ABOUT MIRIAM CHOR FREITAS, LCSW, RYT-200

I’m Miriam, nice to meet you! I’m originally from Brazil and I came from a very diverse background. I immigrated to the United States at the tender age of 19 in an attempt to create better opportunities for myself. I studied Psychology and then got a Master’s Degree in Social Work and went on to work for Child Welfare Services for a number of years before starting my private practice.

I speak English, Portuguese and Spanish, and have had the privilege of working with a very diverse population on trauma and a number of other mental health issues and challenging life circumstances for over 15 years. As a multicultural therapist, I truly appreciate and enjoy diversity and have always been surrounded by people from all walks of life so I welcome members of the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities and other oppressed groups.

I have been through great loss, pain and sadness and have had to work hard on taking care of myself and learning to love and accept who I am. I have found that in addition to evidence-based therapeutic support, other healing modalities, as well as developing a sound self-care routine have been critical to my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being and I have found that to be true with my clients too. On my spear time I enjoy hiking, going to the beach, traveling, practicing mindfulness, making jewelry and spending time with my friends and family.

In addition to my formal clinical training, I have learned Transcendental Meditation, and studied Qigong and Ayurvedic & Buddhist Psychology. I’m a registered kundalini yoga & meditation teacher and a Reiki Master and I apply many of these principles and practices to my personal health care as well as my clinical practice.

I combine evidence-based therapeutic approaches primarily from Attachment Theory, Poly-Vagal Theory, EMDR, Somatic Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Relational Therapy and Transpersonal Psychology with the various somatic and mindfulness practices from the disciplines listed above.

I have trained and consulted extensively with Arielle Schwartz, PhD, E-RYT, Internationally renowned author, EMDRIA and Somatic Therapy Consultant and Trainer, Trauma-informed yoga teacher and creator of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy. I also train extensively with Craig Penner, MFT, renowned EMDRIA and Somatic Therapy Consultant and Trainer and the creator of the “Natural Processing” approach.

It's not our problems that define us but our ability to recognize them and our willingness to work on them and start the journey towards personal growth, self-compassion, health and healing. The journey never ends so my gift to you is to offer you a safe container where you can connect with your inner sources of strength and wisdom to become more resilient and trust that you can build a strong foundation to support you through the challenges that may lay ahead. I also believe that creating a consistent self-care practice is critical for mental health and emotional wellbeing so I teach a number of tools and techniques to help you grow, heal and thrive.

I believe that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness, and I learn from my clients as much as they learn from me so thank you for allowing me to be a part of your healing process. It is possible and I know you can do it!

If you are ready to do the work and transform your life, contact me today for a free 20-minute phone consultation at: (858) 842-0234 or email me at: miriam@miriamchorfreitas.com

I do accept certain insurance plans and you will find further information about treatment, insurance coverage and payment on my FAQs page.