Welcome to Blooming Hearts Therapy

At Blooming Hearts, our dedication lies in providing meaningful and compassionate support, whether for you, your child, or your organization. We understand the importance of finding a safe and nurturing environment for healing and growth.

Our approach is built on warmth, creativity, and collaboration, so that you feel fully supported and understood throughout your journey with us. We are committed to fostering a space where you can explore challenges, develop resilience, and achieve your goals.

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Meet Francisca

Francisca, wants you to know that she is a dedicated therapist, she loves what she does and brings a wealth of experience and training to her practice. With a warm and compassionate approach, she is present to support you and/or your child navigate life's challenges. Imagination, creativity and playfulness are wonderful vehicles for exploration and insight and an invitation to explore beyond the spoken word. Whatever brings you to this page, know that Francisca is here to support the journey to healing and growth.

Originally from Chile Francisca has lived in the northern hemisphere since 1999. She is fully bilingual in English & Spanish. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Chile and an MA in Design & Media Arts from England. Her training in therapy began in 2001 at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education in London. She furthered her studies by completing a three-year MA in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA, graduating in 2010. Francisca is continuously seeking new opportunities, training, and experiences to enhance and broaden her offerings as a creative therapist; - Between 2003 and 2013 worked in addiction recovery in London, UK, San Francisco, CA and Santiago, Chile. - Between 2004 and 2018 worked as a bilingual school counselor, public schools in London, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Richmond and Oakland. - Starting 2010, presented clinical work and led workshops at national and international events in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Spain and the US including a keynote at the Universidad de Guadalajara's Clinical Psychology congress in 2013. - While in Chile in 2010-2012, she facilitated expressive arts therapy for refugee and asylum seekers. - In 2013, collaborated with Harambee Arts and Shakti Samuha to support women survivors of sex trafficking in Nepal. In the East Bay and more specifically she; - Served as a bilingual school-based counselor for public schools and as a Social-Emotional Specialist at Escuela Bilingue Internacional, an IB school (2014-2018). - Ran a two year long expressive arts group at the Women's Cancer Resource Center in Berkeley (2018-2020). - Performed psychosocial immigration evaluations and treatment for victims of crime through community agencies and the California Victim's Compensation Program. - In 2017 , began working for OLAS Sanctuary program supporting LGBTQ+ LatinAmerican Refugees. - Was adjunct faculty at the MA in Counseling Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy program at CIIS in San Francisco (2020-2021). - Co-founded Colectivo Mujer Despierta - Women's retreat initiative for growth in community. - Formed Alma Luz Retreats - Transformative nature-based creative experiences. Currently Francisca runs Blooming Hearts Therapy, is the clinical director for the OLAS LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Project, continues collaborations with like hearted practitioners while unfolding her vision for meaningful ways integrate nature, animal-enhanced therapy and the arts in her offering.

Practice Worldview

Integrative Model

An integrative psychotherapy model that benefits from various approaches to meet diverse needs. Areas of focus are relational and systemic understandings, emotional literacy, social-emotional awareness, and self-regulation towards emotional intelligence. Psychological world views of resonance are attachment theory, relational, narrative therapy, person-centered, existential, solution-focused, gestalt and some CBT.

Trauma Informed

Trauma-informed therapy is an approach that acknowledges the widespread effects of trauma. Identifies its symptoms and explores their underlying causes. This understanding supports a safe and supportive environment whilst addressing individual experiences and needs and fostering healing and resilience

Expressive Arts

Expressive Arts therapy, offers creative modalities to deepen exploration and insight. Some of the modalities are visual arts, movement, poetry, music, dance, theater, spoken word and mixed media amongst others. For children, in addition to such modalities, options to explore therapeutic games and stories, sand tray, pretend play and playful joining in.

Professional Exchange

Profesional meetings, conferences, and training sessions offer an excellent opportunity to discuss pertinent clinical work, methodologies, and discoveries. They also serve as an engaging platform for networking with fellow professionals. Francisca began sharing her work in 2010 at the inaugural Art Therapy Congress in Spain. Since then, she has presented at numerous international and national conferences, seminars, congresses across various countries, including Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and the US. She presents in Spanish and English.

