Meet Angela, the human behind Tacocat Wellness…
Angela (they/she) is a Filipino, Queer, and Autistic individual residing in the Pacific Northwest with their spouse and two cats, Fitzgerald and Louise. They spent their childhood in Southern California, as the eldest child in two blended families. Angela has experienced interpersonal violence, poverty, and firsthand inequities within the judicial and social service systems.
It is through their lived experiences that Angela has come to understand the importance of and need for trauma-informed care.
Angela’s academic background includes undergraduate coursework in nursing sciences, psychology and Deaf studies. Her graduate coursework includes clinical psychology and behavioral sciences.
For over a decade, Angela has worked in the field of disability services, in both administrative and clinical roles, primarily for non-profits. Although Angela initially intended to pursue a career as a board certified behavioral analyst (BCBA), it was after learning of the harm caused by the principles of applied behavior analysis, along with the human rights violations associated with aspects of the clinical ideology that led her to reevaluate her “why”.
After some soul searching and reeducation, Angela has transitioned their clinical practice and ideology to encompass trauma-informed care through a somatic lens and has since completed certifications in -
Applied Polyvagal Theory
Embodied Social Justice
Embodied Conflict Resolution & Non-Violent Communication
Integrated Somatic Trauma Therapy (ISTT)
Intuitive Eating Counseling
Psychedelics & Somatics
Somatic Stress Release™
Somatic Attachment Therapy
Angela is also a kink aware professional (KAP) and a certified yoga instructor, specializing in trauma-informed Yin, Restorative, and Nidra practices, with certifications in therapeutic polyvagal yoga & yoga for sexual assault survivors.
Angela’s Approach
First and foremost, my approach is trauma-informed. For me that means seeing people as their whole, authentic selves; validating their lived experiences, allowing them to be the experts of their own lives, and creating authentic connections. Seeking support can be really overwhelming and scary for some; I use a relational approach, drawing not only from my education and professional experiences, but also from my own personal life. Before I’m a therapist, I’m a person, just as those I support are people before they are clients.
A note about safety
I’ve got a lot, like A LOT A LOT, of feelings about safety! Trauma healing, somatics, and relational work are centered around orienting to safety. When folks call a space “safe” I feel as though there’s an inherent (yet generally unintentional) expectation by the space holder that those in the space “feel safe”.
We often hear "this is a safe space" without those facilitating realizing that fundamentally, they're in a position of authority, and may not understand the nuances of orienting to safety for those who hang out at the intersection of marginalized and minimized identities.
I don't get to decide what safety looks or feels like for others. As practitioners, educators, & space holders, we have a responsibility to acknowledge that OTHERS can name a space as “safe” for themselves but we are not entitled to do that for them, nor is it appropriate to expect that others feel safe in the spaces we hold.
My hope it that the folks I support will find the tools I provide helpful on their journey towards orienting towards and closer to safety.
