Meet Natalia!

Hi there, welcome!!

I want to take this opportunity to talk to YOU directly and share a bit more of who I am. People often have mixed ideas about who comes to mind when they think of a therapist. In all honesty, growing up I did not think of a young, female in this profession. That’s not what was portrayed in movies or who I learned about in school, and also why I was nervous about delving into this career. AND yet... here I am, several licenses and years of counseling experience later. I am beyond grateful I showed up to be able to get to this point. I absolutely love this work and believe that I was meant for it!

One of the quotes that forever rings in my ears, is Georgia O’Keefe saying, “I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”

This holds true to being a client in therapy as well. I’ve been lucky enough to be in both positions, and I totally get it. It takes a huge amount of courage to sit with a complete stranger and begin to share. I’m inspired when I see clients continue to show up and put in the work with me. Especially witnessing clients show up in other areas of their lives, maybe in a way that they had not, prior to therapy. I believe on some level, that everyone who ends up in my office was meant to be there as well.

To rewind a bit, I’m the epitome of unexpected blends. I’m a born and raised Texan, who also flies to Poland to visit my family, as often as I can get away with. I’m the only first-generation American in my family, and that comes with it a whole unique identity. I’m also a proud Aggie living in a city of burnt orange pride and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Part of the fun of living in this weird, diverse city is opportunity to connect with people of a variety of backgrounds and upbringings. As someone who self-identifies as quirky, I enjoy how Austin owns being weird.

My career journey has led me to work with teens in a residential juvenile detention facility, university crisis hotlines, hospitals, and in various outpatient settings. This is also where my passion for working with teens and families truly took shape. Although I value the range of clients that I get the honor of working with. Mental health requires a strong support system and to be one piece of that support, regardless of setting, is extremely rewarding.

Outside of work, I may be out on hiking adventures with my pup, traveling or trying out a new coffee shop. I also devote a significant portion of my free time to serving the community through volunteer work. I’ve been involved with Junior League of Austin for the past two years, as well as a volunteer therapist with Camp Phoenix.

Just as I myself have a lived narrative, I also bear witness to my clients’ stories. Some soft, loud, bold, beautiful, painful and each unique. I get to hold space for these stories and sit with brave story tellers. If you are living a plotline you are not content with, please reach out for counseling support. You deserve to live a life that you are genuinely excited about.