Natalia earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Studio Arts and Spanish from Auburn University. She received her master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Natalia was trained from a social justice lens. She is intentional about empowering clients to embrace the complexities of their identities and instills these values in her practice.

During her graduate studies, Natalia worked with adolescents at Mikva Challenge developing communal projects for youth. These projects were aimed at challenging youth to express themselves creatively and connect with their peers. She offered individual and group support to students throughout their programming. Natalia also worked at Thresholds, supporting adults with anxiety, depression, substance use histories, sexual and physical abuse, personality disorders, and psychotic disorders. Natalia has worked in clinical settings, art focused non-profit settings, community mental health, and private practice.

Natalia excels at working with:

• Younger and older adults as well as first-time therapy clients 
• She offers individual therapy
• She is social-justice oriented, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and sex positive

Natalia uses evidence-based and trauma-informed interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Feminist Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. She uses person-centered, strengths-based approaches to create an empowering and welcoming environment for her clients. Together they uncover the impact of their past experiences on their present lives, understand their thoughts and behaviors, and develop coping skills to navigate their lives more effectively.

Natalia is conversational in:

• Brazilian-Portuguese
• Spanish