About Roubina Centeno
My Journey To Private Practice
I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California. After over a decade of work in community mental health I realized I had zero patience for the politics of agency work and decided to take a the leap and expand my private practice to full time. So with only a handful of clients, in the beginning of 2015, I submitted my resignation from a managerial role and have loved working with clients ever since.
Specialties
I specialize in maternal mental wellness including perinatal and postpartum anxiety, ocd and depression; I have a special interest in working with life transitions (good ones too), grief and loss, trauma, and how ADHD impacts your mood.
When I'm Not Working...
You can find me at live music venues, art shows, playing with my puppy (okay, grown dog), at farmers markets with my family, refining my foodie taste buds, or at home creating beautiful jewelry from copper wiring (which you’ll often see me wearing in sessions).
Approach And Education
My Approach
My Approach
I work with a fusion of Solution Focused Therapy with a Family Systems touch and a sprinkle of Psychodynamic Theory. That means, we will work together to identify the problem and immediately begin brainstorming solutions to solve the problem. On that journey, we may identify family dynamics that contribute to the problem, along with experiences from earlier on in life that have shaped us. I have a sense of humor and utilize it in all domains of my life, and that means it stays with me as a therapist also. I also believe that sometimes, we just need a support system to be witness to our pain and struggle while we explore how to overcome it, and I'm happy to be that person for you.
For Prenatal and Postpartum Depression and Anxiety, we will of course identify factors contributing to how you are feeling and identify a holistic solution focused approach before anything else.
I am a paperless practice and therefore will complete all signatures through electronic signing.
Education
My Approach
A Little About My Education & Career
I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Science Degree in counseling (emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy) from Cal State Northridge. While working on my undergraduate degree I worked in an Elementary School as a teacher’s assistant (now called para-educator). When I began my master’s program I worked with 0-3 age group and their parents, which became one of my internships in graduate school and while earning my hours to take my board exam.
Since then, I have worked in a variety of community mental health settings providing individual, group and family therapy. I have also held positions of Clinical Supervisor, Assistant Director, and Consultant throughout the years. While my work in community mental health field was very fulfilling for a long period of time, I eventually realized I wanted autonomy and getting back to direct care.
I am trained in Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy & a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional.
Perinatal Mental Health Certification
Perinatal Mental Health Certification
I am a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional. The Perinatal Mental Health Certification is a structure for professional education and evaluation, and a standardization of training and experience for those seeking to specialize in perinatal mental health. The certification curriculum requirements build on existing evidence-based perinatal mental health certificate trainings, adding an advanced-training component. A practitioner who treats perinatal clients but hasn’t completed comprehensive coursework or trainings in this area can risk doing harm to mothers at a vulnerable time of life.
This nationally recognized comprehensive certification was developed by Postpartum Support International (PSI), whose purpose of the organization is to increase awareness among public and professional communities about the emotional changes that women experience during pregnancy and postpartum.