INDIVIDUAL
THERAPY
We are person-centered and truly cater to individual needs through several types of therapy practices.
working through things alone is hard
If these statements resonate, we might be the right practice for you:
• You often think about things that happened in the past.
• You have not felt that your culture was affirmed or considered in past therapeutic relationships.
• You have a difficult time asking for what you need in your relationships.
• You have a difficult time accepting help from others.
• You have had a complicated relationship with your body.
• The relationship with your family can be overwhelming at times but is hard to imagine how it could be different.
• You have been told that you are “too sensitive” by others.
• You have a hard time identifying what you are feeling and what to do with your emotions.
• You are afraid to “feel your emotions” because you feel that you will be angry, cry, or be out of control.
• You do not feel good about your body and have tried several diets and workout programs.
• You are often the “problem solver” or “mediator” in your family.
• You feel like you cannot be your authentic self around others.
• You have studied or worked in mainstream agencies, schools, or programs that were toxic.
Our approach includes:
• Trauma-informed and person-centered
• Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• Somatic Experiencing
• EMDR
If we do not provide the services that you are looking for, we can help you find therapists with similar areas of practice.
FRIENDLY APPROACH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Our values include a culturally-centered and anti-oppressive, collaborative, and relational approach to healing-informed and empowerment based-care for psychological trauma. We draw from cultural resiliency and uplift traditional healing and collective cultural wisdom.
We strongly believe in providing affirmative care to anyone that engages with our practice. We also believe we must attend to the sensory experience of folks in order to create an environment of physical, mental, and emotional safety. We do not use any exposure or behavioral interventions for behavior modification with Autistic folxs (or any intervention that is focused on reducing/minimizing autistic “features” or neurodivergence). These include behavioral strategies such as graded exposure, flooding, and systematic desensitization which have been demonstrated to be harmful for Autistic and other neurodivergent folxs.
MEET OUR
THERAPISTS
Co-Founder
Director of Operation & Financials
Licensed Psychologist
Josephine Vasquez Serrata is a Licensed Psychologist and Co-Founder of Prickly Pear. She also acts as Director of Operations & Financials for the facility. She shares sincerely, “I want to be here for you. I know the difficulty in choosing someone to trust to collaboratively guide you through difficult times. In order to better help you make your decision, I am a clinical and community psychologist, which means I have dual roles as a psychologist that I integrate within my practice. As a clinical psychologist, I employ skills of understanding difficulties and ways to intervene. On the other hand, as a community psychologist, I am able to better merge my understanding of self-empowerment, cultural/contextual knowledge, and strength-based work into the healing process.” Serrata brings with her multiple identities of her own as a professional, mother, partner, Tia (aunt), sister, daughter, and community member. As a bi-cultural and bilingual Latina, she also provides assessments and evaluations and specializes in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities. With over a decade of work in the area of trauma with survivors and as a scientific contributor, she values therapeutic relationships and strives to create a compassionate and warm holding space to actively work with her clients in finding solutions and building insight.
Dr. Serrata is not currently taking new therapy clients. Co-Founder
Director of Clinical Services & Networking
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Psychologist, Co-Founder of Prickly Pear, and Director of Clinical Services and Networking, Gabriela Hurtado Alvarado specializes in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, and suicidality. She shares, “When we experience intense emotions that result from life stress, transitions, or past experiences, it can be difficult to find or feel hope. You don’t have to do this alone though. I work alongside my clients in order to re-connect them to their strengths and to build a strong positive relationship with themselves.” Dr. Hurtado believes that the journey to healing is a unique experience for each person who experiences it and that understanding the story of her clients and how they view the world around them is vital to her ability to treat them. “I work with my clients to create a safe space where they can better express and understand themselves in order to create a fulfilling life.” Dr. Hurtado is able to provide services in English and Spanish and is committed to providing treatments and assessments to individuals with diverse identities.
Dr. Hurtado is not currently taking any new clients. Clinical Therapist
Janeth Perez-Dominguez, LCSW is a Clinical Therapist offering individual and group therapy to clients with diverse identities and abilities. Janeth knows seeking therapy is a vulnerable process, she shares that it may be particularly so for “clients who may not have had the experience of being seen and accepted for their whole selves.” She strives to hold a safe, culturally affirming space for clients of marginalized identities. She is a strong believer in the power of connection for healing and brings a warm, empathetic approach to her work with clients. Her experience as a bilingual/bicultural Mexican immigrant (and long-time Tejana!) informs her perspective. Janeth’s areas of expertise include PTSD, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, family of origin issues, grief, loss, and disability.
