Yolanda is a licensed independent clinical social worker who joined the therapy team at the Center of Counseling and Psychological Health at UMass, in the summer of 2023. She is a 200-hour embodyoga teacher and has a certification in Qigong Infused Yoga. She is also the founder of Healing from the Roots, LLC.

Yolanda has traveled in many social spaces and environments that shape her personal and professional experiences. She graduated from Vassar College and later became the director of the ALANA Student Cultural Center, for five years. In this role, she provided social, cultural and leadership support to students of color. Her advisement experiences at the ALANA Center led her to go on to pursue her master's in social work from Smith College. She also completed her thesis on The Experience of Latinas attending predominantly white colleges.

Yolanda is a cisgender, mixed-race, Nuyorican from Brooklyn, who speaks Spanglish. Holding an intersectional perspective, she recognizes the ways that aspects of her identity are marginalized and oppressed and other parts, where she holds privilege. Thus, she is committed to doing internal and external work to eradicate all forms of oppression and be an ally. She envisions a world where our differences are viewed as strengths and valued. Equally important is rejuvenation and restoration, which she accomplishes with walks in nature, being with family and friends, hiking, practicing yoga and qi gong, dancing, meditation and prayer.

Yolanda’s clinical interest include: working with students of color, exploring diversity and identity issues, social justice and equity, decolonizing mental health, trauma and addiction, anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. She works in a holistic -- mind, body, spirit -- way to assist students on their wellness journey. She embraces a relational, person-centered approach.