About Me

Mental health and substance abuse counselor. Woman of color. Mixed race, Latina, Hispanic, African-American, black

Dominique Balderas, MS, LPC, SAC-IT

Rooted in Healing. Lit by Purpose. Fueled by Fire.

I’m a licensed mental health and addiction counselor with a deep commitment to helping people heal, grow, and reclaim their power. I bring close to a decade of experience working across the full continuum of care—from residential treatment centers to outpatient therapy—specializing in addiction, trauma, recovery, and identity work.

As a multiethnic woman of color—Mexican American, African American, and Native American—I show up with cultural humility, lived experience, and a deep respect for the complexity of healing in systems not built for us. I create a space where people—especially folks who’ve felt unseen or misunderstood—can exhale, be real, and feel spoken to without having to shrink themselves.

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to share my identity to feel at home here.
What matters most is that you’re ready to get honest, do the work, and show up for yourself. That’s the kind of client I do my best work with—whether you’re recovering, rediscovering, or trying to figure out who the hell you are now.

My approach is real, compassionate, and rooted in lived experience. I’m a person in long-term recovery, and I bring that lens into my work. I know what it’s like to fight your way out of the dark and rebuild from scratch. I’ve done the work, and I continue to do the work.

I don’t just teach healing—I live it. I don’t just believe in change—I embody it. And I never ask my clients to do anything I haven’t done (or wouldn’t do) myself. At my core, I believe in honesty, integrity, and the power of authentic connection. You won’t get a watered-down version of me, and I don’t expect a watered-down version of you. If you’re ready to get real, I’m here for it.

Promotional poster for Emberglow Counseling and Wellness featuring the Iliamna bakeri flower. The text discusses the flower's ability to bloom after fire and draws parallels to personal recovery and growth. The design includes an image of the flower and flames, emphasizing the theme of rising from ashes.

My Approach

  • I approach every session with deep respect for your lived experience. Whether you’re carrying generational trauma, navigating the impact of systemic oppression, or healing from more personal wounds, I hold space with compassion, curiosity, and care.

    I honor cultural identity, community wisdom, and ancestral resilience—while also naming and challenging the systems that harm us. Your story deserves to be seen in context, not isolated from it.

    Even if you’ve never named your experience as trauma or never thought of yourself as impacted by systems, you are welcome here. This is a space where your whole truth—whatever it looks like—gets to be held, explored, and understood.

  • Yes, we’ll talk about emotions, meaning, and the deeper “why.” But we’ll also get into the how—how to set boundaries, make hard decisions, build sustainable routines, and stay grounded when life gets chaotic.

    My approach blends soulful insight with real-world tools. That means we’ll honor your inner wisdom and create practical strategies to support your growth. Whether you're trying to survive the day or redesign your life, I’ll help you reconnect with your intuition and take aligned, meaningful action—one step at a time.

  • You’ll get someone who truly listens—but I’m not just here to nod and smile. I’ll reflect what I see, challenge what’s keeping you stuck, and help you tap back into your own inner knowing.

    I don’t follow a script or force you into a rigid method. Our work is collaborative and responsive—shaped by your goals, your energy, and what’s real for you in the moment. I hold space for grief, growth, joy, and even a little laughter. Because healing is serious work, but it doesn’t always have to feel heavy.

  • As someone who’s neurodivergent and deeply connected to the natural world, I understand the need for healing spaces that are sensory-friendly, flexible, and non-linear.

    Our work might include mindfulness, breathwork, body-based awareness, or creative reflection—not as prescriptions, but as invitations. I believe healing can be sacred without being rigid. Structure is helpful, but soul matters too. And sometimes, the most powerful shifts come not in breakthroughs—but in the small, quiet moments when something just clicks.

    This is a space where your nervous system, your rhythm, and your way of being are not just accepted—they’re honored.

  • I show up as a real human—no therapist mask, no perfection, just presence. You’ll get honesty, warmth, and the kind of safety that comes from being truly seen.

    Whether we’re talking about recovery, identity, parenting, relationships, or purpose—this is a space where you don’t have to filter yourself. You don’t have to shrink. You get to show up exactly as you are.

    And I’ll meet you there—with respect, realness, and zero judgment.

At the heart of my work is this: healing is possible, but it has to be real. No sugarcoating. No performance. Just truth, growth, and showing up together—flaws, fire, and all.