Monica Cedeño,  M. A. | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

 

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT 52054) with over 12 years experience working with children, youth and their families. I grew up in Western New York, visiting my parents' native Costa Rica and other Latin American countries regularly, and learning to speak English and Spanish simultaneously in my childhood.

I obtained my undergraduate degree at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York in Clinical Psychology and Spanish. I went to Oviedo, Spain for a semester to complete my dual major coursework in Spanish and further hone my Spanish language knowledge and skills. 

 

After graduation, I worked in a group home for children and youth 5-14 years old as a Child Care Therapeutic Aide. I became a Cornell University Certified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention instructor, training new staff as well as Therapeutic Foster Parents. I was also paired with the Clinical Social Work Interns to co-facilitate a TheraPlay group, the beginning of my deepening into attachment theory in clinical work. Our work in the group home also laid the foundation for my approach as a strengths based, trauma informed, client centered and creative clinician.

I decided to pursue a Masters in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy in San Francisco. I have always had a connection to the arts in my life, from music to drawing and painting to theater and dance. I have experienced first hand the capacity of the arts and creativity for holding the intangible things in life such as grief and loss. I know their role in healing and providing insight. Combining my passion for counseling and the arts felt like exactly what I had been preparing for all my life. As part of my program, I completed a summer abroad in Saas Fee, Switzerland at the European Graduate School with many of the pioneers in this burgeoning area of this field. 

 

As a therapist, I have worked with children at risk of or experiencing homelessness, children with diagnoses ranging from adjustment or anxiety disorders, to ADHD to Bipolar Disorder. I have worked with youth with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. I have worked with youth diagnosed with autism, speech disabilities, or intellectual disabilities. I have worked with families who have experienced separation issues and trauma due to divorce, domestic violence, deportation, immigration or child welfare issues. I have worked with families who have adopted or fostered youth with trauma in their histories. I have worked with many youth who have struggled with anxiety and school refusal due to being bullied or abused. I have worked with young people struggling to overcome the anxiety related to transitioning from high school and adolescence to adulthood. 

 

I am proud to be an Ally to the LGBTIQ community and strive to be of service to youth and families in all communities regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, age, immigration status, sexual identity, gender identity or expression. I am proud to be a Latina and to be of service to the community. My hope is that in healing our families, we can also heal our communities and the world. I hope to be an advocate for my clients and their higher selves. I strive to teach my clients skills that will cultivate long term change, not only symptom reduction, and will lead to improved fulfillment in family relationships and improved ability to be advocates for themselves.

 

Bilingual Spanish