StarVista’s Program Spotlight Series
Get an in-depth look into StarVista’s programs and learn more about our role in strengthening the mental health and well-being of San Mateo County.
Women’s Enrichment Center
Established in 2000
StarVista’s Women’s Enrichment Center (WEC) is designed to address the unique needs of women in recovery. Understanding that substance use and mental health issues often occur together, WEC integrates treatment for both into its program. With the support of the WEC community, we help clients increase their sense of competency and improve their quality of life. Learn More
Did you know? StarVista CEO, Sara Larios Mitchell, Ph.D., MACP, received her first position at StarVista with the Women’s Enrichment Center.
Meet a StarVista Staff Member!
Mental Health Clinician
Women’s Enrichment Center
The StarVista Core Value I connect with the most: Innovation Hello! My name is Daniella and I am a Mental Health Clinician and Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at the Women’s Enrichment Center, where I provide both group and individual therapy to women in recovery.
I was drawn to working at the Women’s Enrichment Center because I believe specialized programming for women in recovery is essential for effectively responding to gender-based oppression and the way that this directly impacts the substance use and trauma that shows up in women’s lives. Women in recovery often have co-occurring experiences with being survivors of gender-based violence, challenges with body image and disordered eating, poverty, and houselessness that are tied to the social devaluation of women’s work and violence, in addition to distinct concerns related to women’s health care and mothering.
Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all process and the WEC program is tailored to address both the women’s material and mental health needs. As a clinician that shares some lived experiences with the participants of the program, I am proud to have the opportunity to extend my support for their recovery.
It is common to think of psychotherapy as an individual process that happens between one person and their therapist in a secluded office. However, this is only one way to approach work. What makes WEC special is its emphasis on the group therapy process, in addition to providing individual counseling. I want to start by saying that I deeply respect and love every individual client for their unique qualities and strengths. Their resiliency and insight inspire me each day.
I want to use this chance to highlight the distinct magic that happens when the women come together as a group. What stands out to me here is the culture of collective care they’ve developed with each other. I am continually inspired by their sisterhood and solidarity, as they move through their recovery journeys and build a compassionate community.
In the group process, the women have an opportunity to raise consciousness around their shared stories and to break through the pain and isolation that often accompanies addiction and trauma. The women are full of empathy and wisdom and often exchange strategies for survival and empowerment, lifting each other as they climb. The group offers a vital opportunity for clients to not be passive recipients of clinical treatment, but to be powerful agents of transformation within their own lives and in the lives of others. Their self-determination is both a marker of success and inspiration.
