I moved to the U.S. as a teenager, carrying a Brazilian upbringing and a mixed heritage that didn’t fit neatly into any one box. I spent years in that in-between space, sometimes misunderstood, sometimes having to explain or defend who I was just to be seen clearly. I’ve also lived through violence and loss of my own. For a long time, I moved through the world from a place of self-protection, bracing against harm I’d already lived through, without fully realizing that’s what I was doing.
As a child, there were times I felt unseen or unsupported, not for lack of love, but because my parents were doing the best they could with what they had. That experience stayed with me. When I became a parent myself, I carried a quiet fear of repeating those same patterns, and it made parenting feel overwhelming and painful in moments that reminded me of myself as a child.
Hi, I'm Luana, and for over a decade I've been helping parents and children find their way back to calm, connection, and confidence when life brings in hardship and pain that overwhelms the family.
The turning point came when I learned how to understand the ways my past (the painful, stressful moments I’d lived through from childhood to young adulthood) was still showing up in my present. It was shaping how I experienced myself, other people, and the world around me, almost always from a place of needing to protect myself from more harm. Even within my own parenting, old wounds would surface in ways I didn’t always expect.
Learning to reconnect with my own body, and to actually listen to the stress it had been holding, not just for years but across generations of my family before me, changed everything. It helped me understand myself more clearly, and it let me cultivate a sense of safety that wasn’t just intellectual, but deeply embodied, rooted in something much bigger than myself. From there, I could show up more present, more assertive, and more compassionate with myself, with others, and as the parent I wanted to be.
Now, I show up differently: more grounded, more present, less reactive, more able to stay connected to myself and my children even in hard moments. And that shift is exactly what I want for you, too.
Instead of spiraling in guilt after you lose your patience with your toddler, you’ll know how to repair and reconnect. Instead of feeling touched-out and alone during the newborn stage, you’ll feel steady enough to show up for your baby, and supported enough to name what you’re carrying. Instead of dreading your child’s hardest questions, you’ll be able to meet them with honesty and calm. And instead of feeling like your culture or background needs to be explained or justified in a therapist’s office, you’ll feel fully seen, exactly as you are.
I’m committed to helping other families find that same sense of being deeply supported. I do this by combining somatic, trauma-informed, and relationship-based therapy with genuine cultural humility, helping you reconnect to your own body and its stored stress and wisdom, to access a deeper sense of safety and connection within.
Parenting brings an opportunity to shift our families’ stories by understanding and honoring the past, and intentionally choosing a path forward toward healing in relationship with ourselves, our children, and our partners. I never assume I know your experience because of your background, and I never ask you to leave any part of yourself at the door.
I’m honored to have walked alongside so many parents as they’ve moved from guilt and overwhelm to confidence, calm, and real connection with their children, and to have watched children feel safer and more secure in their relationships with their parents as a result. I’d love the chance to walk alongside you too. If any of this sounds familiar, I’d invite you to take the first step and schedule a free consultation.
With warmth,
Luana
Carinho Center - pronounced kah-REEN-yoh -
is about care.
The kind of care that sustains relationships, from birth through every stage of life that follows.
Carinho is the Brasilian word for affection, and each letter stands for a value we help your family connect to and grow, together, throughout our work.
Relationships are at the heart of healing. We'll work on the bond between you and your child, and between you and yourself. That work depends on a safe, trusting connection between us, too, because the therapeutic relationship is where it all begins.
Connection
Warmth isn't extra, it's essential. We'll help you understand what your child needs most to feel safe and secure with you, based on their developmental stage, and find your own ways of showing and receiving affection, especially in the hardest moments.
Affection
Healthy relationships involve both giving and receiving. We'll work on responding to each other in ways that build trust and emotional safety, between us and within your family.
Reciprocity
You know your child, and yourself, better than anyone. We'll help you trust that inner sense, not override it. Connecting to your inner wisdom and trusting it is essential for the parenting journey, and for life beyond it.
Intuition
Hard feelings and hard moments don't make you a bad parent. This is a space to be fully yourself, and to explore what's underneath the surface for you and your child, without needing to explain or defend it.
Non-judgment
Real change starts with truth: about what's hard, what's working, and what still needs care. We won't rush past what's difficult for you, or for your child. Sometimes the seemingly smallest shifts toward more honesty in our relationships can change everything for the better.
Honesty
Your family is not a template. There's no one-size-fits-all approach here, just what's true and useful for you. This will be central to our work together, and to how we support you in really leaning into your own originality, as a parent, as a child, and as a family.
Originality
Schedule a Free Consultation
Let's talk. Schedule a free 25-minute phone consultation — no pressure, just a chance to connect and see if this feels right for your family.
Click below to fill out a short form, and I'll be in touch soon.