Specializing within the LGBTQI2+ and POC
(Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian Pacific Islander) communities, A/M Clinical Services is located in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown/International District.
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A/M Clinical Services acknowledges we are on the traditional land of the Coast Salish people, including the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe. And we are on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, who are still here, continuing to honor and bring to light their ancient heritage. Please donate to Real Rent Duwamish.
Coming out and being out is a special commitment to yourself.
One’s sexual identity and gender expression can be defined formally through textbooks and scientific jargon, but what truly counts is how you define it and what it really means for you to be LGBTQ+.
I was 21 years old when I came out “gay” to my mom and about five years later, I came out again after winning my first drag pageant.
And I came out for a third time to myself as “genderqueer.”
I believe that sexual identity and gender expression/identity are distinct and fluid.
Talk with someone who can relate and understand the journey of our community.
Ethnic identity and national origin are critical pieces to one’s sense of self.
As a FilipinX immigrant who migrated to the US in my young adult years, it was very important for me to honor my ancestry and my family legacy as a FilipinX-American living in the Northwest.
The population of Washington is 69.3% White, 12.4% Hispanic, and 8.11% Asian. 19.3% of the people in Washington speak a non-English language, and 92.6% are U.S. citizens. (Source: CHA)
Asian's make up the largest minority racial group in 2019 with 9.0 percent of Washington's total population. (Source: OFM)
Talk with someone who knows what it’s like to navigate different environments as a Person Of Color with a beautiful and complex background of cultures and traditions.
How my own journey began….
As long as I can remember, my mother has always been an angel to me. She was a single parent who, despite social stigma and family traditions, raised her children with love, compassion and determination.It is this very idea that has helped me overcome obstacles in my own life as a young adult to the person I am today. Her stamina and passion continues to inspire me as a peer, partner, professional and parent to my beloved pet. Hence, I have adopted a strengths-based and solution-focused approach to therapy. I believe that every person has a positive attribute that we may overlook and/or others may ignore. But, it is the necessary spark that keeps us going. My education and experience span two decades working with minority populations - from children, adolescents, the elderly, LGBTQ to people impacted by homelessness and addiction. Coupled with my formal training at the University of Washington (Rated #1 School in the US for Social Work for its diversity), my personal narrative as a FilipinX, immigrant and genderqueer individual emboldens my desire to work with folks impacted by health disparities and intersectionality of race and gender.
I feel very fortunate that I am able to live and thrive in Seattle since moving from the Philippines in 1995. This is the only other place I’ve ever called home. I live with my partner and our four-legged fur baby, who keeps us happy and busy. I like to stay active through community work - from fundraising to organizing. And a little sun from hiking (when the Pacific Northwest gets some sunshine) keeps the melanin poppin’.
