Welcome Steven!

We’re so excited to welcome Steven Avila to the Gather & Grow Family!

Steven is a California State University, San Bernardino alumn and writes:

Hello there, my name is Steven! I’m an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor at Gather and Grow OC.

I am an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor passionate about empowerment, advocacy, and curiosity. I aim to support folks on their mental wellness journeys by providing compassion, kindness, and acceptance.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies from California State University, San Bernardino. From there, I also received my Master of Science in Professional & School Counseling. I have interned at the Corona-Norco Unified School District, working with middle and high school populations with crisis counseling, academic support, college prep, social-emotional learning, and peer support. Before completing my Master’s, I worked at the Queer & Transgender Resource Center at California State University, San Bernardino, providing gender-affirming support for students, faculty, staff, and the community. My journey of becoming a counselor started when I was battling depression during high school. I was able to receive the support I needed through school counselors and seeing a therapist, which helped me see the importance of these roles.

In my experience as a gay man, I understand the importance of LGBTQ+ affirmation, which can correlate with anxiety and stress management. I am passionate about supporting and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and being a pillar of support for anyone. I do this by utilizing a narrative approach, which helps folks understand their story by deconstructing harmful false narratives and pretenses that may have shaped our past experiences and traumas. For anyone to feel safe and heard, I give a sense of safety during sessions and help build a rapport to build a better connection. I am usually laid-back with a dorky sense of humor and a deep understanding of one’s experiences. This helps create a sense of security within my established relationships and connections.

I look forward to speaking with you and joining you on your journey.

Sincerely,

Steven

We’re so excited to have Steven on the team! Read more about his practice HERE.

Welcome Kristin!

We’re so excited to welcome Kristin Williams to the Gather & Grow Family!

Kristin is an Arizona State University alumn and writes:

I am so glad you are here. My name is Kristin (She/Her). I am grateful to be a part of the Gather and Grow OC team. I am an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW) with a passion for connection, mindfulness, and boundaries. I definitely say, “What can we add in?” and “We’re doing it!” on the regular. I will always be game to hear about your favorite music and what you are currently listening to. 

I have been that person who has known deep-to-the-core struggles with grief and loss. This has also looked like wading through loss of identity, sports injuries, and navigating chronic illness in my family system. With this, I have been on the other side of the metaphorical couch when someone doesn’t know how to hold that space for me without their own discomfort taking center stage. That is the space I hope to hold for you!

I believe that our stories hold power, and my job is to cultivate a safe space for you to move through your story. One of the absolutely best parts of my job is being invited in to join you where you are at in your story and champion your journey. Being known and given the freedom to be comfortable with who you are and given the support to look deeply into yourself is why I started this work many years ago.

I have weaved and maneuvered through various helping professional realms to get here. This includes work as a behavior specialist in co-occurring substance use programming and working in several levels of community mental health care, from intensive outpatient, community-based services, crisis stabilization, prevention/outreach, and outpatient care.  Much of my work is framed within cognitive-behavioral and strengths-based perspectives and how we can look to the strengths you hold to be true about your life to ground our work together. 

In each encounter, I seek to bring my authentic self to meet you where you are. Sometimes, this comes out in my quirky sense of humor, movie quotes, or relating a current meme or TikTok trend to a skill we are working on together. I like to think of it as ‘marching to the beat of my own drum,’ and I look forward to having you join in with me—there are always extra drumsticks lying around over here! 

Take good care,

Kristin

We’re so excited to have Kristin on the team! Read more about her practice HERE.

Welcome Frank!

We’re so excited to welcome Frank Peña to the Gather & Grow Family!

Frank is a San José State University Alum and writes:

I am thrilled to join the Gather and Grow OC community, as it embodies the inclusive and affirming approach to mental health care that I deeply value. With over a decade of experience working with LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, I have seen firsthand the transformative power of culturally competent and intersectional care. 

My academic journey, from earning an Associate of Arts in Sociology at DeAnza Community College, to a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a focus on Women and Gender Studies at San José State University, and culminating in a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California, has equipped me with a robust foundation to serve diverse populations. 

