Hi, I’m Gabriela Ucrós, a bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)

For me, therapy is a deeply spiritual journey that weaves together the soul, mind, and body of both the patient and the therapist. In our sessions, I rely on compassion, authenticity and intuition to provide a safe space and explore the deeper layers of your bodily / somatic experience. As we navigate this inner realm, we gently witness and embrace every aspect of your internal world. This exploration allows you to connect with those aspects within yourself and create a foundation to find safe and meaningful connections with those around you.

Together, we will rekindle hope and recognize that healing is an active, ongoing journey—one that lives within us,  waiting to be awakened.

I accompany my patients, see them heal, witness their transformation, while I heal and transform parts of myself, through interconnectedness that we build in the therapeutic relationship. 

My Approach

My approach is eclectic and creative; it leverages a focus on somatic techniques and parts work, with other therapeutic modalities, to help you feel safe, witnessed and accepted. There is no one-size-fits-all formula; my approach is personalised to meet your unique needs. If you've tried traditional therapy models without feeling seen or connected this may be the one you are looking for. 

My role

My role is to create a space where you can reconnect with your body and Self energy- this means, to reconnect with your essential way of being, to then gradually examine response patterns, understanding they served a survival purpose during childhood. We focus on guiding you to release the body's stored traumatic energy by restoring regulation of your nervous system, and empowering you to respond authentically, freely, and creatively to life's complexities.

My goal

Encourage vulnerability and curiosity while helping you establish compassion for patterns, emotions, sensations, beliefs and automatic behaviours rooted in trauma or conditioning from childhood.

My therapeutic philosophy

In my approach to therapy, as a Colombian immigrant woman, I adopt a holistic perspective that views individuals as interconnected beings deeply influenced by their cultural, familial, social, and political contexts. This philosophy acknowledges that each person is not isolated but rather exists within a complex web of relationships and circumstances that shape their experiences and well-being. I value diversity and intersectionality; everyone is welcome in my therapeutic space. 

Many people show up to therapy with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or substance abuse and are eager for a cure. While these symptoms are important, they are only symptoms that speak to the more profound causes that need to be addressed.

In therapy, we work to uncover and explore deeper layers. I become a Sirena, to swim alongside you into the depths of your psyche and internal world. We will swim at your own pace, and I will always follow your lead and prioritise your safety. We will dig into root causes, ignored or exiled by your own protection and survival system. By addressing these core concerns, we facilitate a process of holistic healing that goes beyond mere symptom management. This deeper exploration allows for meaningful and lasting change, fostering greater self-awareness and overall well-being.

Experience

-6 years as a Trauma focused therapist in the United States at Private Practice and Community Services.

-Psychologist for the Juvenile Prisons System in Bogota, Colombia

-Psychologist at Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Cali, Colombia

-Clinical training for Palliative Care and Pain Clinic at Hospital De San Jose, Bogota, Colombia

-Clinical training at Barnardos Child and Family Services, Auckland, New Zealand 

-Teaching Assistant, Building Loving and Lasting Relationships: Marriage 101, Northwestern University

Educational Background & Certifications

Educational background:

  • LMFT from the California Board of Behavioral Science

  • MS, Marriage and Family Therapy, Northwestern University

  • BA in  Psychology Universidad de Los Andes

Other Certifications:

  • International Certificate on Collaborative Practices (Human Systems, TAOS Institute and Houston Galveston Institute) (2015).  

  • Mindfulness Auckland Stress Reduction Program  (2013)  

  • Intensive Seminar of Psycho Corporal Orientation Therapies SRI SAI: Cultural and Therapeutic Innovations (2017)

  • Trauma Conference: The Body Keeps Score- Trauma Healing with Bessel van der Kolk (2020)

  • Trauma Super Conference (2021) 

  • Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies by Linda Thai -Level I,II III  (2021)

  • EMDR 5-day intensive training with EMDR Consulting (2023)

  • Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy with Fluence (2023)

  • Somatic Parts Work Certificate Level I,II,II by The Embody Lab (2023)