Mischa is a social worker, therapist, facilitator, survivor of violence and relational trauma, and believer in the power of relational healing for lasting social change. Mischa has learned through personal and professional experience that healing can happen when the body, heart, and mind simultaneously know, even for a moment, that they are cared for, listened to, respected, and belong. Her own journey with anxiety, dissociation, and self-harm has taught her that healing can be slow, messy, and seemingly repetitive, but it can happen!

 

Mischa grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, where she first experienced a deep and enduring connection with the natural world. After pursuing studies in linguistics and outdoor education, she moved to the Bay Area in 2011 to begin a career in youth development and nonprofit work. Over time, she realized that she was drawn to this field as much to understand and heal herself as to help clients do the same. With this shift in perspective from ‘I’m here to help you’ to ‘we’re in this together’, she decided to obtain a Master’s in Social Work with the goal of becoming a licensed therapist. 

 

Mischa has worked with Outward Bound, Summer Search, Jobs for the Future, LYRIC Center for LGBTQQ+ Youth, and CIIS, as well as completed clinical internships at the UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic and Instituto Familiar de la Raza. She has played many roles in her professional work, including positions in direct service, facilitation, supervision, project management, and organizational leadership. In addition to serving as project manager at Healing Together, she is studying depth and psychedelic psychotherapy at Sage Institute.

 

Mischa identifies as trans, White-bodied, ethnically Jewish, and able-bodied. She enjoys dancing, writing, spending time outdoors, reading, and cultivating authentic relationships with herself, her family (including her two cats!), and the various communities she is a part of.

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