Elizabeth Fernandez, MA, LMFT

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works primarily with Latinx women, mothers, and caregivers who are carrying a lot, emotionally, mentally, and generationally. Many of the people I work with are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship stress, parenting challenges, or a deep sense of exhaustion that comes from always being “the strong one.” My practice exists to offer a space where you don’t have to perform strength, productivity, or resilience, a space where you can slow down, feel held, and reconnect with yourself in a way that feels authentic and culturally grounded.

I understand that for many Latinx individuals, seeking therapy can come with mixed emotions. You might have grown up hearing messages like “échale ganas,” “no te quejes,” or “other people have it worse.” You may feel guilt for prioritizing yourself, fear of being judged, or uncertainty about whether therapy will truly understand your lived experience. My approach honors those realities. I believe healing does not require abandoning your culture, your family, or your values, it requires learning how to care for yourself within them.

My clinical work is rooted in attachment theory, trauma-informed care, and nervous system regulation. I help clients understand how early relationships, cultural expectations, migration stories, and survival strategies shape the way they show up today, especially in relationships and parenting. Together, we explore patterns without blame and build compassion for the parts of you that learned to cope in order to survive.

I specialize in working with:
• Latinx women navigating anxiety, depression, and burnout
• Mothers and caregivers experiencing overwhelm, identity loss, or guilt
• Clients processing childhood trauma, relational trauma, or intergenerational wounds
• Individuals struggling with boundaries, people-pleasing, or self-trust
• Parents wanting to break cycles and parent with more intention and emotional safety

Therapy with me is gentle, collaborative, and paced to your nervous system. I do not believe in pushing clients to “dig deeper” before they feel safe enough to do so. Instead, we focus on creating a sense of internal and relational safety first. This might look like learning how your body responds to stress, identifying what calm actually feels like for you, or practicing small, grounding moments in everyday life. Healing doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful.

I also integrate bibliotherapy (healing through reading and reflection), journaling, and practical tools that clients can take outside of session. Many of my clients appreciate having something tangible to return to between sessions, especially those who feel disconnected from themselves or overwhelmed by their thoughts. These tools are always optional and adapted to your capacity and preferences.

For parents and caregivers, I bring a strong focus on infant and early childhood mental health, attachment, and reflective parenting. I support parents who want to be emotionally present but feel triggered, depleted, or unsure of themselves. Parenting is not just about what we do — it’s about what we carry. Therapy can be a place to unpack that gently and without shame.

My practice, A Huevo Therapy, is built on the belief that healing can be both intentional and compassionate, that growth does not require harshness. “A huevo” can mean with certainty, with commitment, but also with heart. I strive to offer therapy that is empowering without being overwhelming, structured without being rigid, and supportive without judgment.

I am especially mindful of the larger systems impacting Latinx communities including immigration stress, systemic oppression, racism, and collective trauma. While therapy cannot change these systems, it can help you feel less alone in navigating them and more grounded in who you are.

Above all, I want clients to feel seen, respected, and supported. You don’t need to have the right words, a clear goal, or a “good reason” to start therapy. If you are tired of holding everything together on your own, that is enough.

Seeking support is not a failure. It is an act of courage and sometimes, an act of reclamation.

Elizabeth Fernandez, MA, LMFT