Throughout my career, I have been committed to providing gender-affirming therapy and supporting clients through their unique journeys. My work has involved conducting comprehensive LGBTQ training programs, facilitating support groups, and managing clinical referrals. I have also had the privilege of contributing to research on the resilience of transgender youth of color and the experiences of nonbinary college students, with publications in esteemed journals such as *LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal* and the *Journal of Diversity in Higher Education*.

I’m proud to say that some of my work has been published and can be viewed here:

• Latinx and Asian American Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth’s Experiences with Parental Ambivalent Support and Coping Processes

• “They won't push me away”: Transgender and gender-expansive youth of color's perceptions of parental gender-identity-specific support

• Understanding nonbinary college students’ experiences on college campuses: An exploratory study of mental health, campus involvement, victimization, and safety.

Joining Gather and Grow OC is an exciting opportunity to further my dedication to advocating for marginalized communities. I am eager to collaborate with a team that prioritizes empathy, expertise, and the holistic well-being of our clients. Together, we can create a supportive and empowering environment for all who seek our services.

Warmly,

Frank Peña

We’re so excited to have Frank on the team! Read more about him practice HERE.

Welcome Karley!

We’re so excited to welcome Karley White to the Gather & Grow Family!

Karley is a CSUF Alum and writes:

“I am incredibly honored to be a part of the Gather & Grow OC team as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. As a therapist, my goal is to facilitate healing through empowerment, validation, and deep self-reflection. I believe that people are more than the problems they face, the labels placed on them, or the trauma they have endured. I see myself as a co-author, helping others explore their inner selves and re-write their stories so that they may live freely and authentically. I am also dedicated to learning new skills from the Gather & Grow OC community and continuing on my own journey towards self-discovery and acceptance.”

We’re so excited to have Karley on the team! Read more about her practice HERE.

Welcome Kat!

We are so excited to welcome Kat Sevilla to the Gather & Grow OC Family! Visit Kat’s profile page to learn more about her and to schedule HERE.

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A Letter from Kat

Hello, my name is Kat! I am an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor at Gather and Grow OC.

Prior to being a holistic therapist, I worked with the community college student population, providing support and guidance as they navigated their educational and career endeavors. I partnered with the Special Populations and Student Equity Program, and there I had the opportunity to support many diverse communities—First Generation students, Foster Youth, Dreamers, Special Educations and Disabilities, Current and Formerly Incarcerated, and LGBTQ+. It was there that I learned just how important emotional and mental health support is.

And so began my journey to you! As a first-generation Asian-American who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, I believe in empowerment and agency against limiting beliefs and discourses. I believe that therapy is a sanctuary in which we can slow down safely without consequence, be curious about our lives, validate our past experiences and help us move to a preferred future. 

I value and acknowledge all of our own unique intersectionalities, and I thank you for reaching out and allowing me to be part of your self-care journey.

With healing,
Kat

Meet Nhu!

A Letter from Nhu

Hello There! My name is Nhu (She/Her) and I am a bilingual Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Grow and Gather OC. 

These past few years have been a rough time. We have endured a pandemic that has shifted our lives, experienced the tragic stories surrounding the news about the passing of George Floyd and many others that share his similar story, and the increasing fear around school shootings. Some have experienced grief along the way while others are still trying to adjust to the aftereffect of our new normal (whatever that means). 

Before I continue, I want to say thank you for visiting our page. From seeing the countless horror stories on TikTok, finding a therapist can be discouraging and scary. I wonder what brings you here? I wonder what has guided you into taking that step now? With whatever reason that might be, I hope to provide you with connection and care. 

In my experience working with young adults that identify as POC and AAPIs who prefer to honor their cultural heritage in a western world, I have heard many stories about the barriers, shame, and deep sadness it can bring. Throughout our conversations, I am interested in asking you about the meaning that has shaped your experience. We can re-tell the stories that you have lived to create your preferred way of showing up in the world. For living. And for being a part of the community.

Hope to talk to you soon,

Nhu

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You can contact Nhu directly at (949) 407-9064 or nhu@gatherandgrowoc.com. View other therapist profiles HERE.