Meet María Cristina Borges, LMFT

Move from overwhelm and self-doubt.

Create an intentional and joyful life.

Somatic therapy for anxiety and stress in Oakland and online across California

  • You're looking for support because you feel overwhelmed and you wonder if it’s possible to let go some of the pressure and feel some ease.

  • Maybe going nonstop for so long has started to take a toll on your body, your health and your relationships

  • Or, is self-doubt keeping you stuck in a loop between procrastination and periods of pushing through?

On the outside it seems you have it together, but inside your body might be telling a different story.

I can tell you, there’s nothing wrong with you. Capitalism, patriarchy, colonialism and white supremacy are out there making you feel there’s something wrong with you or that pushing through it’s the only option.

Anxiety and chronic stress are signals pointing towards the parts of you yearning to be tended and that want to break free from society’s harmful messages.

You don’t have to figure this out alone!

I know healing happens with support and connection, not in isolation.

In addition to the thoughts you have during moments of stress and anxiety, you might notice that the body is feeling a lot too. This is because the mind and the body are interrelated.

I like to say, “slow down… pay attention… feel… liberate” as way to put words to what often happens in somatic therapy. Different from traditional talk therapy, this practice of mindful awareness can help you feel more present and tap into your own inherent healing capacity as you find relief from anxiety and chronic stress as you embody your authentic, self-compassionate, courageous, and creative self.

With the support of trusted practitioners, I have personally experienced the healing power of somatic work. It’s one of the reasons I’m dedicated to supporting others to access the healing of this powerful holistic practice.

I will meet you where you are at and we will create a process unique to you.

There’s not a wrong place to start.

A little about my trajectory:

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. While being a psychology student in the University of Puerto Rico, I also was a bodyworker. Personally experiencing the healing power of working with the body, lead me to move to San Francisco in 2004 to learn more about the body-mind relationship and become a somatic therapist.

My experience living in the diaspora shapes how I understand what it’s like to move in between worlds, the experience of belonging, transitions, and the meaning we give to “home”. I dearly hold how the dance of disruptions and reconnections with family, community and the land affect us.

As a Boricua, I understand first hand the impact colonialism and other forms of oppression, as well as privilege, have in our minds, bodies, and relationships. In my practice I want to consciously resist the split between the personal and the social often created by traditional individualistic models of therapy. Capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, colonialism shape our experiences and are root causes of trauma. For me, personal healing and collective liberation go hand in hand.

Who I am outside of my therapy practice is not separate from how show up to sessions. I’m an artist at heart so creativity and art are part of my healing journey. Don’t be surprised if I invite you to scribble something during our sessions. I dance and sing by myself and with community, walk in the company of the redwood trees regularly, and feel a lot too!

Focusing on

Anxiety and Stress

Somatic Therapy

Internal Family Systems

My background

I’ve spent over 15 years practicing somatic therapy.

    • B.A. Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico

    • M.A. Counseling Psychology/Somatic Psychology from Califfornia Institute of Integral Studies

    • CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

    • Somatic Experiencing Level 1

    • generative somatics - Somatics & Trauma 1, 2

    • Movement for Trauma - Jane Clapp

    • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1

    • Mind-Body Coaching Certificate - Embody Lab

    • Internal Family Systems Level 1

    • Child-Parent Psychotherapy - Child Trauma Research Program UCSF

    • Massage Therapy & Bodywork Certification - Puerto Rico Massage & Bodywork Institute

Tell me what you long for.

Let’s move towards that!