Meet Silvana, a California LMFT

Therapy that looks at the whole picture, not just the symptom

My work is relationship-centered, attachment-informed, and grounded in a family systems perspective. In plain terms: I am interested in the relationships you are in now, the relationships that shaped you, and the connection between the two.

My professional background has given me extensive experience with how relationships, family dynamics, attachment experiences, trauma, parenting, and life circumstances shape emotional well-being and behavior. That perspective changes what therapy focuses on. Rather than working only on the symptom in front of us, I want to help you understand why you respond the way you do, where the response was learned, and how you can build something healthier going forward.

People often arrive able to describe what they do, but not why. They know they shut down in conflict, or over-explain, or need more reassurance than feels reasonable to them. What they have not had is a place to trace that back to where it made sense. Once it makes sense, it becomes far more possible to change.

What it feels like to work with me

Warm, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. I want you to feel understood and also genuinely supported in making change, because being understood without moving anywhere gets frustrating, and being pushed without feeling understood does not work at all.

I will ask questions. I will notice patterns and name them, gently and directly. I will not treat you as a diagnosis, and I do not think of therapy as something you need because something is wrong with you. Most of what brings people in are responses that were adaptive once and are costly now.

You are allowed to be uncertain about all of this. You are allowed to arrive without knowing where to start.

Who I work with

Adults and couples throughout California who are navigating anxiety, emotional overwhelm, difficulty regulating emotions, relationship challenges, major life and family transitions, parenting stress, attachment concerns, and interpersonal difficulty.

I have a particular interest in adults who appear to be functioning well from the outside while feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or uncertain underneath. I also work with parents who come in for themselves, when parenting demands, family changes, or a child's needs are affecting their own well-being or their relationship.

Credentials and licensure

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, State of California (License #108266)
• Founder of Rise & Rooted Therapy, a California telehealth practice
• Practicing exclusively by secure video with California residents
• Individual therapy for adults, and couples therapy

License status for any California LMFT can be verified through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.