About Albania
Hi, I’m Albania. I’m a trauma-trained therapist and coach with over 13 years in the mental health field, supporting people of all ages in healing stress/burnout, anxiety, trauma and grief. As a survivor of complex life experiences, I bring a gentle, intuitive, compassionate, and lovingly-directive approach. I primarily work with BIPOC/Global Majority clients—especially Latinx/e women, highly sensitive, empaths—who’ve experienced attachment, cultural, and intergenerational trauma, stress and burnout, anxiety, and loss.
As the daughter of Guatemalan and Salvadoran immigrants who endured their own hardships, my mission is to help others build healthier, holistic relationships with themselves—to heal, grow, and positively impact future generations and the earth.
Before entering mental health, I worked in early bilingual education, which sparked my passion for helping children heal. I served families across the Bay Area facing complex trauma, then transitioned to supporting therapists and organizations after experiencing burnout and grief. This time deepened my healing journey and affirmed my commitment to holistic, natural approaches.
Today, I work as a Somatic Therapist and Coach, integrating Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Polyvagal and Internal Family Systems-informed practices, HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive tools, and spiritual exploration. I’m also a certified Chopra Primordial Sound Meditation teacher, blending mind-body-spirit healing in my work.
I am specifically grateful for the support of mentors, therapists, colleagues and teachers from different parts of the world, with diverse backgrounds and knowledge, I have been able to feel into my strength and have a greater somatic capacity and continue to cultivate a life of quality.
When I am not working with clients, you will find my living a slow life in nature, being with family, friends, and two cats, or traveling when I am able to. I enjoy listening and dancing to eclectic beats from all over the world and different genres.
License + Certifications:
CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, #94169
Certified Health Coach from Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN)
Chopra Certified Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher by Deepak Chopra
Certified Trauma-Sensitive HeartMath Practitioner
Certified Grief Educator by David Kessler.
Qualifications + Trainings:
Somatic Experiencing Training (Advanced I)
EMDR Trained and EMDRIA Member
Internal Family Systems-Informed Training
Polyvagal-Informed, Safe and Sound Protocol Trained
Intikhana Mentorship: Honoring the Medicine Path with Daniela Rojas
Values
Safety, consciousness, co-creation, radical-holistic responsibility & lifestyle, integration, culture, love, belonging, respect, heart-centered, empowerment, ease, & groundedness.
Mission
My mission at Holistika Embodiment is to help people have a healthier holistic relationship with themselves, so that they can overcome challenges and grow, thus positively impacting new generations and the world.
Stories Of Transformations
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"Albania's compassion and attentive guidance have helped me make life-changing progress in my mental health. I'm the kind of person who benefits most from feedback and tools and she's expertly provided both. Thanks to her help, I've been able to build better relationships with others I care for and myself. I'm especially grateful for the calming techniques she's taught me that I can take with me wherever I am in life to brave stressful moments better. I likely wouldn't have considered EMDR without her suggestions, either, and I'm grateful it's something she's able to provide in her practice. I can't recommend Holistika Embodiment enough. "
-M.S.
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"I came to therapy wanting to work on myself, my anxiety, body image and trauma. I worked with Albania for about a little over a year and I feel stronger, wiser and have found joy again! Thank you!"
-Marie.
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"Working with Albania has been one of the most fruitful experiences I've ever had. Over the months we've been working together I have felt safer to explore my mental wellness and how to take care of myself than I could have imagined. Developing the somatic practices and learning about the the various aspects that go into my mental health has been instrumental. Working with a therapist that comes from a similar background as me as been extremely impactful and I am extremely grateful for Albania and the resources she's provided me!
-C.G.
Modalities used:
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We know through research that trauma is stored in the body, and so healing begins there too. The body has the capacity to heal itself and renegotiate trauma, if we allow it to. Somatic Experiencing is a body-based approach created by Peter Levine, to set the just right conditions for your own unique nervous system, build tolerance, and know how to resource yourself when needed.
With SE tools, you find ways to honor your body, without over-pushing, avoiding, or being overwhelmed, and instead to build the resiliency to deal with challenges, as well receive more pleasure, joy, and ease with what is.
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HeartMath tools teach heart coherence for energy for management and self-regulation. It’s a trauma sensitive and informed approach to healing and living a life that is heart-lead and compassionate. Learning to bring the physical, mental, and emotional faculties into alignment, you increase your heart's intuition, health, and vitality. You learn to shift to a more emotional balance, clarity, and confidence.
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Every individual has different aspects (or parts) of themselves that show up in their life. In this approach, you will create understanding and relationship with the parts that, unconsciously, can create internal conflict. Through specific reflections and practices, you get to learn why they show up and how, as well how to resolve and integrate them in a new way that supports you in your life.
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Meditation is used in session to deepen the experience of integrating the aspects being processed unconsciously, as well as to enhance relationship with your Soul, Higher Self. For individuals who are new to meditation or feel like they are unable to, we teach you the tools to set you up for success when you begin to practice meditation.
Separately from the one-on-one, we teach and practice Primordial Sound Meditation for those interested, which is a meditation practice that originates from the ancient wisdom of India. Brought to the U.S. by Deepak Chopra and David Simon, Primordial Sounds - the basics, most essential sounds of nature - are used to disconnect us from the activity of life. These individually selected sounds, known as mantras, are based on the vibrations the universe was making at the moment of your birth. Unique mantras are given to use during meditation. Meditation practices, like Primordial Sound Meditation, helps to alleviate stress and increases health and vitality.
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Loss does not only occur when we lose a loved one, but can also occur in many ways during our life, and can activate similar thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, as when someone dies.
You can learn how to process loss and grief, and create a meaningful life. We apply the tools and teachings from David Kessler, renowned expert on grief and loss, to learn and apply to any part of our life.