Welcome! • ¡Bienvenidos!
Hi, I’m Otilia.
Helping Women and Teens stop surviving and start breathing again
I’m a Bilingual Spanish Speaking Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I work with women and teens who are dealing with anxiety, life transitions, relationships, self-worth, and that exhausting feeling of having to hold everything together.
I could give you the usual therapist introduction here where I went to school, my credentials, the different settings I’ve worked in (and yes, I’ll get to all of that) but I think it’s more important that you know who I am as a person.
Let’s Make This Personal
Because I’m not just a therapist.
I’m a Latina. I’m a first-generation immigrant. I’m a daughter. I’m a wife. I’m a mom. I’m a working woman.
Whether we do therapy in English, Spanish, or seamlessly code-switch between both, you get to show up without having to translate your culture or explain your family dynamics.
And, if we’re being completely honest, I’m also someone who has spent a lot of time overthinking things that probably did not need to be overthought.
I know what it’s like to put pressure on yourself to do everything right.
To be the person everyone can count on.
To care way too much about disappointing people.
To say yes when you really want to say no.
To replay a conversation from three days ago and think, “Hold on... WHY did I say it like THAT?”
I know what people-pleasing looks like. I know what perfectionism looks like. And I know how easy it is to convince yourself that you're okay because you're still getting everything done—even when you're completely burned out.
Life Doesn't Always Go According to Plan
I also know what it feels like when life doesn't go according to plan.
My journey to motherhood was in my 30s and included infertility, IVF, medical procedures, surgeries, and a whole lot of uncertainty.
There were moments when I had to sit with the uncomfortable reality that I could not simply work harder, plan better, or control my way into getting the outcome I wanted.
That was humbling.
And honestly? It changed the way I see myself and the way I understand the women I work with.
Because sometimes we're not struggling because we're weak.
We're struggling because we've been carrying a lot for a very long time.
And sometimes the woman who looks like she has it all together is the one who desperately needs somewhere to put everything down.
That's the kind of space I want therapy to be.
A Little About My Clinical Background
I’ve been in the social work field since 2011, long before I had “LCSW” after my name.
I started my career working in homeless prevention and case management, which taught me very early that people are rarely dealing with just one problem. There is usually a whole story behind what someone is going through and understanding that story matters.
In 2015, I began providing therapy at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Roberto Clemente Center. I worked with children, teenagers, adults, couples, and families, providing bilingual therapy in both English and Spanish.
Then came school social work, where I've been since 2016.
I've had the opportunity to work with students across elementary, middle, and high school, which has given me a pretty unique perspective on how people grow, change, and carry things with them from one stage of life to the next. I've worked with children struggling with emotions and behavior, teenagers figuring out who they are, families navigating difficult situations, and young people carrying things that are much bigger than what you might see on the surface.
More recently, I returned to outpatient therapy through telehealth, working with individuals, couples, children, and teens.
So while my Master's in Social Work was completed in 2018, my experience in social work started years before that and my clinical work has continued to evolve ever since.
I’ve worked in hospitals, communities, schools, and private therapy settings. I've worked with people at very different points in their lives and with very different concerns.
And honestly, I think that's one of the things I bring into the therapy room that matters most:
I don't see you as a diagnosis or a problem to fix. I see the whole person.
Education & Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
New York State
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Hunter College, 2018
Bachelor of Psychology
Baruch College, 2011
Languages: English & Spanish (Bilingual & Culturally Responsive Therapy)
Additional Training
Compassion-Focused Therapy • DBT • ACT • Attachment-Based Therapy • TF-CBT