“All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change.” Octavia Butler
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Hello there, I'm Devin (she/they)
I thought I had a plan for my life in high school and even in college. I was excited to take on the world, but when that plan was unexpectedly derailed, I found myself, instead, facing loneliness, anger, grief, & suffering. These emotions showed up in my life in a variety of ways. I felt overwhelmed, lost, isolated, and felt steeped in worthlessness. The pain I couldn’t sort alone brought me to therapy. My therapist listened free of judgment, free of expectation, and helped me see things in new ways. Their approach helped me to feel less alone and out of place. I also began to realize that my feelings of pain were influenced by more than just my experiences, it was bigger than that, it was systemic.
I found myself as a mixed-race Asian Latina absorbing different messages from others & the world about who I was or should be. Unaware of the the systems of harm that affect our internal & external identity, I realized I was confused & disconnected not only from myself, but from the true history of mental health & the story of my own ancestors- my own people. Self-awareness seeded into growth and eventually my pain led me to seek my own liberation and cultivated a passion to help others find theirs.
Through my exploration I found what felt like alignment and fell in love with visions of decolonization & interconnectedness. Learning to embrace my own racial trauma & deconstruction helped me to expand my own understandings & identities. I became humbled as I found comfort in the universality of suffering and also realized we could alchemize discomfort and painful moments into experiences of expansive growth and deep healing.
I hope to offer my clients medicines that have healed and continue to heal me and many others. Gifts of witness, guidance, and companionship are offered to those open to walking along side on our path to collective liberation.
I help clients facing a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, and trauma.
My specific areas of practice include:
Processing traumatic past experiences including systemic/institutional, childhood, inter/generational
Navigating moral injury & being in spaces that perpetuate violence
Somatics: Feeling & regulating emotions & your nervous system
Dismantling internalized oppression
Decolonization/Deconstruction of mental health, theology, academia, & identity
Ancestral & spiritual interconnectedness, exploration, & healing
Navigating identity & intersectionality
Embracing grief, loss, anger, vulnerability, & joy
More about my positionality…
I identify as gender expansive/genderqueer, pansexual, currently non-disabled & a second generation American of Laos & Mexican Ancestry. I recognize that I have benefitted from multiple privileges while also facing various barriers. I am committed to recognizing harms inflicted by systemic oppression, creating space for ancestral wisdom & transgenerational healing, unpacking and unlearning my own internalized racism and colonial mentality and calling in sacred rest, pleasure, and play. When I'm not engaging healing work, I enjoy spending time with my dogs, partner, & those I call family. I value nature & the lands our ancestors left to us, so I try to spend a lot of time outside where I feel closest to them. I love communing over food, camping in hammocks, & laughing with friends. In my spare time I enjoy practicing yoga, lifting heavy weights, reading, and Netflix.
Education
BA in Psychology, Azusa Pacific University, CA, 2014
MSW, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC, 2018
Training & Certifications
LCSW, Licensed in NC (C013435), 2020
*Pending Licensure in California wait list available*
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) - 2021
Somatic Experiencing Beginning I phase of training currently ongoing, 2021
Memberships
Clinical Social Work Association Member
Experience
Finding Solutions Inc. Private Group Practice
CriSyS LLC. Mobile Crisis Specialist and Community Policing Crisis Response Team (Apr 2019 – May 2021)
Monarch NC Youth Crisis Center Behavioral Health (Sep 2018-Jul 2019)
Daymark Recovery Services Outpatient Human Services (Sep 2018 – Dec 2018)
ABC of NC Registered Behavior Technician (Sep 2015 – Jan 2017)
ACES (Autism Comprehensive Educational Services), Behavioral Interventionist (Jul 2014 – Jul 2015)
Services
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One on One Offerings
Individual Counseling supports you in processing & exploring
Peer Consultations supports you with critical feedback & guidance
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Group Offerings
Couples Counseling supports couples looking to integrate & process
Group Support/healing circles helps those looking for community support in their healing journeys
