As the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and born and raised in San Diego/Kumeyaay Land, Roxanna comes from a close-knit family bound by a strong sense of unity and culture. In an effort to closer examine her own identity, she devoted her undergraduate and former graduate studies in sociology to address deeper sociocultural inquiries pertaining to her ethnic heritage. As a result, Roxanna’s master’s thesis highlighted the intersectionality, role conflict, and lived experiences of middle-class women of Mexican descent as a reflection of her own introspection.
Roxanna’s sociological education has given her a fundamental understanding of vulnerable populations, including their interactions within social structures, the longstanding effects of systemic racism, and contemporary social justice issues. As the chair of the Social Justice Action Committee, Roxanna is deeply cognizant of how societal, political, and other institutional forces can affect one’s mental health. As such, she possesses a keen awareness of intersectional identities and an ability to critically examine one’s social location as it pertains to larger societal forces at work. The majority of Roxanna’s professional and volunteer experience has been dedicated to social services and advocating for historically marginalized groups. Her strong people skills and experience working with diverse groups fuels her desire to cultivate and maintain human connection.
In terms of clinical experience, Roxanna is a current clinical psychology doctoral student at Alliant International University. She is passionate about clinical problems as they pertain to attachment, identity, social justice, and racial trauma. Her approach to care allows the space to explore sociopolitical issues, as well as any other issues we may be collectively facing in everyday life. Roxanna believes in upholding the goal of providing an insight-oriented and holistic approach to healing in an effort to reduce distressing symptoms, strengthen community support, and overcome past trauma.