Name: Anisa Siddeeq
Position: Senior Mental Health Counselor
What led you to your current position: I've always wanted to get involved in work centering mental health and when I saw the opportunity to be a counselor, I thought it would be a great experience.
What inspires you to do this work: Some days are difficult in this work, but I believe in the impact of what we do and that is what keeps me grounded.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role: An important lesson I've learned in this role is accepting that you're human- it sounds silly but when you are in a position of being a role model it's hard to remember that. Showing up as my authentic self helps the students more than acting like you have it all figured out every single day. 
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: My life's motto is you don't have to show up perfectly because showing up as you are is enough. 

Name: Sarah Percy
Position: Clinical Intervention Specialist 
What led you to your current position? I started at Seneca 6 years ago as a Mental Health Counselor at Catalyst and was always drawn to the clinical piece of the work. I learned so much working in a Non Public School (NPS), including the difference that resources and early intervention can make for kids. I wanted to be a therapist and provide services to kids at the mainstream school level so that they don't reach the point of needing to go to an NPS or other more restrictive environment. 
What inspires you to do this work? ​I grew up in Oakland and attended Oakland public schools my whole life, so it feels meaningful for me to now be a clinician within the school system that I attended. As a student growing up and now a staff member in schools for many years, I have seen too many kids who have learned to believe that they are not good enough because they don't have what they need to be successful in schools.  I see my role as helping to empower kids to figure out what they need and what works for them so that they feel confident, capable and loved in their school environments.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? ​I have a client who I have been working with for the past 3 years whose progress has been amazing to see. In the past when triggered, she had a hard time managing her feelings safely. This year, we have seen her use her skills to self-regulate and maintain a safe body through each and every triggering situation that she has experienced. It has been such an honor to see her growth and also the pride that she has in herself. ​​
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: I don't have a life motto per say but I always try to remember to be kind to myself and others and to ground myself in the thought that we're all just doing the best that we can. ​

Name: Cristina Sanchez-Cruz
Position: Assistant Director of School Partnerships, UE West Bay
What led you to your current position? What leads me to my current position is my desire to grow as a leader, to utilize my voice toward systemic change and to support creating healing centered spaces.
What inspires you to do this work? Within my own adversity, I have learned how valuable it is to create and have a community behind you to support you in times of joy and hardship. My community has helped me to strengthen my voice, given me reassurance that I can overcome the challenges I am faced with and has provided me with so much care when needed. These experiences have inspired me to help build supportive communities for youth, families, and staff because I strongly believe that there is healing and empowerment within community and connection.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? I have learned so much since I started the role in July. However, one that I would like to highlight as Latinx woman and 1st year Assistant Director , is that it is okay to be nervous when trying to take up space, it is okay if my voice shakes, and it is okay if I don’t always know the answer. I am learning and growing and not aiming for perfection, instead aiming to elevate the voices of others and build supportive communities.
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself. Something unique about myself, I love and value creative expression, if it's through arts and crafts, photography, drumming, collaging! I love it all!

