Today we’d like to introduce you to Juriana Hernandez.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always knew I wanted to counsel people but that didn’t know in what capacity. As a child, I loved being around babies and I thought that once I graduated high school I would become a mother and have a family -these ideas were heavily influenced by my culture and family values. Little did I know that I would create a different life for myself.
After high school, I went to College of the Canyons, initially enrolled as a nutrition major. College of the Canyons was such an amazing experience for me; I learned how to be a student being that I was the first in my family to go to college and daughter of Mexican immigrant parents with limited education. While at College of the Canyons, I did a study abroad program in Spain, which opened up my eyes to a different culture, values, and empowered me to make decisions based on what I wanted for my life. While sitting in a Sociology class, intrigued by all the knowledge and information I was receiving I knew this was the path I had to follow and changed my major to Sociology. This has been the foundation to the work I do today.
I transferred to Cal State Northridge where I graduated with Bachelors in Sociology. Throughout my educational journey, I’ve always worked and I feel that the places I chose to work and my education led me to where I am today. Once I received my BA I worked with children with autism providing Applied Behavioral Analysis services in their homes and at school. Although I loved working with the children, I knew that work was not for me, but it was through that work that I learned that I preferred working with the entire family. I decided to go to Phillips Graduate Institute where I obtained a Masters in Psychology with the emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. After I graduated, I worked at numerous community mental health centers providing mental health services mainly to the Latinx community. During that time, I realized many of the clients I worked with were coming to me to address problems with their loved ones. With the professional and personal experiences I had, I decided that my specialty in therapy would be addressing relationship issues. I am now a full-time clinician for Kaiser Permanente and have a private practice in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m a believer that everything happens for reason and that the struggles in life lead us to where we are supposed to be. I don’t think that it’s been easy for me but I feel that the challenges have strengthened me and led me to the right place. The work that I do with my clients is not just from my professional experience but also personal because I have also struggled with relationship issues. Having toxic and unhealthy relationships in my family has led to periods of grief, depression, and trauma, which have negatively influenced the choices I made in romantic relationships. I believe that these experiences have taught me the importance of self-love, setting healthy boundaries, trusting my intuition, and knowing we have the power to create our lives. Although those periods were hard, I’m grateful because I’ve learned who I truly am.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I opened my private practice in January 2018. I’m one of a few Spanish Speaking therapists providing services in the Santa Clarita Valley. I specialize in relationship issues, couples therapy, and the recovery of narcissistic abuse. I’m a certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist which helps individuals struggling with anxiety and depression. I’m trained in The Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy when working with couples. I’ve also been trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model to address trauma. In addition to providing therapeutic services, I do Immigration Evaluations to include: Extreme Hardship Waiver, VAWA (Violence Against Women Act), and U-Visa. I think what sets me apart is being able to work with people who have or are in a relationship with a narcissist. Helping people increase their awareness of narcissistic abuse, empowering them, and seeing them heal from these unhealthy relationships is what I’m most proud of.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memories from my childhood are the moments my older sister and I spent with my tia Paula. She was a very loving and kind person. I remember spending countless days at her house, where she would dress us up, let us put makeup on, we would play with the kids in the neighborhood, and she would capture our happiest moments with pictures. She took some of the best pictures I have from my childhood. She was a great person.
Contact Info:
- Address: 23550 Lyons Ave Santa Clarita, CA 91321
- Website: www.therapywithjuriana.com
- Phone: (661) 513-3859
- Email: jurianahernandezlmft@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapywithjuriana/
Image Credit:
@lavidaphotgraphica and @lavidacactus
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