ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF
LISSETTE AREVALO
Since 2006, I’ve provided empathy, resources, and tools to the people I work with on the daily. I say it from my chest even when it's not convenient; and I believe that more than one thing can be true at any given moment-that's the power of "AND."
I am an intentional and genuine person who views my work as an honour and privilege. My lived experience adds integrity to my professional skills. I'm proud of where I've been and where I come from; and I'm blessed to be where I am today.
When you choose to work with me and share your story, you're giving me insight and time you'll never get back, so I treat it as such-rare and irreplaceable. Using kindness, care, and precision.
POSITIONALITY
My positionality is an important aspect of what I'd like you to know and consider when you're looking to work with me. Why? Well, I'm just a stop on your therapeutic journey and we should vibe during our time together. My lived experiences inform my values, ethics, and practices.
I identify as:
A proud Latina with Mestiza Indigenous heritage.
A former refugee of war and settler on treaty 7 land
A survivor of youth gang affiliation
A mother
A dedicated teammate and former athlete
A racialized woman
A former kid in care
An academic and research geek
A fluent speaker of Spanish language
“Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it seems to by keeping it's dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared.”― Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete