My story
Hi, I'm Claudia Cuentas. I'm a Peruvian bilingual and bicultural artist, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a researcher, an educator, a partner, and most importantly, a mom of two beautiful twins. What truly makes me wake up every morning is my family and my deep passions for teaching and exploring the connections between art, healing trauma, cultural identity, indigenous knowledge, and how we can decolonize our approach to healing. I have a Master's in Counseling Psychology, and I've trained in Drama Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Trauma-Informed Care. Plus, I've spent years deeply learning about Indigenous healing practices from my own Aymara and Quechua lineages in South America.
My journey started with a passion for art as a tool for healing and liberation. When I became a therapist after studying at the California Institute of Integral Studies, I knew I wanted to focus on serving immigrant communities, families, and children. I've worked with undocumented families, refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and women who have survived violence, especially those dealing with PTSD. Moving to Portland, Oregon, I joined the team at Conexiones, a Multicultural Center for Trauma Recovery. I've also completed parts A and B of the MDMA Therapy Training Program with MAPS, and I'm committed to ongoing learning about generational trauma, plant medicine science, eco-informed therapy, nervous system healing, and indigenous wisdom.
I also love leading workshops on cultural diversity and art as healing, and I host bilingual song circles for the community. I collaborate with amazing organizations like the Native American Youth Association, MILPA, and Adelante Mujeres, helping to develop programs on trauma recovery and Indigenous healing practices. I even had the chance to work as a consultant with the Ministry of Education in Peru, creating creative pilot programs to prevent violence in rural schools in 2017.
Today, I have a private practice in Portland, Oregon. I'm dedicated to continuing to provide ethical, educational, and integrated support to indigenous, black, brown, and immigrant communities as they heal from trauma. And, because music is such a vital part of my life, I'm also a recording musician, singer-songwriter, and the founder of the Canta Colibrí Project.
A Framework for
Holistic Healing
My humanistic framework weaves together leading therapeutic modalities—including Trauma-Informed Care, Attachment Theory, and Somatic Experiencing—with the two pillars at the heart of my work: ancestral Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, and music.
This entire approach is guided by the core Indigenous principle of 'Ayni'—the sacred reciprocity and interconnectedness that sees nature as our ultimate guide. This philosophy is the foundation for everything I offer, creating a truly holistic path to healing.
Training & credentials
-
Master of Arts, Counseling Psychology
California Institute of Integral Studies
Emphasis in Drama Therapy / Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) / Counseling
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Credential ID & State
Bachelor of Arts, Education and Music
California State University, Chico
Associate of Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences,
Butte College
-
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP)
Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute
MDMA-Assisted Therapy Training
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Movement and Expressive Arts Therapy Certification
Tamalpa Institute
Trauma-Informed Care
(specific certificate, list it here.)
-
Languages: Fluent in English & Spanish
Ancestral Lineage: Aymara and Quechua traditions from South America.
Know yourself :
To heal yourself
To align yourself to purpose
To be in service.