Ali Cortes, LMFT
Therapist. Educator. Community Healing Advocate.
Healing is deeply personal — but it is never separate from our relationships, our culture, our communities, and the experiences that have shaped us.
Hola! I am Ali Cortes, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, educator, clinical supervisor, and the founder of Bienestar Counseling & Wellness Collective. For over a decade, I have had the honor of walking alongside individuals, families, youth, educators, and communities as they navigate trauma, grief, identity, life transitions, and the many challenges that impact our wellbeing.
My work as a therapist extends beyond the therapy room. I believe mental health care should be accessible, culturally responsive, and rooted in community. Throughout my career, I’ve supported individuals in schools, community organizations, crisis settings, and clinical environments while helping build systems that foster resilience and healing.
A Therapist Rooted in Collective Healing
My journey into this work is deeply connected to my own cultural roots and my commitment to serving communities that have historically experienced barriers to mental health care.
Heritage & Perspective
I am a daughter of Mexican heritage, with roots connected to Tenochtitlan—now Mexico City—and the rich traditions of Mexico. My heritage has shaped how I understand healing, resilience, family, and the importance of honoring the stories we carry.
I understand the complexity of balancing cultural expectations, generational patterns, identity, and creating a different future while honoring where we come from.
My Philosophy
As a therapist, I strive to create spaces where people feel seen in their full humanity — where their culture, language, family history, and lived experiences are not obstacles to healing but essential parts of the healing process.
Together, we honor the experiences that have shaped you while creating space for healing, growth, and a deeper connection to yourself.
Therapeutic Approach
My approach is grounded in trauma-informed care, family systems therapy, liberation psychology, and culturally responsive practices. Together, we explore both the sources of pain and the resilience, wisdom, and strengths already within you.
I support clients navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, relationships, identity, cultural and generational conflicts, life transitions, burnout, and feelings of disconnection or overwhelm.
Beyond the Therapy Room
Throughout my career, I have been committed to expanding access to mental health education and community wellness. Through Bienestar, I offer therapy, workshops, trainings, and community wellness experiences that recognize healing as both an individual and collective process. My experience includes:
Providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples, families, and youth
Supporting schools, educators, and communities through mental health initiatives
Leading crisis response and psychological first aid efforts
Training and teaching emerging therapists, helping professionals, and graduate students
Creating culturally responsive wellness spaces focused on healing, connection, and resilience
Ali Cortes, LMFT
The Heart of My Work
I believe people are not defined by their struggles.
Behind every symptom is a story.
Behind every survival strategy is a reason.
Behind every person is a source of wisdom, strength, and resilience.
My role as a therapist is to walk alongside you with compassion, curiosity, and respect — helping you reconnect with yourself, your relationships, and the life you want to create.
Healing is not something we do alone.
It happens through connection, belonging, and being witnessed.
This is the heart of Bienestar.
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Insurances accepted
