Welcome—I'm Cynthia Pratt Peña. I’m not the kind of therapist who just helps you understand your past. I help you change your future.

With over 35 years of experience in the mental health field—as a researcher, clinician, and trauma-informed therapist—I bring a depth of insight and a grounded, compassionate presence to the work I do. My practice is rooted in the belief that while understanding your past is essential, insight alone doesn't create change. To truly heal and grow, you must also be willing to take ownership of your emotional experience, your mindset, and the patterns you want to shift.

That’s where our work begins.

I work with adults who are ready to move beyond survival—those who may carry long histories of anxiety, relational trauma, or emotional disconnection, but who also have the desire to live, relate, and feel differently. Whether you're a high-functioning professional, a care provider, or someone simply carrying too much for too long, I offer a therapeutic experience and relationship where insight meets action—and where change becomes possible.

My approach integrates EMDR, Polyvagal Theory, Sand Tray Therapy, and Attachment-Based Interventions, all through a lens that honors the nervous system and its adaptations. We'll look closely at the emotional blueprints you carry, but we won’t stop there. We’ll focus on building the capacity for new emotional experiences—so that connection, safety, and authenticity can become your new default, not just distant ideals.

Therapy with me is collaborative, but it’s also directive when needed. I’m here to guide, lead, and challenge you—not to rescue or fix, but to walk beside you as you do the brave work of becoming more whole. My lived experience, clinical training, and deep respect for the human spirit allow me to meet you where you are—while helping you move forward with intention. Healing is not passive. It requires clarity, courage, and commitment.

My practice is rooted in the belief that understanding your past is essential—especially when so many of us didn’t experience the emotional support, guidance, or safety when we needed it. But insight alone doesn’t create change. To truly heal and grow, we must also acknowledge the desire for a different emotional experience—and take gentle but deliberate ownership of how we show up, what we believe, and how we begin to shift long-standing patterns. Therapy becomes the space where you are supported, guided, and challenged to do that—not alone, but with a compassionate presence beside you.

My goal in therapy—and my personal belief as a therapist—is to be that guiding, supportive presence. To see you with the compassion and optimism you might not be feeling for yourself. I aim to offer you the agency to choose your own path, while also standing firmly beside you to help challenge old patterns, clarify what matters most, and support you in creating the emotional experience you truly want.

 

If you’re ready to work to create the life you want to be living, I’m here to help you do exactly that.