Erika Lopez

I grew up in an environment where I consistently felt invalidated and unheard which was a painful experience. I struggled with self-esteem, relationships, behavioral issues, and personal trauma because of this. I was lucky enough to find a few safe adults that saw me struggling and were patient in teaching me valuable skills on how to survive emotionally, mentally, and physically. Once I found my own way to therapy and began to experience what it felt like to be heard, understood, and cared for, my outlook changed for the better. I may not be able to prevent others from experiencing the pain that I did but I find solace in helping to teach my clients skills to cope better and heal from the pain they've experienced. Life is too short to spend suffering being unhappy and unfulfilled. Being able to show and provide my clients with a healthy, supportive and educational relationship is one of my favorite things about being a therapist. I hope to help clients the way I was helped so that they too can experience life being happy, feeling heard and understanding that they matter. I've completed the following trainings and are continuing to train in: DBT Foundational Training with Behavioral Tech (2022) CAMS Certification (2022) Treating Emotional Avoidance in Stage 1 DBT: Using Informal Exposure Strategies (2022) SIFI Certification (2022) DBT-A Training with Behavioral Tech (2023) Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention for OCD - CTSA of UPENN (2023) RO-DBT Levels 1 & 2 Training (2024-On Going) Education Fordham University, Bronx NY, Masters in Social Work, 2019 Molloy College, Rockville Centre NY, Bachelors in Social Work, 2018 Nassau Community College, Garden City NY, Associates in Human Services, Sociology and Anthropology, 2016