Clinical Therapist
Hanna is a bilingual/bicultural Latina therapist who was drawn to this field due to a deep desire to aid in the healing of others. She is currently offering individual and group therapy to clients with varying cultural backgrounds and intersecting identities. The decision to begin therapy can be a scary one. Therapy can be a challenging and rewarding process, full of ups and downs. Healing is not linear and she has come to find there is a lifelong commitment to playing in active role in that healing. By seeking support through talk therapy, you can learn to build upon skills that can strengthen your capacity for navigating challenges with more ease. In her therapy practice, Hanna is committed to cultivating a safe space through a trauma-informed and culturally-competent approach. She firmly believes that you are the expert of your life story and she is there to facilitate in the untangling of those complicated situations/dynamics. Hanna is a strong proponent of introducing a spiritual component to her practice as she believes it can aid in breaking generational cycles and patterns.Clinical Therapist
Sonia is a bilingual/bicultural Mexican immigrant and Austin based psychotherapist. The best part of her workday is listening to peoples’ life stories! Sonia feels incredibly lucky to be in a profession where she gets to know peoples’ lives, fears, hardships, etc. As your therapist it her responsibility to provide a safe space free of judgement to you and anyone that seeks therapy with her. Sonia works hard to continue her own growth as an individual and therapist to provide you with the best care. Before she joined Prickly Pear Therapy, she worked in various mental health settings for the past 8 years. This includes a residential treatment facility, child advocacy center, juvenile justice center and a school setting. She likes using an integrative approach to therapy to create the best care for her clients. Outside of her work life she makes it a point to engage in some “me time”. She is currently learning Arabic and enjoys dancing.Co-Founder • Director of Operation & Financials • Licensed Psychologist
Email Josephine
Co-Founder • Director of Clinical Services & Networking • Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Psychologist, Co-Founder of Prickly Pear, and Director of Clinical Services and Networking, Gabriela Hurtado Alvarado specializes in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, and suicidality. She shares, “When we experience intense emotions that result from life stress, transitions, or past experiences, it can be difficult to find or feel hope. You don’t have to do this alone though. I work alongside my clients in order to re-connect them to their strengths and to build a strong positive relationship with themselves.” Dr. Hurtado believes that the journey to healing is a unique experience for each person who experiences it and that understanding the story of her clients and how they view the world around them is vital to her ability to treat them. “I work with my clients to create a safe space where they can better express and understand themselves in order to create a fulfilling life.” Dr. Hurtado is able to provide services in English and Spanish and is committed to providing treatments and assessments to individuals with diverse identities. Dr. Hurtado is not currently taking any new clients.Clinical Therapist
Janeth Perez-Dominguez, LCSW is a Clinical Therapist offering individual and group therapy to clients with diverse identities and abilities. Janeth knows seeking therapy is a vulnerable process, she shares that it may be particularly so for “clients who may not have had the experience of being seen and accepted for their whole selves.” She strives to hold a safe, culturally affirming space for clients of marginalized identities. She is a strong believer in the power of connection for healing and brings a warm, empathetic approach to her work with clients. Her experience as a bilingual/bicultural Mexican immigrant (and long-time Tejana!) informs her perspective. Janeth’s areas of expertise include PTSD, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, family of origin issues, grief, loss, and disability.
Clinical Therapist
Hanna is a bilingual/bicultural Latina therapist who was drawn to this field due to a deep desire to aid in the healing of others. She is currently offering individual and group therapy to clients with varying cultural backgrounds and intersecting identities. The decision to begin therapy can be a scary one. Therapy can be a challenging and rewarding process, full of ups and downs. Healing is not linear and she has come to find there is a lifelong commitment to playing in active role in that healing. By seeking support through talk therapy, you can learn to build upon skills that can strengthen your capacity for navigating challenges with more ease. In her therapy practice, Hanna is committed to cultivating a safe space through a trauma-informed and culturally-competent approach. She firmly believes that you are the expert of your life story and she is there to facilitate in the untangling of those complicated situations/dynamics. Hanna is a strong proponent of introducing a spiritual component to her practice as she believes it can aid in breaking generational cycles and patterns.Clinical Therapist
Sonia is a bilingual/bicultural Mexican immigrant and Austin based psychotherapist. The best part of her workday is listening to peoples’ life stories! Sonia feels incredibly lucky to be in a profession where she gets to know peoples’ lives, fears, hardships, etc. As your therapist it her responsibility to provide a safe space free of judgement to you and anyone that seeks therapy with her. Sonia works hard to continue her own growth as an individual and therapist to provide you with the best care. Before she joined Prickly Pear Therapy, she worked in various mental health settings for the past 8 years. This includes a residential treatment facility, child advocacy center, juvenile justice center and a school setting. She likes using an integrative approach to therapy to create the best care for her clients. Outside of her work life she makes it a point to engage in some “me time”. She is currently learning Arabic and enjoys dancing.Co-Founder
Director of Operation & Financials
Licensed Psychologist
Josephine Vasquez Serrata is a Licensed Psychologist and Co-Founder of Prickly Pear. She also acts as Director of Operations & Financials for the facility. She shares sincerely, “I want to be here for you. I know the difficulty in choosing someone to trust to collaboratively guide you through difficult times. In order to better help you make your decision, I am a clinical and community psychologist, which means I have dual roles as a psychologist that I integrate within my practice. As a clinical psychologist, I employ skills of understanding difficulties and ways to intervene. On the other hand, as a community psychologist, I am able to better merge my understanding of self-empowerment, cultural/contextual knowledge, and strength-based work into the healing process.” Serrata brings with her multiple identities of her own as a professional, mother, partner, Tia (aunt), sister, daughter, and community member. As a bi-cultural and bilingual Latina, she also provides assessments and evaluations and specializes in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities. With over a decade of work in the area of trauma with survivors and as a scientific contributor, she values therapeutic relationships and strives to create a compassionate and warm holding space to actively work with her clients in finding solutions and building insight.
