Rate Shereen Santos

I believe that many of the things we struggle with today make more sense when we understand where they came from..

I work primarily with young adults and adults who are navigating the effects of trauma, particularly complex trauma that can sometimes be misunderstood or misinterpreted as personality traits, problematic behaviors, or simply “the way someone is.” My approach is rooted in curiosity and compassion. Rather than asking, “What is wrong with you?” I’m more interested in exploring, “What happened to you, and what did you learn you had to do to survive it?”

I use an Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed framework and psychodynamic approaches to help clients explore the conscious and unconscious rules, beliefs, and patterns we can develop in childhood; but also how those patterns may continue to influence our relationships, emotions, behaviors, and sense of self long after the original circumstances have changed!

As a Board Certified Neurofeedback Clinician (BCN), I also bring a neuroscience-informed perspective to my work. My training in neurofeedback and brain mapping has given me a deeper understanding of how the brain and nervous system respond to threat, chronic stress, and prolonged survival states. I incorporate psychoeducation when helpful, helping clients understand that some of what they are experiencing may have neurological and physiological components in addition to psychological ones.

Understanding the “why” behind our experiences can often create a sense of compassion for ourselves and open the door to meaningful change.

My work is also deeply informed by multicultural experiences. Having worked with clients across cultures, I recognize that our understanding of ourselves is shaped not only by our individual experiences, but also by family, culture, faith, expectations, community, and the environments in which we learned to navigate the world. I strive to create a space where clients don't have to leave those parts of themselves at the door.

In addition to therapy, I am a certified life coach and have worked with leaders in executive and corporate settings, as well as pastors seeking to develop a deeper understanding of mental health while integrating the relationship between mind, brain, and spirit.

My own journey into trauma work began, in part, with a desire to better understand myself. That experience shaped the way I view therapy today. I don't believe healing means becoming a completely different person. I believe it can mean developing a deeper understanding of yourself, recognizing the patterns that once served a purpose, building new skills, and creating enough internal safety to have more choices in how you respond to life.

My hope is that through that understanding, you can begin to meet yourself with the same curiosity and compassion you may have spent years offering to others.