My work has always centered around one belief: everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and heard.
“While the embodied state of belonging is intimately and intricately subjective, the idea of belonging is recognizable to us all: to be wanted, to be welcomed, to be accepted, to be included.”
-Katharine Hargreaves
About Me
I am a Bay Area native, with my generational roots extending to Chile. I have worked in the realm of community mental health, serving youth, families, and single adults alike for over a decade. My work is about redefining service not as sacrifice, but as an authentic joyful offering.
I am always working to deepen my understanding of the systematic forces that cause mental health issues, pain, trauma, and suffering, in hopes of providing culturally competent and equitable services to those in need. I am committed to learning how to be a better conduit for change so that I can better inspire others to be agents of change.
Offerings
People I serve
Why Coaching?
When families, youth, and communities invest in my coaching and programs, the impact ripples outward in powerful and lasting ways, directly affecting the health of our overall community.
Youth can become empowered leaders of their own lives, learning to regulate their emotions, ask for help/support, identify and communicate their needs, make informed choices about their well-being, and show up authentically for themselves and others in healthy, meaningful ways.
Caregivers gain confidence and a renewed sense of connection as they learn to communicate with empathy, curiosity, and openness—meeting their children where they are as they grow and change. Together, we work to bridge the gap that often emerges as youth begin exploring who they are and what they believe, helping caregivers adapt their parenting approach in ways that foster trust, reduce conflict, and strengthen the bond between them and their child.
As families learn to communicate openly and navigate difficult conversations with care and understanding, they grow stronger. By equipping both youth and caregivers with the tools to listen, connect, support one another, and truly see each other, I help create family systems that are healthier and more supportive. These positive changes often ripple outward, encouraging other families as well as systems like schools to operate with greater fairness, compassion, and understanding.
You will want the positive changes you see within your family, to radiate outward to the community that holds you and is helping you to raise your child/children. Ultimately, this work helps shift the culture from isolation to connection, from judgment to understanding, and from simply surviving to truly thriving.
Experience
I have a long-standing, deeply rooted commitment to youth, families, equity, and community care. I am a youth and family coach with over 15 years of experience supporting young people and families through education, housing, wellness, immigration, incarceration, and mental health systems. My mission is to help individuals become the best versions of themselves by building on their strengths, validating their lived experiences, and creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces for growth and transformation.
With over a decade of providing culturally competent, social-emotional support to youth, she has a rare gift for building trust with teens and helping families reconnect across cultural divides. Her style of coaching is compassionate, grounded, and transformative—I would confidently recommend her to any family seeking guidance and growth.”
— Laura Hahn
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Valentina was my wellness center counselor from 2014 to 2016. With family troubles and teenage stress, I felt like I needed a release—and she connected me with a local surfing nonprofit. Together we started a surfing club that I’ve now been part of as a student and instructor for 10 years. It’s been life-changing.”
— Isaiah Bryan
Former Client, Age 24
If it weren’t for the relational trust Valentina built with our students, we would not have been able to support them the way we did. Her ability to connect and listen is something that can’t be taught.”
— Carley Amigone
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Beyond the classroom, Valentina has served as a connector for underserved families—bridging gaps and ensuring access to the resources and opportunities they deserve.”
— Araceli Cordova
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