Dr. Serrata is not currently taking new therapy clients. Co-Founder
Director of Clinical Services
& Networking
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Psychologist, Co-Founder of Prickly Pear, and Director of Clinical Services and Networking, Gabriela Hurtado Alvarado specializes in the assessment and treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harm, and suicidality. She shares, “When we experience intense emotions that result from life stress, transitions, or past experiences, it can be difficult to find or feel hope. You don’t have to do this alone though. I work alongside my clients in order to re-connect them to their strengths and to build a strong positive relationship with themselves.” Dr. Hurtado believes that the journey to healing is a unique experience for each person who experiences it and that understanding the story of her clients and how they view the world around them is vital to her ability to treat them. “I work with my clients to create a safe space where they can better express and understand themselves in order to create a fulfilling life.” Dr. Hurtado is able to provide services in English and Spanish and is committed to providing treatments and assessments to individuals with diverse identities.
Dr. Hurtado is not currently taking any new clients. Clinical Therapist
Janeth Perez-Dominguez, LCSW is a Clinical Therapist offering individual and group therapy to clients with diverse identities and abilities. Janeth knows seeking therapy is a vulnerable process, she shares that it may be particularly so for “clients who may not have had the experience of being seen and accepted for their whole selves.” She strives to hold a safe, culturally affirming space for clients of marginalized identities. She is a strong believer in the power of connection for healing and brings a warm, empathetic approach to her work with clients. Her experience as a bilingual/bicultural Mexican immigrant (and long-time Tejana!) informs her perspective. Janeth’s areas of expertise include PTSD, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, family of origin issues, grief, loss, and disability.
Clinical Therapist
Hanna is a bilingual/bicultural Latina therapist who was drawn to this field due to a deep desire to aid in the healing of others. She is currently offering individual and group therapy to clients with varying cultural backgrounds and intersecting identities. The decision to begin therapy can be a scary one. Therapy can be a challenging and rewarding process, full of ups and downs. Healing is not linear and she has come to find there is a lifelong commitment to playing in active role in that healing. By seeking support through talk therapy, you can learn to build upon skills that can strengthen your capacity for navigating challenges with more ease. In her therapy practice, Hanna is committed to cultivating a safe space through a trauma-informed and culturally-competent approach. She firmly believes that you are the expert of your life story and she is there to facilitate in the untangling of those complicated situations/dynamics. Hanna is a strong proponent of introducing a spiritual component to her practice as she believes it can aid in breaking generational cycles and patterns.Clinical Therapist
Sonia is a bilingual/bicultural Mexican immigrant and Austin based psychotherapist. The best part of her workday is listening to peoples’ life stories! Sonia feels incredibly lucky to be in a profession where she gets to know peoples’ lives, fears, hardships, etc. As your therapist it her responsibility to provide a safe space free of judgement to you and anyone that seeks therapy with her. Sonia works hard to continue her own growth as an individual and therapist to provide you with the best care. Before she joined Prickly Pear Therapy, she worked in various mental health settings for the past 8 years. This includes a residential treatment facility, child advocacy center, juvenile justice center and a school setting. She likes using an integrative approach to therapy to create the best care for her clients. Outside of her work life she makes it a point to engage in some “me time”. She is currently learning Arabic and enjoys dancing.SCHEDULE
A CONSULTATION
Are you interested in learning more about therapy but you’re feeling too nervous or anxious to seek help? We are here for you at your own pace and convenience. By filling out our form to request a consultation below, there are absolutely no requirements or commitments- your healing journey is just a conversation away with Prickly Pear.