​Name: Yesabel (Yesi) Inga
Position: Bilingual Clinician
What led you to your current position? What brought me to this work is partly my idealistic side. What brought me to my current position is a deep sense of community, wanting to give back and being part of something bigger and meaningful. I started working at Seneca as a Mental Health Counselor knowing I wanted to become a therapist eventually. Once I got to see what Seneca had to offer, I created a career plan to become a well-rounded therapist. I started at JBA working with Middle schoolers, moved to CEC with MacSelpa at Tennyson High School, then Program Assistant & HIS with Mosaic Outpatient while I went to graduate school through the Seneca embedded program, did my internship with Mosaic Outpatient at Guy Emmanuel Elementary and I am now an All-In! therapist at Bridges Academy Elementary. It was the natural next step. It's been quite an exciting and adventurous ride! I have met truly amazing, knowledgeable people that inspire me to become a better therapist.
What inspires you to do this work? My inspiration to do this work comes from my family, my culture, and my ancestors. My parents and my sister are my biggest inspiration. My parents did so much for my sister and I; they were not just good enough parents, they gave us their all. They were not perfect, they made mistakes but in despite those mistakes, and life challenges they inspired us to persevere and to become helping hands to others. They intentionally broke intergenerational cycles of trauma, they worked multiple jobs and had side hustles to provide us with quality education and spent quality time with us, as much as possible. They migrated to the U.S. to keep us safe from terrorism, and to give us a chance at a better life. Against all odds, my sister and I went to Graduate school to be helpers/healers; my sister is an RN soon to be a Nurse Practitioner and I am an MFT. We were given so much love and support, we have a deep desire to give back to others, especially in our community, we want others to have a chance to have what we had and more. We want to be the people and professionals we needed when we were younger. The need for mental health is huge in the Latinx community and other communities of color, so I want to help break cycles of trauma, and poverty, I know I can do it through activism and quality mental health work. I want to help children become healthy and successful adults, be the best they can be, and I want to help parents heal so they can support their kids in that journey. I am a proud descendant of the Incas, and my inspiration also comes from my culture and my ancestors and all the ones that sacrificed and gave it all so I could be here.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work? The most recent highlight in the work has to be my recent trip to Houston to support at an unaccompanied minor’s shelter. I am not sure I can put into words the enormity of the impact and the many lessons learned during that week. There is a deep sense of heartbreak mixed with hope and resilience, sprinkled with disappointment and rage, and topped with compassion and a sense of pride that I'm still working through. I met so many inspiring young girls that had gone through so much in their short lives; they are the definition of survivors, resiliency, and hope. I also learned that compassion for children doesn't come natural to everyone, and there's a lot of work left to do so children don't have to live through unimaginable trauma, and be treated so poorly by be ones that are supposed to help them. One of the highlights was being surrounded by other caring Senecans that were as committed to provide hope, support, and compassion to hundreds of kids in crisis.
Share your life motto: "Lo vivido y lo bailado no te lo quita nadie" (what you've lived and danced can't be taken away by anyone)

Name: Doug Woodson
Position: Therapist
What led you to your current position? The path taken to my current position has traveled through the NPS schools, community outreach programs and currently enjoying supporting students and staff in a school partnership. I have come to realize no matter what part of Seneca you work in they are all providing valuable support and guidance for people in need.
What inspires you to do this work? My drive to do this work comes from personal trials that have led me to see the value of someone who can listen, encourage, and hold the experience of our young black and brown youth in a way that relates to their daily life. 
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work? I have been working with this family for over a year and building trust has been a journey of peaks and valleys. However, over the past 3 weeks both client and caregiver have been highly engaged in the therapeutic process while seeking mindfulness practices to become more grounded. I was so surprised I giggled out loud and then happily processed, guided, and equipped the family to practice mindfulness. 
Share your life motto: You’re a good deal... invest more into yourself.

Name: Vanessa Soria
Position: Clinical Intern
What led you to your current position? Before starting this position, I worked with youth navigating the juvenile justice system, and my experiences within this program definitely intensified my curiosity for school-based work. In my time working with the young people and their families, I kept hearing about and witnessing the challenges that many of my youth, especially youth of color, experienced in their school environments. For these reasons, I wanted to complete my clinical internship in a school-based setting. I want to work with others to build an environment that truly prioritizes student well-being, co-creates hope, and encourages the exceptional creative potential that our students have.
What inspires you to do this work? So many things! We have the privilege of being invited in by our students and their families to hear their stories, strengths, and struggles. Their stories full of strength, resilience, and hope constantly inspire me to continue to do this work. I am grateful I get to learn of and from our students and families while building these positive relationships. Additionally, I continue to be inspired by all those around me that continue to show up for our youth and bring their whole self to this transformative, but challenging work.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? A lesson that I have learned throughout the years, but was highlighted in this role, is the importance of advocacy and building community. The covid-19 pandemic gave a spotlight to the systemic barriers that harm families of color and this really highlighted the importance of advocating for and alongside these families. Additionally, the pandemic brought a lot of isolation for all of us. This highlighted the power of building positive relationships and community, as well as the importance of engaging in radical listening that builds a non judgmental and welcoming space.
Share your life motto: My life motto is "Sin Miedo" or without fear. Especially as a woman of color, I try not to let fear stop me from ensuring my voice is heard. I hope to empower the young people of color I work with to do the same.

The Diverse Learners Team (DLT) led by Dr. Tamarah Tilos, Seneca alum and fan favorite, coordinated the All-School Meeting for students, families, and staff on March 19 to highlight learning differences and re-introduce the skilled members of the DLT. This team has been working diligently on ways to support a culture of access and inclusion within the context of a hybrid model. The presentation included a guessing game to help familiarize the school community with staff members and their workspaces on campus. 