Shared work at presentations, trainings and workshops August 2020, 2021 Adjunct Faculty at California Institute of Integral Studies, School of Professional Psychology and Health, Expressive Arts Program, San Francisco, CA. May 2020 Online forum presenter for The Fountain Project: Strategies to Support the Emotional Health of Kids and their Caregivers During the Coronavirus Pandemic. March 2018 Trainer at Seeds of Aawareness Inc. Community agency, Oakland, CA July 2015 Workshop facilitator at counseling program course, Chabot College, Hayward, CA Feb 2015 Workshop facilitator for foster parents, City of San Francisco. San Francisco, CA Dec 2014 Speaker at Teleton for the Art Therapy program's annual seminar, Santiago Chile. July 2013 Keynote speaker and workshop presenter at 10th Interdisciplinary Congress, Summer School of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, University of Guadalajara, Lagos de Moreno, Mexico March 2013 Co-facilitated a workshop at 10th Biennial International Conference Expressive Arts in the Winds of Change, Berkeley CA Sept 2012 Presented at VII Ibero-American Congress of Clinical and Health Psychology, Cordoba Argentina August 2012 Presented at 11th Congreso Chileno de Psicoterapia (Chilean Psychotherapy Congress), Reñaca Chile August 2011 Co-lead presentation and workshop at 9th Biennial International IEATA Conference, International Expressive Arts Therapy Organization, Lima Peru July 2011 Co-presented at 10th International Narrative Therapy and Community Work Conference, Salvador, Brazil Nov 2010 Co-lead presentation at Expressive Therapies Summit: Time Square, New York, USA October 2010 Presented and led a workshop at IX Congresso Brasileiro de Arteterapia. 9th Brazilian Art Therapy Congress. Art Therapy in the 21st century: Diversity and professionalism, Sao Paulo, Brazil March 2010 Presented lecture and poster at 1er Congreso Nacional de Arte Terapia FEAPA, Girona, Spain

Services

Our services range from individual psychotherapy sessions to facilitating Expressive Arts groups retreats. We provide clinical trainings, talks, workshops, experientials and consultation. We have extensive experience supporting kids and their families as well as grown-ups in all iterations.

Individual Therapy
Kids & Adults

Sometimes, we need someone to listen and help us understand our experiences, find meaning, and overcome challenges. For children experiencing family changes, behavioral challenges, or those who could benefit from social-emotional skills for self-regulation, or need to work through trauma, depression, and anxiety. For adults facing life transitions, significant changes, relocation, hardships, anxiety, depression, or general unhappiness, I am here to support you.

Parenting Support

It often requires a collective effort to support our children effectively. To ensure we stay connected and in our objectives, we hold monthly parent meetings while working with your child. Additionally, we provide personalized parenting sessions tailored to your specific needs at your chosen pace.

Retreats & Group Work

Collaborative experiences can be both transformative and enriching. Engaging in expressive arts group work brings this to a deeper level of insight and meaning. We are passionate about facilitating group work through arts. We value the connections between art, nature, spirituality. We provide various formats, ranging from half-day local experiences to immersive weekend retreats away from the city lights.

Consultation/Training

Teaching, training and facilitating workshops are very enjoyable. We offer a variety of training topics. At the center of our interest is emotional literacy development towards emotional intelligence and trauma-informed support, through expressive arts.

Watch this space for more to come about Nature, Creativity and Spirituality

Collaborations

We are excited to collaborate with fellow heartminded facilitators, therapeutic allies, medicine people and colleagues to create rich, vibrant and meaningful offerings to our community, organizations and institutions.

Community

We are committed to supporting our community through advocacy, mentoring, and counseling. We integrate private practice with community services; having assisted victims of violent crimes through the California Victim Compensation Program, evaluated asylum and refugee cases, and led arts groups at the Women Cancer Resource Center, We know how important it is to remain active in our community. Currently, Francisca serves as the clinical director for the OLAS Sanctuary Program, and organizes women's retreats and community workshops in the Bay Area.