Meet Sergio

---

I was born in Central America, El Salvador. I immigrated to the United States in the early 1990s when I was six years old after the passing of my aunt who was my caretaker. I arrived in Los Angeles to live with my parents whom had immigrated five years prior. I attended grade school in Los Angeles California and graduated High School in Eagle Rock in 2002.

After high school, I attended college at California State University, Northridge where I earned bachelor of arts in psychology in 2008. After graduation I was accepted into graduate school at Occidental College in Los Angeles where I earned a master's degree in teaching liberal studies and a multiple subjects teaching credential. During my training as a teacher I student taught the second grade. 

After graduate school I was hired by the Los Angeles Unified District  in 2012 where I taught special education in a self contained classroom for students with multiple severe disabilities. While in the evenings and at night I participated in the Los Angeles Unified School District program where I earned two more teaching credentials. One that enables me to work with students with moderate-to-severe disabilities and another to work with students with mild-to moderate disabilities.

Soon after I was accepted at Azusa Pacific University to participate in their clinical psychology master's program with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy. During that time I also earned two associate licenses one in marriage and family therapy and one in professional clinical counseling. As part of my clinical training I completed my practicum at the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic in Silver Lake and remained there to complete over 3,500 hours after graduation in 2017. 

Under the tutelage of Dr. Robbert Schalekamp, the clinical director of the psychotherapy department at the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic I provided services to clients from various backgrounds including children, teens, adults, families, couples, newly arrived immigrants, children with disabilities, court ordered clients, musicians, actors, teachers, doctors and more.

Today I find myself  teaching history and science at the middle school level. I also maintain a bilingual psychotherapy and professional counseling practice that  provides remote tele-health services by video or phone in English and Spanish.  When I am not working I enjoy travel, fishing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, weight lifting, breeding miniature chickens, playing with my dogs and cat but most of all raising my five year old daughter. 

Thanks for reading!