Ana Bulnes, LCSW

“My clients often gain a lot of insight and start to see improvements and results from the work after one month.” I have enjoyed being a clinical social worker for 22 years and the work of helping individuals and families cope with life's challenges has been my primary focus. I remember being the kid in junior high who everyone confided in; I was always a natural listener. My interest in human behavior and natural curiosity about solution-focused strategies were always there. I have worked in the medical system, community mental health, and schools as well as in private practice with individuals and families. My intake process can take one to two sessions, as I like to gain a solid idea about personal history, family relationships, and the events that bring clients to the present needs and challenges. My clients often gain a lot of insight and start to see improvements and results from the work after one month. Many clients find being heard and accepted very helpful from the beginning. I ask a lot of questions but also love to listen. I do assign reading homework to help clients stay engaged in the therapeutic process outside of counseling hours. I enjoy working with all kinds of clients (every person is a universe), but it does help when individuals are ready to do the work. I am constantly engaged in continuing education. Lately, I have recently been trained in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) -a very effective therapy for a variety of challenges and I am very excited to be able to offer this service. Over my career, I have taken courses on how to best treat past trauma, anxiety, and focus and attention challenges in ADHD. I am interested in learning more about how to address and respect challenges related to neurodiversity in every area of mental health. I am very aware of the need for multicultural sensitivity in my scope of practice. Being a person of color, a Latina female, and neurodiverse myself makes me highly aware of the need to respect, explore, and create a safe space for the differences in all of us. I enjoy creating a space in which my clients can be themselves and grow from there. I am very excited about the growing scope of telehealth, as it provides many mental health services to those who might not be able to participate due to distance and transportation obstacles. I really love how virtual access has made mental health care a reality for many who really need it. “Being a person of color, a Latina female, and neurodiverse myself makes me highly aware of the need to respect, explore, and create a safe space for the differences in all of us.”