Kathryn Nunez

Like most wounded healers I believe in and honor this work because I have experienced the benefits of tending to my own mental and emotional wellness. BACKGROUND & UNDERGRAD Before I became a therapist I made my living as a performer. I sang, acted, and "danced" (I'm really more of a mover…) in shows that took me across the country and around the world. Performing is where I first found my voice and sense of self, which is what drew me not just to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist but to specialize in Drama Therapy and infuse theater arts into my therapy practice. In addition to bringing my artistic background to my healing work, I also utilize my academic focus in my undergraduate and graduate studies to unpack the ways that systems in our society have influenced the history, development, and current practice of psychology. As a neurodivergent, mixed-race Mexican American woman, I inherently understand the very real and complex experience of existing in a world that was not designed for me, and I work alongside my clients to acknowledge, understand, and work to move beyond the inherent biases that anyone who identifies as a member of a marginalized or minority group encounters on a daily basis, including in traditional therapeutic work. GRADUATE SCHOOL & TRAINING One aspect of my graduate education that had a profound impact on my practice was my work with Shakespeare for Social Justice at San Quentin State Prison, where I served as a co-facilitator, choreographer, actor, and therapist. After assisting with and performing in their presentation of The Tempest, I stayed on for a second semester at the request of the men, to perform in a series of frequently autobiographical short plays, scenes, and songs written by the men. Marin Shakespeare then hired me to help introduce the Shakespeare for Social Justice program into the California Health Care Facility, a state prison for incarcerated patients with long-term medical or acute mental health needs. Another influential element of my graduate studies was my time with the Expressive Arts program at California Pacific Medical Center. Under the umbrella of CPMC I worked in the Skilled Nursing Unit and Alzheimer's residence. Therapeutically, I assisted patients of all different backgrounds find release, relief, and respite through engaging in visual arts, music, improvisation, and play infused with psychodynamic, relational, narrative, and mindfulness techniques. I learned how to sit with someone in very real physical pain, which was often connected to emotional wounds, and developed a deeper understanding of my limitations as well as the power of being present with someone in such extreme hurt. My time with both organizations honed my ability to believe in my clients no matter what and to offer unconditional positive support, regardless of their background or current health status. More than anything, I learned that this work is a sacred responsibility, one that can be simultaneously heartbreaking and the deepest honor possible to be a part of. My time as a clinician still holds this level of reverence at its core, though my approach is often surprisingly human and humorous. POST GRAD WORK, MY WORK, OUR WORK After graduate school I was hired by Paradigm Treatment to work in their adolescent residential treatment program and worked as a primary therapist before being asked to launch their young adult program, where I eventually became the lead family therapist. Subsequently, I worked atOptimum Performance Institute, a long term treatment facility working with young adults and thier families. With OPI I have continued to meet with individuals and their families to better understand themselves and to move out of blame and shame and shift into accountability, empowerment, and repair. In the years since graduate school I have honed my skills as a clinician and learned so much about being a therapist and about myself. My time at residential programs has helped me identify my great love for working with young adults, adults, and families who are committed to therapeutic work and ready to put in the time and effort to break down barriers and ultimately improve their relationships and their lives. The biggest missing piece for me working in residential treatment has been how limited my time is with my clients. I look forward to being a part of the long term healing and simply getting through life that comes with lasting relationships with my clients. Across all of the various aspects of my journey as a clinician, I have developed a particular expertise in working with trauma, depression, anxiety, family challenges, and personality disorders. I specialize in unpacking childhood pain as it is held and experienced by adults, and deeply understand issues specific to women, BIPOC individuals, and the LGBTQ+ community, and have a particular focus on working with families to better understand the functioning and dysfunction of their family system. As a creative with a performing background, I am acutely aware of the ways artistry bumps up against industry, which impacts insecurities and flares up defenses and the experience of imposter syndrome, and as a result I’m well equipped to work with artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs. ...TO WRAP IT UP Honestly, I'm pretty good at what I do. I believe in my clients, which I do my best to make sure they feel at all times, but I am unafraid to challenge them when necessary, which I do with a lack of ego and a deep sense of empathy but also an ability to hold boundaries and provide a sense of stability and structure. Just because I am a good therapist does not mean that I am a good therapist for you, and the only way we will find that out is by meeting. If after an initial meeting you are interested in trying therapy, I ask that you commit to a month (four sessions), after we will check-in, and if we agree we are a good fit I ask that you commit to six months of working together. I'm hoping to build long term therapeutic relationships with sense of continuity and consistency. This work is long and complex and I think everyone deserves to invest in themselves. I am currently interviewing new clients to meet with in the new year and will meet most people virtually. For those wanting to meet in person I am able to meet within a 7 mile radius of Atwater Village in any park or cafe of your choosing. I can see anyone in the state of California.