Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.
My name is Yanina Rivera Lopez (she/her/ella), and I’m a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with over a decade of experience supporting individuals, families, and communities as they navigate trauma, transitions, and healing. My practice is grounded in culturally responsive, trauma-informed care with a strong emphasis on decolonial healing, ancestral wisdom, and liberatory practices that center your full humanity.
I specialize in working with young adults, adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of color who are exploring identity, healing from complex or intergenerational trauma, and seeking more grounded, authentic ways of living. Many of the people I work with have experienced challenging family dynamics, burnout, shame, anxious attachment, or feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve them. Others come to therapy during times of significant transition—navigating relationships, breakups, grief, parenting, systemic trauma, or other major life shifts.
My approach to therapy is relational, collaborative, and rooted in trust. I bring a warm, nonjudgmental presence while also offering honest reflection when needed. I strive to create a space where all parts of you are welcome—including those that feel uncertain, reactive, or overwhelmed. I understand that healing doesn’t follow a straight path, and that growth often occurs in moments of deep connection, safety, and care.
I draw from multiple modalities including Internal Family Systems (IFS), expressive arts therapy, somatic and sensory-based work, CBT/DBT strategies, and attachment-based family systems approaches. I also integrate harm reduction principles and a decolonial lens that challenges pathologizing frameworks and holds space for culture, context, and collective history. My work is informed by years in community mental health, child welfare, and grassroots movement spaces, where I supported youth and families navigating the impacts of poverty, state violence, displacement, and exploitation.
Alongside my clinical work, I am an organizer and activist. My approach to care is shaped by my commitment to social justice and by the tensions of working within and against systems that often cause harm. I understand how oppression and historical trauma shape not only our external lives, but also our internal worlds. I strive to co-create therapeutic spaces that honor survival strategies, challenge dominant narratives, and reconnect clients to their inner wisdom and ancestral strength.
I offer both traditional psychotherapy and psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy. I approach this work collaboratively and non-pathologizing, with great respect for the cultural, spiritual, and ancestral traditions connected to these medicines. I hold this work with humility, centering your consent, autonomy, and embodied wisdom.
In addition to individual therapy, I facilitate a decolonizing KAP group and offer expressive, retreat-style intensives for clients who are ready to go deeper. I also provide consultation and coaching, particularly for BIPOC healers, peer workers, early-career therapists, and movement organizers who are navigating emotionally demanding roles and seeking grounded, values-aligned support.
My office is a cozy, plant-filled space designed to help you exhale. I use this space primarily for solo retreats and psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. I also offer virtual sessions to clients across California and maintain a flexible schedule that works well for creatives, caregivers, and working professionals.
I don’t believe therapy needs to be cold, clinical, or detached. I believe in real connection, creative expression, and laughter alongside grief. Healing is not about fixing what’s broken—it’s about remembering who you are, reclaiming your story, and reconnecting to your body, your community, and your ancestral roots. Whether you’re just beginning or have been on this path for a while, I’m honored to walk with you.
If you’re curious about working together, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to explore whether we’re a good fit.
You don’t have to carry it all alone.
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Inclusion of individual and group practices on our website does not mean we directly endorse or recommend their services. All of our members offer a free consultation and we recommend screening any and all potential therapists before beginning your therapy services. For any issues, please contact us via email. Therapists listed practice independently.
“Your email will be sent to the mental health professional. Latinx Therapy does not read your email. Please note that email communication may not be entirely secure. Sending an email through this page does not guarantee that the recipient will receive, read, or respond to it and spam filters could prevent its delivery. We recommend you follow-up via the mental health therapist’s practice if you do not hear back.”
If this is an emergency do not use this form. Call 911 or your nearest hospital.
