Hi, I am Andrea Fernández
I am a Salvadoran Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist passionate about helping people like you overcome mental health challenges to live a peaceful and meaningful life. I earned my master’s in Clinical Psychology in 2020 and B.A. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology through California State University of Bakersfield in 2016. I completed my EMDR Basic Training in 2023 and I am currently working towards certification. As part of my clinical development, I participate in ongoing consultation for the implementation of EMDR, Somatic-informed, and Internal Family Systems - informed interventions.
My path to becoming a mental health therapist comes from my own life experiences. I’ve worked closely with at-risk youth in the justice system and saw how their behaviors were often a response to deep, generational trauma. In my own life, I began healing from childhood trauma that resurfaced in my early 20s during a difficult time. These experiences showed me how important mental health support is—for individuals and for building stronger, healthier communities.
My own experiences taught me to see the world and relationships as unsafe. I believed I had to put others first and ignore my own needs just to get by—and even then, it was hard to trust people. Now, through a trauma-informed approach, I focus on helping you build trust with yourself and with me. We’ll start by exploring your hopes, strengths, and goals, and I’ll guide you in learning self-soothing tools early in the process. These steps help you build resilience before we begin deeper work—like talk therapy or EMDR—to process trauma and stress.
I believe mental and emotional health are just as important as physical health. That’s why I take a holistic approach in sessions—connecting body, mind, and emotions. Together, we’ll create a plan that may include mindfulness or body-based strategies (also called somatic tools) to help you manage anxiety, depression, anger, flashbacks, and dissociation. We’ll also work on shifting unhelpful thought patterns and helping your nervous system feel safe and regulated.
I commend your decision to begin your healing journey through therapy. It takes courage to start this kind of work, and I feel honored to be part of it. I look forward to meeting you soon and hearing your story, your goals, and how you want to care for your health and well-being.
Does it sound like we could be a match?
Let’s work together. Feel free to reach out for a free 15 minute consultation to get more details and discuss your needs.