Javonna Arriaga

She/Her M.S. LMFTA

My work focuses on relationships and families with a special appreciation for LGBTQIA+, multicultural, kink, and polyamorous systems. In our work, I will hold space for you in any and all of your forms. I will support you in reconnecting with yourself and your community. Together we will create a container for you to embody the truest versions of yourself. My therapeutic modalities include Solution-Focused, Narrative, Bowen Family System, and Trauma-Informed models with a focus on decolonial and Indigenous frameworks.

What You Can Expect

As your therapist, I will provide a space for all of you including your joy, pain, fear, courage, and compassion. The world we live in can be overwhelming at times, with an overload of information, divisive news outlets, and challenges to our ability to connect with one another. I am passionate about working alongside you to find a way to reconnect with yourself and your communities.

Through my own healing work and my Master of Science in Couples and Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL, I have realized that so many of our struggles originate with the expectations of society, our families, and the stories that we believe about ourselves. Identifying and exploring our narratives is an integral part of the process. We get to decide what stories we believe about ourselves; we have agency to make change in our lives.

My Story

I was born in Tucson, AZ but mostly raised in Denver, CO. I lived in Seattle for a decade where I attended University of Washington. While I was born in the US, I am Afro-Peruvian, European, and Panamanian, and am from the Chiriqui and Moche peoples. I bring a wide range of work experiences to the table including project management and youth development work. Additional experiences with systems that have benefitted me as a therapist include immigration, foster care, correctional, mental health. My love for therapy started with my experience as a client. I worked with therapists who didn’t look or have experiences like me and while I found relief, I didn’t feel the depth I needed to truly heal. This awareness and awakening are what inspired me to become a therapist.

Interests

I have my Bachelors in Theater Performance and have been performing since I was 13 years old. I love Shakespeare and weird avant-garde performance art. I have a big soft spot for the Burlesque and showgirl art forms, as well as other performance arts that explore sexuality, like Shibari. I love board games, especially chess. I have traveled all over and plan to continue doing so as much as possible. I love astrology and all things spiritual. I am also a novice gardener and am part of a sweet community garden learning to grow my own food.

Books I Suggest

Upcoming November 2022 – BIPOC Brainspotting 3 Day Phase 2 – John R. Edwards, LCSW; Linnea Swanson, LMFT
Trauma-Sensitive Breathing Techniques – Resonant Relationships
Trans Sexuality – Resonant Relationships
Stepping Outside of the Self-care Box: Self-Compassion – Ellen K. Carruth, PhD, LMHC, NCC
Subclinical eating disorder, disordered eating & body image awareness – Resonant Relationships
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Resonant Relationships
An intro to DBT – Resonant Relationships
BIPOC Brainspotting 3 Day Phase 1 – John R. Edwards, LCSW; Linnea Swanson, LMFT
Disability 101 – Resonant Relationships
Autism and Neurodiversity – Resonant Relationships
Supporting Clients through Alternative Paths to Healing – Resonant Relationships
Slaying the Dragon PC & The Fairy Tale Model of Trauma Treatment – Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute

Javonna Arriaga

She/Her M.S. LMFTA

What You Can Expect

My Story

Interests

Books I Suggest

Trainings

Schedule a meeting with Javonna Arriaga

Contact Info