About Me

Hi, I'm Marili!
I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor based in California. I believe true healing happens in the body, not just the mind. As a somatic psychotherapist, I use approaches like EMDR and Brainspotting to help clients heal trauma, make sense of how larger systems have shaped them, and reconnect with who they really are.
As an immigrant, much of who I am has been shaped by the work of belonging to two worlds without fitting neatly into either. I know what it means to want to belong somewhere that doesn't always make space for you and to hold pride in where you come from anyway. That lived experience is the root of my curiosity about people, and it shapes how I sit with clients navigating their own questions of identity, belonging, and worth.
My work is fully virtual and centers on what you need. Alongside the somatic approaches, much of what I do draws on attachment theory and parts work, understanding how your earliest relationships and the protective "parts" of you shape the patterns you live in now. Depending on what serves you, I might teach, lean on your existing strengths, or weave in mindfulness, CBT, IFS, or Gottman methods for couples. I believe the approach should fit you, not the other way around.

I specialize in trauma and PTSD, and I work with people facing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, issues of self-worth, and the relationship patterns that leave people feeling disconnected, misunderstood, or stuck in the same conflicts. Whatever you're carrying, my aim is to give you a space that's safe and genuinely without judgment, somewhere you can say the hard things out loud.
Outside of the therapy room, I enjoy cooking and baking, working my way through different cuisines baking sourdough and pan dulce, or deep in a good book or thriller audiobook. I'm a lifelong learner at heart; I'm always picking up something new. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I actually know and I find a lot of joy and humility in that.
Finding the right therapist is hard. I'll meet you where you are, and gently challenge you toward where you want to go. If you're ready to begin, or even just have questions, reach out through my contact page.