ONLINE THERAPY ACROSS CA & ID
YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELF.
Yvonne olivo, LMFT, pmh-c
You’re trying to figure out who YOU are and it’s complicated.
Your family and culture matter deeply to you. And at the same time, you want to make choices that feel right for your own life. But every time you start moving in that direction, guilt shows up. You worry your family won't understand. Or that you'll disappoint them just for wanting something different.You worry your family won’t understand. Or worse, you’ll disappoint them.
You've probably heard that you need to "set boundaries" but nobody tells you how to do that in a family like yours, where boundaries can feel disrespectful or just don't translate.
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
How I Work
Real conversations with someone who genuinely gets where you come from.
I'm Yvonne, a licensed therapist who helps adults navigate family expectations, identity, and the guilt that comes with wanting something different for yourself.
Our work looks different from what you've probably heard. I'm not going to tell you to cut people off or set boundaries that don't fit your family. Instead we'll explore what's actually going on, keep what matters to you, and create space for you to start making choices that feel like your own.
I also show up as a real person in our sessions. You don't have to have it all together. You get to be honest, messy, and still fully accepted. And yes, I might swear sometimes if that's your language too.
How We Work Together
A process that actually makes sense for your life.
We'll start by exploring your family of origin and the messages you grew up with that make it hard to trust your own choices. A lot of those messages made sense at the time. We'll figure out which ones still serve you and which ones are just getting in the way.
From there we'll work on setting boundaries in a way that feels authentic to you and actually works in your relationships. Not the rigid, one size fits all kind. The kind that fits your life.
Over time you'll feel more confident making decisions, trusting your own voice, and staying connected to your family and your roots while still moving forward.
This work is personal to me. Here’s what I actually believe.
I believe you don't have to choose between your family and yourself. Anyone who tells you that you do is oversimplifying something deeply complex.
I believe guilt isn't a reliable guide for your life. It's something you've learned, not something you have to keep obeying.
I believe a lot of boundary advice was not made for you. It ignores culture, family dynamics, and the reality of staying connected.
I believe cutting your family off isn't the only way to heal. And for many people it's not the right way at all.
I believe your culture isn't the problem. The work is learning how to live within it without losing yourself.
I believe you're allowed to outgrow roles, expectations, and patterns, even if no one around you understands it yet.
I believe this work is hard. And you shouldn't have to do it alone.
Here’s what we can work on together.
-
I draw from several therapy approaches depending on what's most helpful for you. This work is never one size fits all.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Helps you notice and shift the thought patterns that keep you stuck, especially the ones that fuel self-doubt and guilt.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Helps you get clear on your values and start making decisions based on what actually matters to you, not just what keeps everyone else comfortable.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) – explores the different “parts” of you with curiosity and compassion
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – supports the processing of past experiences so they feel less overwhelming
Motivational Interviewing-Helps you work through the ambivalence of wanting change but feeling pulled in different directions. Because wanting something different and actually going for it are two very different things.
-
University of San Francisco: M.A.-Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and family Therapy
-
Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician (PMH-C)
Ready to get started?
You don’t have to keep living this way.
It’s possible to feel confident in your choices. It’s possible to stay connected to your family and be true to yourself. And you don’t have to do it alone.