I was raised in Miami in a Colombian–Cuban family that challenged gender roles and approached sexuality with openness, which shaped my early curiosity about human behavior and relationships. As my education deepened, I realized that sex positivity without accurate information still leaves gaps—an insight that guided my professional path.
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Drawn to psychology and public health, I joined a research fellowship in India focused on prenatal care, vaccinations in under-resourced villages, anti–human trafficking efforts, and the stigma faced by women living with HIV. This work led me to pursue graduate training and earn a dual master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania.
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At Penn, I initially focused on trauma and intimate partner violence, then expanded my clinical lens through work at the Racial Empowerment Collaborative (now Lion’s Story), where I developed a strong foundation in racial trauma, intersectionality, and systems-level care. I also helped pilot a residential support program for first-generation, low-income students.
About Figs
After graduating during the pandemic, I worked in an intensive outpatient setting specializing in addiction and personality disorders and became a trusted provider for Miami-Dade Drug Court and Mental Health Court, supporting alternatives to incarceration for individuals experiencing mental health and substance-related crises.
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Long-term work with clients in recovery introduced me to sex therapy, particularly the challenges of sober dating, intimacy, and desire. Wanting to support clients beyond crisis stabilization, I pursued formal training in sex therapy—an experience that reshaped my clinical focus.
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For the past two years, I’ve operated a private practice providing telehealth sex therapy to adults across Florida, working with individuals who are curious, navigating transitions, or healing their relationship to intimacy.
I also host Things I Meant to Say Naked, a podcast that brings sex education, humor, and evidence-based insight beyond the therapy room.
Experience (credentials & proof)
Licensure & Certifications
· Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Lic. # MH 21545)
· AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist, Member ID: 1442520
· National Board of Certified Counselors, Member ID: 1726600
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Specialties
· Breakups & relational patterning
· Desire & arousal concerns, sexual shame, porn/erotica questions
· Social anxiety, self-esteem, perfectionism, body image
· Kink/Fetishism/BDSM dynamics
· Life transitions, modern dating, and understanding what’s best for you
· Trauma and healing childhood wounds or relational wounds that impacts sex and intimacy
· Religious trauma and how that impacts sex and intimacy
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Approaches & Training
· Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) & attachment-based practice
· Trauma-informed, culturally responsive, sex-positive, and gender affirming care
· DBT-informed skills (emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness)
· Humanistic, lots of humor!
Education
· M.S.Ed., Counseling and Mental Health Services, University of Pennsylvania
· M.Phil.Ed., Professional Counseling, University of Pennsylvania