Elisia Lopez-Mendiola (she/her)
As a multi-cultural woman of color, I understand the depth of our roots, our DNA, and what we as the seventh generation carry forward. We are who we’ve been waiting for, and we are right on time. I believe in our ancestors and their power to walk with us, to guide us, and empower us. I deeply believe that each of us carry within us the light and the capacity to heal, to grow, and to remove cycles from our lives. I invite and welcome you into this space to heal the child within and find your power to RISE again.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) committed to providing trauma-informed, person-centered, culturally appropriate care. I have both professional and lived experience with a wide spectrum of human challenges, including trauma, mood disorders, anxiety, social injustice, and addiction. After earning my BSW at Concordia University, I completed my master's degree in social work from Portland State University. My work history includes serving my community members/siblings who live with severe and persistent mental illness and related disorders, and also those who struggle with both systemic barriers and underlying feelings of shame, guilt, and fear. I have worked for DHS as well as housing programs and many agencies who specialize in supporting survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking in all capacities. Lastly, I have served as a clinical supervisor for a dedicated group of professionals working with youth experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+ life transitions, grief, survivorship of human trafficking, domestic violence, and systemic oppression.
In addition to direct clinical practice, I am passionate about educating and empowering the next generation of BIPOC and queer-identified humans. I believe deeply in inclusion, integrity, and the unity of all living beings, as we are STRONGER together. I seek to honor my ancestors in all that I do. In my free time, you'll find me walking the beach shore collecting the gems of the ocean along with the trash often left behind. If not there, I'm likely to be mentoring my survivor siblings or loving on my grandchildren.
I work with adults 18 years and older. My areas of specialty include the following: trauma and PTSD; anxiety; addiction; anger management; coping skills; grief; mood, impulse control, dissociative, personality, psychosis, and thought disorders; domestic and intimate partner violence; sexual abuse and addiction; dual diagnosis; human trafficking; life coaching and transitions; peer relations; self-esteem; stress; supervision; and other women's issues.
I practice clinical supervision, coaching, and motivational interviewing, along with the following therapeutic modalities: acceptance and commitment (ACT), attachment-based, cognitive behavioral (CBT), dialectical behavior (DBT), emotionally focused (EFT), existential, feminist, humanistic, multicultural, narrative, person-centered, solution-focused brief, and trauma-focused.
"I started therapy to address my PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Elisia has really helped me feel empowered to heal and truly be a survivor of my trauma. Elisia’s energy was a safe space for me, where I did not feel judged or ashamed of my thoughts and feelings, and trust me, I had a lot of shame. She has walked me through techniques to ground myself when I am feeling out of control and taught me to reframe my experiences. Elisia made me feel heard, valued, and loved in my darkest days. She truly cares about her clients and supporting us through our journey of healing."
