Mabel Silva, LMHC

Have you spent your whole life being strong for everyone else, showing up, holding it down, keeping it together while quietly running on empty? I want you to know: you deserve to be held too.

I see you. And I became a therapist because I’ve witnessed it firsthand. The women who came before me and stood beside me, pouring endlessly into their families, their jobs, their communities, running on fumes with no one asking how they were doing. I watched them become who they were needed to be, at the cost of who they wanted to be. That stayed with me. And it’s what brings me to this work every day.

I especially love working with women navigating the weight of others’ expectations, and so much of that weight has roots. Roots in family systems where your needs came last, where love felt conditional, or where keeping the peace mattered more than speaking your truth. Those early lessons don’t stay in childhood. They follow us into our adult relationships, showing up as over-giving, difficulty trusting, or choosing dynamics that feel familiar even when they hurt.

If perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional exhaustion, or difficulty setting boundaries feel all too familiar, you’re not alone. These aren’t flaws. They’re adaptations that once kept you safe. And whether you’re untangling complicated family dynamics, healing from painful relationship patterns, or simply trying to figure out who you are outside of what everyone needs from you, therapy with me is a space where you don’t have to perform, prove, or protect anyone. You can just be.

My goal is to help you build self-worth that isn’t tied to achievement or approval, find safety in your relationships, and learn to put yourself first without guilt. Together, we’ll gently challenge the inner critic, dismantle the beliefs keeping you stuck, and help you reconnect with your own needs, voice, and strength.

I draw from a blend of culturally sensitive, integrative approaches including attachment-based therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic work, trauma-focused methods, and strength-based frameworks, always tailored to honor your unique story and lived experience. I also want you to know that the full context of your life, the particular weight of navigating racism, generational trauma, community expectations, and everything in between, is not a side note here. It’s central to our work.

Our sessions will be warm, collaborative, and curious, and yes, occasionally sprinkled with a little humor, because healing doesn’t have to be heavy all the time.

You’ve spent enough time pouring into everyone else. It’s your turn.

Mabel Silva, LMHC