Approaches
As a therapist, I pride myself on meeting all clients where they are at. This means I provide an environment that is intended to be a {safe space} where you can be {you}. While I look forward to learning more about each of my clients individually, there are several populations I have particular expertise in working with.
Queer Men of Color
Growing up as a closeted brown kid was filled with many things:
Getting all the gossip from the girls,
Having a “crush” on your favorite pop princess, or
Falling in love with your best guy friend… oops!
And, for many of us, there were many lonely days, code-switching to ward off “Are you gay?” questions from the schoolyard bully, or mixed feelings of love for your family, but fear when they said homophobic things. Through it all… you survived. As for today, you’ve created a reality that may hold your old life at arms length, yet you yearn for that close family feeling. You want to thrive, but all the gay spaces you occupy sometimes put you right back where you were as a kid- one of few like you and scared to talk about it. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to be the only queer man of color at a house party of white men or at work, where people don’t know what to do with you because you’re “too brown for the queer folks or too queer for the brown folks.”
Here’s the bottomline:
YOUR GAY BROWN/BLACK/ASIAN/NATIVE/MIXED ASS IS MAGIC
and you deserve to be seen and thrive in ALL your identities.
Ultimately, if you are a queer man of color seeking therapy with me, you are welcome to {come as you are}... we'll figure out where to go from there in a {safe, affirming, and judgement free space}.
LGBTQ+ Communities
Victoria Santos Axis Counseling, PLLC
As a gay Latino man, I have come to understand that the colors of the rainbow go beyond ROYBIV. The LGBTQ+ community is not a community with a singular story. We are in the fabric of every community and we deserve to be seen, heard, and valued. {Your story matters} and I want to be as safe a space as you need to bring your whole self. While we are a resilient community, we also hurt, we also worry, we also need joy, and we deserve spaces that see us as complex beings. I have extensive experience advocating for, being a part of, celebrating, and providing space for familia in the trans & non-binary community, gay men’s community, queer women’s community, and folks who are questioning.
As a QPOC therapist, I understand the intersectional realities that face many queer folks who find home and affinity in communities of color. We are complex, beautiful, and {deserving of a space}.
College Students
Joi Ito Axis Counseling, PLLC
College students deal with all sorts of “new”. New friends. New city. New ideas. New relationships. New awareness of identity. New living arrangements. And {A LOT of transition}. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to make sense of it all, while managing class, career choice, and life back home. My masters in higher education and student affairs as well as my time working with college students, gives me a {unique perspective as a therapist}. Whether you’re a sophomore having difficulty transitioning, a senior freaking out about getting a job, or a graduate student needing to find balance – {I’m here to help}.
Additional Areas of Focus
‣Black, Indigenous, People of Color ‣Queer Trans People of Color
‣ Educators and Student Affairs professionals
‣PTSD ‣Depression/Anxiety ‣Anger Management
‣Career Counseling ‣Financial Fears ‣Sex Positivity (kink, sex work)
‣Wellness Education & Goals
Therapeutic Approaches
My approach to counseling & therapy is informed by Gestalt, Multicultural, and Reality therapy frameworks.
{Gestalt Therapy} encourages clients to become aware of the emotions they experience in the present moment. While the focus of each session will be on the present, together we will frame your past through a lens of experiences, behaviors, and feelings that effect your today. Moreover, as a Gestalt therapist I will work to facilitate an authentic working relationship with you that is respectful, inquisitive, and aware of dynamics in the here-and-now.
{Multicultural Therapy} supports the idea that each one of us has an identity(ies) that has shaped who we are and how we interact with the environment around us. I believe that part of a successful therapeutic relationship is exploring the question “Who are you?” I welcome the exploration and affirmation of clients’ multiple identities such as gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, ability/disability status, veteran status, and spirituality.
{Reality Therapy} helps clients focus on problem-solving and ability to make different choices in order to achieve specific goals. Together, you and I will work toward understanding what your wants are and how current behaviors may hinder or help the fulfillment of goals. I believe that by focusing on what behaviors one can change or alter, people can become more empowered to improve their present as well as their future.
