Michelle Zaragoza, LCSW (she/ella), is a Ph.D. student in Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley. Centering on well-being among Latinx and immigrant communities, her research interests lie at the intersection of immigration and mental health. Her current work employs arts-based methods and storytelling to investigate the experiences and conceptualizations of mental health among Central American unaccompanied immigrant youth living in the Bay Area. Her research aims to better understand the lived experiences of Latinx communities to develop culturally relevant and trauma-informed social work practices, systems, and policies.
Michelle brings a relational perspective to her work, drawing from her experience as the daughter of Mexican immigrants and her exposure to traditional curandera and sobadora practices through her grandmother. With a background as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she has dedicated her career to serving Latinx immigrant communities in Los Angeles, California, offering holistic, somatic-based mental health support. Michelle graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills, where she earned a Master of Social Work Degree and holds two Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology & Social Behavior and Education Sciences from the University of California, Irvine.
Job title:
Ph.D. Student
Department:
School of Social Welfare
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