Let’s Navigate This Together.
Hi! I’m Sylvan.
I don’t think therapy should ask you to become someone else. My work is creative, somatic, and neurodivergent-affirming, with space to understand what’s been wearing you down, reconnect with what works for you, and move away from burnout and shame.
STARTING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SCARY.
GET TO KNOW SYLVAN
Sylvan, Personally
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My family descends from Agustín Gamarra, a two-time president of Peru. He was from Cusco and had Quechua and Spanish ancestry, so I also have Indigenous Andean roots through that side of my family.
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A morning matcha, an evening cup of tea, and the very predictable habit of forgetting the tea exists once I get cozy on the couch.
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Therapy isn’t a pass-or-fail system, and there is no “right” way to show up. Everything that comes up, or doesn’t come up, is information we can get curious about together.
Sylvan, Professionally
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I’ve been working with neurodivergent clients since 2020, beginning with children with a wide range of support needs. That early work shaped my interest in helping neurodivergent people understand themselves more deeply. During graduate school and my early clinical training, I expanded my work to include Chronic Illness, Complex Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, and Bipolar Disorder. Today, I primarily work with adults, bringing that background into an affirming, insight-oriented approach that focuses less on fitting a mold and more on understanding how you experience yourself and the world.
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I earned my Master’s in Art Therapy and Marriage and Family Therapy from Dominican University of California in 2023. I’m a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #163836), a Registered Art Therapist, and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. I’m trained in EMDR and have completed advanced training in Somatic Experiencing, with continuing education focused on chronic illness, complex trauma, neurodivergence, and affirming care.
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Autism & ADHD
Complex Trauma & PTSD
Chronic Illness & Disability
Anxiety & Depression
Bipolar Disorder
Burnout & Masking
Identity & Self-Esteem
Grief & Life Transitions
LGBTQ+ & Affirming Care
Relationships & Boundaries
My own experience with chronic illness, ADHD, and Autism has shaped the way I practice. It’s made me pay close attention to the gap between knowing what’s going on and actually knowing what to do with it. I’m most interested in therapy that helps you understand yourself, notice what you need, and find things that are actually useful in your day-to-day life.