Priscilliana (Priscilla) Torres-Mendoza

WELCOME TO MY PRACTICE PAGE! As a Certified Shame-Informed Treatment Specialist (CSTS)and ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP), I understand that seeking therapy requires courage. I commend you for taking the first step toward personal growth and healing. I believe in the power of therapy to bring about transformation, and I am dedicated to tailoring my approach to meet your needs. I use only evidence-based therapy models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), combined with Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Mindfulness to help individuals struggling with various issues. EMDR: The foundation of EMDR is based on the understanding that traumatic experiences can become "stuck" in the brain's memory network, causing ongoing emotional, physiological, and psychological distress. This therapy aims to facilitate reprocessing traumatic memories, enabling individuals to integrate them more healthily and adaptively. In EMDR, traumatic memories are reprocessed by engaging the brain’s natural healing mechanisms. During a traumatic event, the amygdala, the brain's safety and danger alarm, responsible for our emotional responses, overwhelms the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which are responsible for processing and making sense of the experience, causing them to go offline. This is why traumatic memories get stuck in our neural network and even without our awareness, they affect how we feel about ourselves and respond to the world. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to reduce the amygdala’s reactivity to the memory and re-engage the prefrontal cortex, which was offline at the time of the event, allowing the brain to reprocess the memory, integrate the experience more accurately, and store it without the original emotional charge. EMDR INTENSIVES: During an EMDR intensive, individuals engage in concentrated 3-hour sessions of EMDR therapy over a shorter period, typically ranging from several consecutive days to a week or more. The intensity of the treatment allows individuals to delve deeper into their traumatic experiences and work through them more focused and efficiently. The goal of an EMDR intensive is to facilitate healing and resolution of traumatic experiences and their related symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. Individuals may experience more rapid progress and significant improvements in their overall well-being by engaging in concentrated sessions within a short period. INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS: As an IFS-informed psychotherapist, I utilize this transformative therapeutic approach to help you understand different parts of yourself. IFS focuses on understanding and harmonizing the different aspects, sub-personalities, or "parts" of an individual's internal world. It explores the idea that we all have various "parts" within us, each with its own unique thoughts, feelings, and motivations, imposing its influence on a subconscious level. Through mindful inquiry and dialogue, you are encouraged to develop a deep sense of curiosity and compassion towards your parts. By understanding their origins, intentions, and roles, you can cultivate greater self-awareness, self-leadership, and self-acceptance. Together, we will explore your unique path and determine the most suitable therapy models for your journey. As a psychotherapist experienced in treating individuals and couples recovering from deep wounds or struggling with intimacy, I know there is a path to healing and feeling more connected than before. If you trust my process, I can guide you there. Text me to schedule a brief introduction call (305 ) 440-8506 I’m looking forward to meeting you.