Mariana Ramírez Zavala

Psychologist and Psychoeducational Assessments Coordinator

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Psychology, Universidad del Valle de México, Querétaro, México.

• Master Disertation, Special Education, Instituto Superior De Estudios Psicológicos, Spain.

• Afiliate member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Psicólogia, A.C.

• Along with my formal psychology training, I continuously seek ongoing learning and development to refine and reframe my Neurodiversity-affirming practice and assessment skills from experts with lived experience of Neurodivergence.

Languages:

Spanish, English

I am a psychologist from Mexico with over eight years of experience. Since 2018, I have been practicing psychology in Cambodia, passionately supporting people in understanding themselves and creating a welcoming space for all identities, genders, and neurotypes. My experience in Mexico and Cambodia includes working in school, government, non-profit, and private practice settings.

I graduated as a psychologist in 2015 and have been supporting neurodivergent individuals in various roles and environments since before graduating. My passion is grounded in changing the narrative around neurodivergence.

My clinical approach is rooted in compassion and providing a safe space for my clients. I am passionate about my work and believe every human makes sense in the therapy room. By understanding oneself past experiences and their impact, the therapy process can support humans while they make sense of their lives in a safe and empathic environment. I see myself as an empathetic therapist, trying to bring my clients' compassion to their consciousness as they hold space for themselves.

As a coordinator and assessor, I use a neurodiversity-affirmative and trauma-informed approach to identify learning differences, neurodivergence, difficulties, and disabilities. I value the assessment process as a collaborative exploration of individual experiences.

My areas of interest include:

• Neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD, Learning Disabilities)

• Children and Families

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Attachment and relationships

• Childhood issues

• Identity and self-esteem concerns

• Assessments

Outside the therapy room and Sombok, I enjoy time with people in my life, playing tennis, trying not to kill my plants, studying, solving a Sudoku, or cycling somewhere. But let's be honest; I will most likely be playing tennis.