Paulina Padilla, LCSW

Paulina (she/her) is a first-generation American, bilingual in Spanish, with family roots from Mexico and raised in Southern California. Paulina earned her Bachelor’s degree from Whittier College and Master’s in Social Work from Cal State Long Beach. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been proudly serving the Latinx community for the past 20 years. For the first part of her career she worked various roles in community mental health serving children and families which helped her understand the layers of healing that are needed in the Latinx community. 

In the past 6 years, Paulina has pivoted her work to opening a private practice in Whittier and focuses her work on supporting women and mothers as well as specializing in trauma. Paulina has specialities in maternal mental health, nonviolent parenting and somatic psychotherapy. She uses somatic work to uncover the resilience and healing that is found in the body. Paulina honors the importance of integrating the mind and body when working through emotional pain. She loves working with mothers and guiding them to access empathy and compassion for themselves and their children. Paulina is excited to start offering parent and post-partum groups in Fall of 2022. 

Heidi DeLeon, LCSW, CADC-II

My approach is YOU centered! I have a large box of tools you can choose from to help you in healing. EMDR has been my most used used tool! However, in the healing journey I incorporate mindfulness, meditation, cognitive behavorial therapy, solution focused therapy just to name a few. I am pretty direct and transparent and together as we work on your healing we will collaborate on what will be best for you. You can try things and explore, we will see what works and does not work. There really is no cookie cutter approach for therapy. Lets just be honest sometimes we need a hour to just vent and cry! I have worked in addiction treatment for almost 15 years, have my own life experiences that give me a view from a perspective that not all can see from. I am very versed in social justice issues, critical race theory, socio-economic barriers and other systemic issues that many face due to being marginalized and oppressed. There is no wrong way to therapy.

I am eclectic, however I have been a social justice advocate for many years. I am not very quiet when it comes to individual rights. I am formerly incarcerated and found educational restrictions on many communities to be a huge barrier and this became my passion. As well as promoting LBGTQ rights and working to eliminate the margins! Some have called me a abolitionist, but I do not refer to myself, however I firmly believe and support the notion that people can not get well in a cell and incarceration is not the answer. Over the years I have helped advocate to change laws so that various aspects of peoples lives are no longer criminalized such as poverty and sex work. I also have fostered dogs, love nature, creating art and simply sitting on a beach staring at the waves.

Veronica A. Acosta, LCSW

Veronica Acosta completed her Master’s at the University of Southern California within the School of Social Work specializing in Children, Youth, and Families. Since graduation, Ms. Acosta focused on obtaining and completing more than 3000 clinical hours of psychotherapy implementing evidenced based practices, trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy, and other evidenced based theories, to transitional ages youth, younger and older adults. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Ms. Acosta specializes in addiction, shame/guilt, stress and anxiety, and trauma informed care. With 6 years of therapy experience, Ms. Acosta has her own private practice to provide services to the community. Most recently, Veronica has become a Mental Health First Aid instructor providing instruction to professors, students, and the community on how to notice signs and symptoms of a Mental Health or Substance Abuse related disorder.

In addition, Veronica is currently the Wellness Counselor at the University of Southern California Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. As the wellness counselor at the University of Southern California she works across all Pharmacy students at the Undergraduate, MA, PhD, or PharmD levels individually and in group settings. Ms. Acosta provides support on impostor syndrome, low self-esteem/confidence, personal and phase of life issues hindering student’s ability to focus or do well in their designated program.

Meet Veronica here!

Anahid Mosala, LCSW

Therapy is a unique and highly vulnerable environment that can be intimidating to navigate at first. I believe in the power and importance of first establishing a safe space for each client to create a solid foundation. I utilize a trauma informed approach and empower clients to be the expert of their own experience. My role is to provide the tools and support needed to reach collaboratively set goals. I pull from various evidence based practices including mindfulness, CBT, and ACT to create a treatment approach appropriate for the unique needs of each client. I am committed to guiding each client to a space in which they can thrive in their lives.

I received my BA from UCLA in 2016, graduated with my MSW from USC in 2018 and have been licensed in the state of California since 2020. I have over five years of experience working with anxiety, depression and PTSD of varying intensity levels. Additionally, I have extensive experience working with survivors of sexual and gender based violence with a focus on navigating daily life, relationships and boundaries.

I speak English, German, Armenian, and Farsi. Please note that all services are provided in English.

Stephanie Lezana, MSW student intern

Stephanie Lezana, MSW student intern supervised by Veronica Acosta, LCSW
Stephanie, a first-generation Chicana, goes by the pronouns She/Her/Ella and specializes in guiding individuals through complex trauma, addressing issues like anxiety, depression, life transitions, and more. Her approach is rooted in a healing-centered perspective, which shifts the question from “what happened to you” to “what’s right with you.” This approach views those exposed to trauma as agents in the creation of their own well-being rather than mere victims of traumatic events. Stephanie is dedicated to creating an affirming space, understanding how systemic oppression contributes to distress, all while guided by a critical race and feminist lens.

Her ultimate goal is to make therapy accessible, particularly for communities that have been marginalized. Stephanie offers a free consultation/service, and if there’s not a good fit, she’ll provide referrals. Please note that Stephanie is currently a student at California State University, Long Beach, and works under the supervision of Veronica Acosta, LCSW.

Stephanie’s journey began in the field of foster care and academic case management, where she supported teenagers in school systems with this healing-centered approach, acknowledging the significance of addressing identity intersections. Later, as a bilingual therapist intern at Crittenton Services, she served diverse populations. Together, she empowers individuals with effective coping skills through a healing-centered and anti-racist lens. If her approach aligns with your needs, don’t hesitate to reach out for support.