Hi! My name is Liliana Palacios, and I want to tell you that I’ve spent the last 18 years helping people from all walks of life through their troubles and successes, being their cheerleader and advisor through thick and thin alike. I am originally from Mexico City and lived there until I was 24. There, I went to college and earned a BS in Organizational Psychology. Moving to the United States as a young mother, I decided to focus my energy and efforts on being a mother to my two girls, but that didn’t stop me from pursuing and earning my MA in Professional Counseling. While being a stay-at-home mom, I volunteered for several years at the local Mental Health Mental Retardation agency and as a crisis line phone volunteer with Contact Crisis Line. After finishing my education and becoming independently licensed, I started working with parents and children who had suffered abuse and women victims of domestic violence. Some of the issues that I have expertise in are relationship violence, childhood sexual abuse, sexual abuse, depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, marital problems, parenting coaching and training, delinquency in youth, and problems of childhood and adolescence. I have also facilitated domestic violence support groups for Hispanic victims and parenting classes in Spanish for parents of children and adolescents. Over the past 14 years, I have focused my work on advocating, assisting, and guiding parents of children on the autism spectrum in looking for services and support for themselves or their children. Previously, I worked closely with caregivers of elderly or ill loved ones during all the stages of caregiving and end-of-life concerns. I am a nationally certified counselor and clinical trauma professional, and I have trained extensively in grief counseling and therapeutics. Now, I believe that no matter how many fancy titles and certificates one might have, the success of a therapeutic relationship depends a lot on finding the right person for your current situation. I like to be warm, supportive, friendly, and open. Still, I will not sugarcoat or hesitate to tell my clients when I feel they are doing something that can bring them trouble or hurt them more than help. Therapy is a process of self-discovery, finding our inner strengths, and learning how to be happy, fulfilled, whole, and fully present for ourselves and our loved ones. I hope we have a chance to get to work together to get you to where you want and deserve to be! In good health, Liliana “It’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s how you carry it”. Lena Thorne