Therapy for First-Generation Latinas in California
Culturally responsive virtual therapy for anxiety, guilt, overthinking, boundaries, relationships, and the pressure to hold everything together.
You’ve been the strong one, the fixer, the helper—the one who figures it out. You learned how to work hard, stay grateful, and keep going, even when you were exhausted. From the outside, you may look capable and successful. Inside, you may feel anxious, resentful, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself.
At Café de Olla Therapy, you get a space where your culture, family history, relationships, and first-generation experience are part of the conversation. You can slow down, understand the patterns you’ve been carrying, and build a life that has room for your needs too.
Being first-gen can shape how you move through the world
Maybe you grew up translating, helping with paperwork, caring for siblings, managing other people’s emotions, or trying to make your parents’ sacrifices worth it. You may have learned that being responsible, useful, and successful kept things moving—and sometimes kept the peace.
Those strengths helped you get here. They can also make it difficult to rest, ask for help, set limits, trust your decisions, or know what you want outside of everyone else’s expectations.
You may find yourself caught between love and frustration, gratitude and grief, loyalty and the desire for something different. Therapy can make room for all of it.
You may be ready for therapy if…
- Your mind keeps running even when your body is exhausted.
- You feel guilty when you rest, say no, spend money on yourself, or disappoint someone.
- You are the person everyone depends on, but you rarely feel cared for in the same way.
- You overthink conversations and worry about being selfish, dramatic, or ungrateful.
- You feel resentment building in your relationship or family because you carry more than your share.
- You have reached important goals and still struggle to feel secure, confident, or “enough.”
- Motherhood, partnership, career changes, or family expectations have made you wonder where you fit in your own life.
- You want to break cycles while staying connected to the people and culture you love.
What we can work on together
Anxiety and overthinking
Understand what keeps your nervous system on alert and develop ways to feel more grounded, clear, and confident.
Guilt and boundaries
Practice setting limits that protect your time and energy while honoring the relationships that matter to you.
Relationships and resentment
Explore unequal emotional labor, communication patterns, unmet needs, and what real partnership could look like.
Identity beyond achievement
Reconnect with who you are beyond being productive, dependable, successful, or needed by others.
Motherhood and family roles
Make sense of how motherhood and caregiving have affected your identity, capacity, anger, and relationships.
Old experiences that still feel present
Process experiences and beliefs that continue to shape how you respond today, including through EMDR when appropriate.
Therapy that understands cultura, family, and context
You deserve therapy where you can talk about family expectations, respeto, marianismo, immigration stories, code-switching, religion, motherhood, career pressure, and ¿qué va a decir la gente? without spending the whole session explaining the cultural background first.
Culturally responsive therapy also makes space for complexity. You can love your family and want stronger boundaries. You can appreciate your parents’ sacrifices and acknowledge what hurt. You can value your culture and choose which traditions you want to carry forward. Healing can include both raíces y alas—roots and wings.
What therapy with me feels like
I’m Yesenia D. Perez, LCSW—a first-generation Mexican-American therapist and the daughter of immigrant farm-working parents. My style is warm, direct, and collaborative. Therapy with me includes cultura, humor, real talk, and practical support, along with space to feel and understand what has been happening underneath the surface.
We will look at the patterns that made sense when you first learned them, how they show up now, and what you want to practice instead. The goal is more than getting through the week. It is carrying less, feeling more, and reconnecting with yourself.
Virtual therapy throughout California
Café de Olla Therapy is a 100% virtual practice serving adults located anywhere in California. Online sessions can make it easier to fit consistent support into work, parenting, commuting, and the rest of a full life.
Sessions are 50–60 minutes and cost $200. Café de Olla Therapy is a private-pay practice and accepts major credit and debit cards, as well as HSA/FSA payments. Superbills may be available for clients who want to seek possible out-of-network reimbursement from their insurance plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be Mexican or a mom to work with you?
No. I specialize in working with first-generation Latinas, including mothers and women in many different stages of life. We can talk during your free consultation about what you are hoping to work on and whether we may be a good fit.
Is therapy available in Spanish?
Therapy can include English, Spanish, or Spanglish based on what feels most natural and useful for you.
Can we use EMDR?
Yes. EMDR may be incorporated when it fits your goals and clinical needs. We will discuss what the process involves and decide together whether it is the right approach for you.
How often will we meet?
Therapy is generally most effective with a consistent appointment. Available scheduling options and current openings can be discussed during your consultation.
Lista? Let’s make space for you.
A free consultation gives us a chance to talk briefly about what brings you to therapy, what you want help with, and whether working together feels like the right fit.
Café de Olla Therapy is currently accepting new virtual therapy clients across California.