Mariana Barajas, LPCC

Hola, I’m Mariana Barajas, a licensed therapist supporting first-generation Latinas and children of immigrants who are navigating life’s big “firsts”, often without a roadmap.

Many of the clients I work with are doing things for the first time in their family:

• Being the first to attend college
• Entering corporate or professional spaces
• Learning how to advocate for themselves at work
• Navigating two cultures at once
• Becoming mothers while still feeling like the “responsible child”
• Healing generations of scarcity and overcoming poverty

On the outside, you may look capable, driven, and accomplished. On the inside, you may feel anxious, overwhelmed, guilty, or unsure if you’re doing any of it “right.”

Therapy with me is a space where you don’t have to explain your culture, your family dynamics, or why it feels heavy to be “the one who made it.”

I offer culturally responsive, trauma-informed therapy grounded in understanding how immigration, family roles, cultural expectations, and systemic barriers shape mental health.

Together, we explore:

• Anxiety and self-doubt tied to being first-gen
• Pressure to succeed financially and fear of disappointing family
• Burnout from being “the strong one”
• Navigating two cultures without losing yourself
• Transitions into adulthood, career, and motherhood

I believe anxiety isn’t a personal failure it’s often a natural response to carrying responsibility earlier and longer than you should have had to.

I’m a first-generation Mexican-American, eldest daughter of immigrants, and someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to figure things out without a blueprint. My work is shaped by both my professional training and my lived experience of navigating education, career, identity, and cultural expectations.

I don’t believe in fixing you, I believe in helping you feel safe enough to be yourself, set boundaries, and move through life with more clarity and compassion.

Mariana Barajas, LPCC