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Healing is an act of remembering.

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Hi, I’m Micaela

She/her/hers


I am a holisticliberation-oriented therapist, a deep-feeler, and a dog mama, fun auntie, partner, sister, and a daughter shaped by early responsibility. I live on unceded Kumeyaay land with my husband and our wise little dog, Cardi (yes, named after Cardi B because joy and humor belong in the healing process, too). 

Care as a Calling

I have been offering therapy for over 10 years, although caring for others has been both my calling and a lifelong practice for me. My gifts of sensitivity and experiences of wounding shaped me early on, and that sensitivity continues to guide the way I hold space today and embody deep empathy. 

Even as a child, I was attuned to the pain, struggles, and silences within my family system and even strangers passing by. I quickly learned that listening, noticing, and offering care were essential ways to survive and connect. I’ve always known I would do something in my life that would tap into those deep feelings and honor my love for the people.  These early experiences gave me a unique understanding of what it means to carry responsibility while recognizing the importance of being supported myself.

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What I Bring With Me

I come from a family impacted by addiction and generational trauma. I have known family rupture, grief, caregiving, life with sensitivities, neurodivergence, and navigating body-focused repetitive behaviors. I was drawn to therapy because I wanted to help people not feel the way I felt growing up.

My lived experiences and training have equipped me to sit with complexity, to honor the courage it takes to keep showing up, and to validate what it means to exist in a world that often asks us to shrink ourselves.  I don’t approach this work from a place of hierarchy, but rather as someone who knows what it’s like to navigate struggle and walk alongside you on your journey.

How I Practice Differently

My approach is shaped by anti-capitalist, intersectional feminism, and liberation-oriented values. As I’ve grown into myself as a healer, I’ve recognized that many of the problems people experience are far larger than what typical therapy practices often address. I often felt that my little cup of water was not enough to put out the flames of a wildfire. It seemed unhelpful to omit the larger systems at play and not acknowledge what leads people to therapy in the first place. This means therapy with me does not pretend that pain exists in a vacuum; it acknowledges the weight of oppressive systems. 

My work blends clinical perspectives, relational care, political consciousness, and practices that honor both the nervous system and the soul. I see therapy as both a place of healing and a practice of imagining freer, more connected ways of living. This is not surface-level self-care. This is soul-tending in a world that rarely makes space for it. 

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“There cannot be mental and emotional healing without a political framework. Everything is political.”

— Dr. Jennifer Mullan, PsYD, Decolonizing Therapy
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Where I Come From

I come from Sicilian, British, Mi’kmaq, and Scottish ancestry. I feel a deep connection to my Sicilian roots, while others have been marked by disconnection. Mi’kmaq (pronounced MIG-mah) ancestry is part of where I come from, though I was not raised within the culture, and I do not claim Indigenous identity. The disconnection in my family reflects the impact of colonization, which worked to sever people from their roots and created profound loss and pain. Naming my lineage is my way of honoring where my people come from and ensuring they are not erased, even across distance and rupture. My connection to my Sicilian roots is something more deeply felt; it is carried in my body, spirit, and sensitivities, reminding me of where I come from, even when the traditions aren’t fully intact. My British and Scottish lineages have been largely assimilated into whiteness; I recognize that even this erasure is part of the story. What remains are traces in names and stories, and naming the absence matters too. 

Guides in My Work

Alongside acknowledging my ancestry, I also carry gratitude for the learning lineages of teachers, mentors, and communities that continue to guide how I approach this work. I am guided by those who center liberation, decolonial practices, and collective care. My learning lineages include wisdom from mentors and healers who have shaped both how I practice and my understanding of therapy. I hold deep gratitude for Dra. Rocío Rosales Meza and Jaya Roy, whose traditions, teachings, and guidance continue to pour into me. I carry this legacy of care forward in my work with participants in therapy, honoring the interconnectedness of all who have walked before me.

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How I Recharge

Time in nature, kickboxing and weight training, singing at karaoke, tending community gardens, organizing with others, and sinking into a Lord of the Rings marathon. Some of my favorite music artists include Rage Against the Machine, KRS-One, Tupac, Chantress Seba, Majid Jordan, Aya Nakamura, and Eli & Fur. I also find energy in community, with friends, chosen family, and spaces that remind me that healing and joy are collective.

Astrological Signs

(Because the stars remind me that healing is cyclical, communal, and always connected to something bigger…)
Sagittarius ☀︎ | Libra 🌙 | Cancer ↑

Book Your Free Consultation

Call (619) 839-9397 or use the form below.

Free 15-minute Consultation Inquiry

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Hours

MonThurs: By appointment only
Fri – Sun: Closed

Office

1455 Frazee Road, Suite 500 San Diego, CA 92108

Contact

(619) 839-9397
info@therapywithmicaela.com