Thanks to her father’s encouragement, she has treasured international experiences since a very young age. It all began with a summer in Ireland at the age of 13, doing a full immersion with a host family in Dublin. The following summers were filled with American adventures in Maryland, Seattle, and Orlando. The 4th of July remains etched in her memory, along with the taste of red crabs, and to this day, she is still in touch with her “American sis” from Duvall. Lidia is passionate about books, a love of reading that runs in her maternal family, and it was through literature that she found her way into forensic psychology. Those criminology books sparked her interest in human nature.

She graduated in Psychology from the Complutense University of Madrid, and it was during her second year of university that the Covid-19 pandemic impacted her studies, leading her to discover her vocation for helping others by supporting them in times of greatest difficulty through volunteering with SAMUR-PC. Since then, ambulances and emergency care have become a fundamental part of her life and a great learning experience in knowing how to intervene in crisis situations. Today, she is a squad leader and coordinates volunteers in event assistance while also providing psychological services within the organization.

Upon finishing her undergraduate degree, she did her internship at a psychology clinic, where she discovered another approach—emotional systemic therapy—which enriched her foundation in cognitive-behavioral therapy. That same year, she enrolled in the Master´s in General Health Psychology at the European University of Madrid to achieve her goal of treating patients at a psychotherapeutic level. During her internship, she had a class with Gema Rubio and realized that she could train in an international environment in Madrid while recovering her command of English. During her internship, she had the opportunity to be mentored by a specialist in EMDR and decided to deepen her training in attachment and trauma. Today, Lidia treats past wounds that cause issues in the present (such as a difficult childhood, the loss of loved ones, complicated family relationships, or extraordinarily challenging events we have lived through).

At the same time, inspired by a class on the subject, she decided to expand her knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through a Master’s program and became certified to administer the ADI-R and ADOS diagnostic tests.

For a year, Lidia worked in the suicide prevention and care service of the Spanish Red Cross (024). This, along with her experience in crisis intervention, makes her an ideal professional to support individuals grieving from suicide loss and those struggling with thoughts of death or having attempted suicide in their past.

By the time she completed her internship, it was clear that we wanted to have her on board. Since joining the team, Lidia has been working as a university counselor, helping young adults with a wide range of challenges, including mood disorders, anxiety, grief, and family issues. She is also one of the professionals in the department who works with individuals on the spectrum, both during the initial stages of diagnosis, when the relief of making sense of their difficulties takes place, and later, offering support in organizing routines, adapting to changes, managing anxiety, and sensory overload.

Lidia works from an integrative perspective with a cognitive-behavioral base, but her priority is the relief of emotional distress. She creates a safe and comfortable space for her patients, where the therapeutic process they deserve can unfold. Moreover, by breaking down the language barrier and using two languages, she helps patients from all over the world access this process and feel supported in their personal growth.