español, and I am a fierce advocate for therapy to be accessible for all communities. I understand the importance of breaking down language and making this process feel less overwhelming. Having grown up translating documents and applications for my family, I know how much it matters to have someone who can meet you where you are. Whether this is your first time in therapy or you are trying it again, you do not have to navigate this alone.
Thaise Gonzalez, MSW Clinical Intern
Therapy meets you exactly where you are. Whether you are just beginning, picking up where you left off, or navigating something you have never had words for before, there is no wrong place to start.
I work with children, teens, and adults across all stages of life. My experience includes anxiety, depression, adjustment challenges, and complex developmental trauma. As a first-generation Latina therapist, I am deeply committed to providing culturally humble, affirming care that honors who you are and where you come from.
My approach is holistic, client-centered, and trauma-informed, drawing from mindfulness-based and evidence-based practices. I believe understanding the root of what you are carrying is where real change begins.
Your wellness starts with feeling safe, respected, and seen. Whenever you are ready, I look forward to working with you.
