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About Geinel

Why I Created Honestly Speaking Solutions

Before I became a therapist, I spent over a decade working in higher education, tech, and community mental health.

No matter where I worked, I noticed the same thing.

The people who looked like they had everything together were often struggling in ways no one could see. They were brilliant, hardworking, successful, and quietly exhausted. They questioned themselves, felt disconnected, and wondered why the life they’d worked so hard to build still didn’t feel the way they thought it would.

I recognized it in my own community, where strength was often expected and vulnerability wasn’t always welcomed. People became so good at functioning that even they started to believe they were fine.

I knew that feeling. Not just as a therapist, but as a person.

That’s why I built Honestly Speaking Solutions.

I’ve seen people reach every goal they set and still feel empty. I’ve felt it too. Success doesn’t always create fulfillment, and the people who seem the strongest are often the ones silently asking themselves questions they’ve never said out loud.

I’ve always believed people heal differently when they know they’re genuinely understood.

I wanted to create something that felt less like a clinical service and more like a place where you could simply be yourself. A place where you don’t have to explain or defend your experiences, pretend you’re okay, or worry about being misunderstood before you can begin healing.

Honestly Speaking Solutions exists because I believe honesty isn’t just part of therapy. It’s where healing begins.

About Geinel

Creating Safety

I’m Geinel, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and Texas, and the founder of Honestly Speaking Solutions. My mission is to create a space where you can show up fully, without shrinking, code switching, or apology.

This is where honesty meets healing. A space created for truth-telling, reflection, and release, where you are deeply seen, heard, and cared for.

The Person Behind The Practice

People usually meet me as their therapist.

But before any of that, I’m just Geinel.

I’m probably planning my next trip, finding a new restaurant to try, exploring somewhere around the Bay Area, or spending a quiet night at home watching one of my favorite ’90s Black love stories. Love Jones will forever be my favorite movie, and yes…I’m a romantic at heart.

I’m endlessly fascinated by people.

I leave conversations thinking about what they revealed. I notice the little moments other people overlook. I’ll hear someone tell a story and find myself wondering about the part they didn’t say out loud. I think that’s one of the reasons I connect so deeply with the people I work with. I’m genuinely interested in understanding people, not just listening to them.

Community matters to me because relationships matter to me. Some of my favorite moments have nothing to do with therapy at all. They’re sitting across from someone over coffee, supporting a Black owned business, bringing people together, or having one of those conversations that reminds you you’re not as alone as you thought you were.

I’m ambitious. I set big goals for myself, and I believe in working hard for the life I want. But I’m also the person who will laugh at myself, get way too excited about good food, quote a movie at the perfect moment, or find humor in something that’s true because sometimes that’s how life makes the most sense.

At the end of the day, I hope the people who work with me feel like they’ve found a place where they don’t have to have all the answers. Just a place where they can be honest, feel understood, and begin figuring things out one conversation at a time.

01

Education

  • M.A., Counseling Psychology, Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, University of San Francisco, 2017
  • B.A., Sociology, Minor in Children and Families in Urban America, University of Southern California, 2008
  • Ongoing advanced training in supervision, trauma, and culturally responsive care

02

Licensure & Credentials

  • Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, California #123732
  • Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Texas #204953
  • Clinical Supervisor, California

03

Clinical Approach & Modalities

  • Person-centered, relational, and culturally responsive care
  • Integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and psychodynamic principles
  • Emotion Focused Therapy and systems-informed work with couples
  • Honest, collaborative, and individualized care
  • Therapy shaped around your experiences, strengths, values, and goals

04

Areas of Focus

  • High-achieving professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, executives, and leaders
  • Burnout, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism
  • Grief, life transitions, and emotional healing
  • Couples seeking deeper connection, healthier communication, and trust
  • Identity, culture, belonging, and family relationships
  • Culturally responsive therapy for Black individuals and couples

Education & Credentials

My Approach

I don’t believe therapy is about me having all the answers.

I believe it’s about creating the kind of relationship where you can tell the truth, even the parts you’ve never said out loud.

Many of the people I work with spend so much of their lives taking care of other people, making difficult decisions, and meeting expectations that they rarely have a place where they don’t have to have it all together. I’m not here to tell you how to live your life. I’m here to help you slow down, ask better questions, recognize patterns, and reconnect with the version of yourself that’s been buried underneath everyone else’s expectations.

You’ll find that I’m warm, compassionate, and fully present. You’ll also find that I’m honest.

Many of my clients are incredibly successful. They’re leaders in their careers, their families, and their communities. The truth is, people are often afraid to be honest with them. I’m not.

I’ll challenge you with respect, support you without judgment, and tell you what I’m noticing, even when it’s uncomfortable. Not because I want to push you, but because I believe honesty is one of the greatest acts of care I can offer.

No two people experience life the same way, so no two therapy journeys should look the same. I draw from a range of approaches and shape our work around you, your experiences, your values, your strengths, and what you actually need. Together, we’ll build something that fits your life, not a textbook.

What I Believe About Culturally Responsive Care

Culture shapes the way we see ourselves, our relationships, our families, and the world around us. It influences what we’re taught to value, what we’re expected to carry, and sometimes even whether we believe it’s okay to ask for help.

As a Black woman, I understand that therapy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Our lived experiences matter. The communities we come from matter. The messages we’ve received about strength, success, family, and vulnerability matter.

You shouldn’t have to spend half of your session explaining why something hurt, why a family expectation feels complicated, or why certain experiences stay with you long after they’ve happened.

I strive to create a space where you can show up fully as yourself. A space where your identity is understood, your experiences are honored, and your story is never reduced to a stereotype or a diagnosis.

Whether we’re talking about relationships, burnout, anxiety, family dynamics, identity, or simply trying to make sense of where you are in life, we’ll approach the work with curiosity, honesty, and respect for the experiences that have shaped you.