We are excited to continue working with NSSF next year and look forward to supporting their oldest students transition to 6th grade - middle school!

Name: Ali Manrique
Position: SpED Program Assistant
What led you to your current position? I'm really interested in the connection between psychology and education. I learned a lot working with students with IEPs last year as a mental health counselor. This year, I wanted to expand my knowledge on the process of IEPs and understand a more in-depth look at its compliance. I knew that most parents I'd work with were Spanish speaking, and I wanted to support families in feeling included in the IEP process despite the language barrier.
What inspires you to do this work? The IEP process can be a bit tricky at times but it's rewarding to know that I am helping in making the process more accessible for the parents and students I work with. Hearing and reading about the positive progress students are making in their educational goals makes me so proud  Within the operational side of my role, I'm inspired by my PA team who works really hard to maintain positive structure within our program, especially in times when there are things out of our control.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? An important lesson I've learned in this role is the importance of building positive and meaningful relationships within the workplace. Being in admin role can sometimes feel lonely (especially during WFH) but throughout it all I've met some wonderful people on my team who have helped me grow as a leader and expand my communication skills. Although I have not met most of my team in person, I feel a sense of community as I know we all strive to advocate for the students and families we work with. Whether it's hearing how a student is doing, checking in with a co-worker, or having impactful conversations in meetings, I'm grateful for it all.
Share your life motto: I always tell myself "one day at a time/un dia a la vez". Every day brings new rewards and challenges, and it's comforting to know that there is always a new day ahead.

Name: Louise Couzens
Position: Therapist/Clinical Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? I have always been drawn (pun!) to art therapy, as art was such an important form of expression and connection for me when I was younger, but it wasn't until I had the opportunity to work with children at a school for those with severe Autism, and later at our very own Building Blocks (Go Ladybugs!) that I fell in love with working with children and families.  I love how children use all forms of expression, behaviors included, to try and let us know what they are experiencing and what they might need, and in working at a school I really enjoy the challenge of translating those expressions for teachers and caregivers to better understand how to meet the children where they're at. 
What inspires you to do this work? Those 'aha' moments when a child connects to an idea or a person where they feel completely seen or understood.  And the breath that a caregiver can take when they no longer have to carry everything alone, if at least for just a moment.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? I wish I knew who originally said this, but always striving to work myself out of a job is an important lesson that I sit with often.  I work amongst so many amazing people, the children and caregivers included, who have so many strengths that if highlighted in the right way, children will see that they have all they need to cope with life's challenges, or if they're struggling, how to ask for and receive help from the right people around them.
Share something unique about yourself: I love drawing portraits to express people and emotions, and my BA is in printmaking (I LOVE lithography and the smell of ink!)

Name: Rachel Machtinger
Position: Bilingual Clinical Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? I never wanted to do a job where I was working for a company selling a product. That left me with a service-based job.  I love that there are ways to make a living in the world where your job is based around being in relationship with people. Being a therapist is one of a few very cool careers where your work is entirely devoted to supporting people in the deepest way, facilitating a space in which they can identify their most important human needs and explore themselves without pretense or shame.
What inspires you to do this work? I chose to work with kids because (I totally love them, and) they don't always get offered a space where they can be their true selves, as they are often put in situations where they are told to do things or accept things and don't get a chance to figure out how they feel about it. I think giving kids a space to fully have their own, authentic experience, and have that validated by an adult that sees them in their truth, is a mitzvah.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? This year, during Shelter In Place and Distance Learning, I learned the value of being with kids in person. I will never again take for granted that a kid is present at school, even when their hood is up and they are unresponsive with their head down at their desk.  Being there in body--that is huge.  I also learned that even when they are logged in to Zoom class with their camera and microphone off and not responding--they still logged in, and that is also huge. There is something they are getting out of coming to school, or logging in, even if they are not saying a word or doing a single math problem. We are still offering them something that is valuable to them, just by being there consistently and being our authentic, caring selves. And they are choosing to take us up on that.
Share your life motto: My life motto is "Part of the whole," which brings to my mind the image of a vast spider web. We are all connected and impact each other. We all have a small place (in the grand scheme of things) in which we belong.