Who and Where I Come From

I am currently writing from the stolen ancestral lands of the Piscataway Conoy. I have not done nearly enough to support Indigenous land repatriation efforts. I am currently working on structuring my life and my business in ways that allow for sustainable payment of land tax to the Piscataway Conoy Tribe and the Cedarville Band of the Piscataway Conoy Nation. If you are living or working on Piscataway Land, I encourage you to do the same.

I am a clinical social worker, meaning I completed the education (Masters in Social Work), experience (3,000+ supervised hours of clinical social work) and exams (LGSW + LCSW-C) required by the institution of social work. I recognize there are many ways of knowing and I do not claim to be an expert. My access to the “right” (i.e. white) education and employment is one of the many forms of privilege that I hold.

I am only licensed in the state of Maryland and Washington, DC, meaning I am only able to see clients who are in one of those two places at the time of our sessions.

Who and Where I Come From

I am a descendant of Czech immigrants who have occupied unceded Indigenous land in what is now known as Central Texas since the 1860s. I am also a descendant of mostly Irish, but also some Scottish, German, and English immigrants who have occupied unceded Indigenous lands in what is now known as Maine, Michigan and other parts of New England & the Midwest since as early as the 1600s and as late as the 1850s.

I grew-up in a middle-class, two parent household in and around College Park, Maryland. My parents are both lifelong Catholic school teachers and children of retired U.S. Army colonels. My five brothers and I attend(ed) the catholic schools where my parents taught (and/or teach).

I am married to a Salvadoran immigrant to the United States who is passionate about financial wellness, mental health, winemaking, and community. You can find more about his emerging life coaching business here: https://newrootsnewfruits.com.

I have three precious little niblings from my family of origin. I have more wonderful niblings in El Salvador, from my spouse’s side of the family.

For now, that’s enough about me. It is my job as a therapist to center the hopes and fears of the people I hold space for. I share about myself as a way to offer a small sense of where and who I come from. In future blog posts, I hope to share more about how I got into this work and how I strive to move through the world.