Healing the heart, restoring connection, and renewing hope.

These words guide Nelly’s heart and work as a Marriage and Family Therapy graduate intern at Iona University’s New York-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences. Originally from Guatemala, Nelly carries a deep reverence for culture, faith, and the enduring strength of family. Her own story of migration and transformation has shaped her belief that healing is both an emotional and spiritual process, one that invites courage, humility, and grace.

Nelly works with individuals, couples, and families seeking to reconnect with themselves, with one another, and with the deeper meaning of their experiences. Her approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative, grounded in empathy, cultural humility, and spiritual sensitivity. Drawing from systemic and experiential models, she helps clients uncover the patterns that influence their relationships and guides them toward balance, resilience, and authentic connection.

Rooted in the understanding that emotional maturity and spiritual maturity grow together, Nelly views therapy as sacred work, a space where faith and psychology meet, where pain transforms into wisdom, and where hope becomes a steady companion on the path toward wholeness.

Her journey between cultures has deepened her empathy for those seeking belonging, identity, and strength across different worlds. Nelly creates a gentle and inclusive space where clients can find safety, reflection, and renewal.

She holds special interests in trauma recovery, intergenerational healing, and supporting couples through life transitions. Above all, Nelly is passionate about walking alongside those who long to heal and grow, helping them rediscover the light of their purpose, the strength of their spirit, and the beauty of becoming who they were created to be.