Laurie
Position: Mental Health Career Program Participant
Laurie (she/ella) is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Associate Marriage and Family Therapist starting her road to licensure through the Mental Health Career Program. After moving to California from Guatemala with her mother and two brothers at the age of 14, Laurie earned an associate degree in social and behavioral sciences from Santa Barbara City College and a bachelor’s degree in child development from Cal State LA. Later, after some consideration, Laurie decided to apply to Azusa Pacific University for a master’s in marriage and family therapy, and so she began her path to becoming a therapist.
After graduating, and having encountered many roadblocks due to her status, Laurie decided to take some time off from that career path to become a full-time nanny. It wasn’t until she found out about the Mental Health Career Program that she found herself feeling hopeful about the possibility of pursuing the road to licensure.
Laurie is passionate about helping people become the best version of themselves and providing mental health support to those in need. She feels strongly about making mental healthcare more accessible to the undocumented community and to young adults struggling with entering the adult world. Laurie’s goal is to create an environment, in which people from all backgrounds and walks of life feel welcome and embraced.
