It’s Nice to Meet You
Hi! I’m Clarise (she/her/ella), a Colombian-American, licensed clinical social worker in Pennsylvania. That means that I’m both a therapist and a social worker!
As a therapist, I believe that everyone is inherently worthy of being heard, seen, and supported. I use a collaborative and integrative approach to therapy through a social justice lens, weaving together a variety of therapeutic interventions and frameworks tailored to your specific goals.
As a social worker, I believe in the value of understanding you as a person in the environment in order to assist you in navigating life’s complicated systems.
Whether you’ve just started a new phase of your life, are exploring something new, or grieving what used to be, you’ve come to the right place and I’m here to journey with you when you’re ready.
My educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in theatre from Davidson College, as well as a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, accompanied by the Penn Aging Certificate.
My professional experience includes serving as a staff therapist and clinical supervisor at Santa Clara University, managing the Yale Infant Cognition Center, providing therapy to children and families in community and school settings, working with undocumented and refugee families, and supporting individuals with dementia and their families at the Penn Memory Center (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania).
How I See Therapy:
I like to think that we each carry a metaphorical backpack filled with our lived experiences. Some of the items in our backpack are useful, light, and easy to carry. Other items might be heavy, jagged, and hard to hold.
I think of therapy as a place you can sit and put your backpack down. As the therapist, my job is to provide you with a place to rest and a table where you can place the different items that you carry, look at them, understand them, and decide what you want to do with them.
Unfortunately, I cannot carry your backpack for you or take it from you, but I can help you smooth out rough edges or build muscles that will make carrying your backpack easier. I am here to sit with you, cry with you, walk beside you, and support you - while finding pockets of peace and joy along the way.
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I invite you to explore my website to learn more about the different services I provide.
Whether or not you decide to reach out to me, I hope you know that you are worthy of being seen, heard, and supported.
-Clarise
Let’s get started.
Interested in working together? Have a question that wasn’t answered on the FAQ page? Fill out some info, and I will be in touch shortly. I can’t wait to hear from you!