Everywhere I have worked, I have been the person others sat down with to talk about what was on their minds, what was bothering them, and what they needed help with. I sought to take this natural affinity and find a way to put it out more broadly in the world. My name is Virginia, pronounced the Spanish way, yet everyone calls me Vigie, pronounced like the letters V and G in the French way. I am a second-year master's degree student at the Columbia University School of Social Work on their online campus. I received my BA in Political Science with a concentration on comparative government from Smith College, a women's college in Northampton, MA. I am Boricua 🇵🇷, Army Brat 🪖 , who has lived in several states (KY, OK, WA, MA, NY, CT) and four countries (Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Spain). I grew up working poor, have experienced being comfortable, and finding said comfort gone, and having to navigate new pathways. I enjoy traveling, swimming, astrology, and reading.
In session, we will work together to implement techniques that will help you better self-regulate your emotions, adapt to living with a psychological disorder, or improve your day-to-day functioning. We will work to create tools for you that help you tackle new stressors and experiences. The techniques we implement will be individualized so as to best fit you. This may include self-care, mindfulness, and grounding techniques, among others. In session, we may also explore traumatic experiences of the past or present, childhood experiences, or current experiences that may be affecting your day-to-day functioning. My therapeutic approach is grounded in motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy theories coupled with a trauma-informed approach. I utilize interventions from certain theories that may best fit the person and their therapeutic goals for a more individualized approach. Along with the client, we create a safe sanctuary for each and every person so that they may feel heard, seen, and understood. I want each person to recognize and know they have power and control in their therapeutic journey and in their healing. We will work through each session together.
My overall career focus is to bring accessible and affordable mental health care and other resources to people of all kinds, including, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. My focus areas include relationships and families, major life changes and transitions, trauma, grief, anxiety and depression, autism spectrum,, and identity and finding oneself. I plan to open up my own private practice along with working on the macro levels to do studies, create policies, and get them implemented so as to have our world support each other. My interests are in creating integrated living landscapes where we live, love, work, and support each other.
