Phone: (202) 495-1090 | Email: cecilia@altavistatherapy.com
Phone: (202) 495-1090
Email: cecilia@altavistatherapy.com
ALTA VISTA THERAPY WAS FOUNDED IN 2016 TO PROVIDE FORENSIC PSYCHOSOCIAL EVALUATIONS FOR IMMIGRATION CASES.
We work with attorneys and clients on asylum, hardship, T visa, U visa, and cancellation of removal cases. Our clinicians are licensed in multiple states — see our team below for specific jurisdictions.
Our team brings clinical depth, forensic training, and cultural and linguistic competence to every evaluation. We evaluate clients of all ages, including young children, and most of our clinicians are bilingual in English and Spanish. All are trained in trauma-informed approaches appropriate to immigration forensic work.
Hi, I'M CECILIA BAÑALES RACINE, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Delaware (Telehealth Registration, Q5-0000324)
- District of Columbia (LICSW LC50079749)
- Florida (Telehealth Registration, TPSW1208)
- Idaho (Telehealth Registration, 4861278)
- Maryland (LCSW-C 14607)
- Virginia (LCSW 0904007068)
I have 25 years of clinical experience, and I have always worked with immigrants, so I'm familiar with their strengths and struggles. As a bilingual (English/Spanish) immigrant myself, I know what it feels like to be in a new country where you don't speak the language, and things are unfamiliar. I know what it's like to have your heart in two places at once.
Alta Vista Therapy was founded in 2016, and since then, I've completed over 750 immigration evaluations for clients from all over the world and worked with dozens of attorneys. I also founded the Immigration Evaluation Institute (IEI) to train other clinicians in forensic immigration evaluations, and I present at conferences on this work.
We strive to provide services in a compassionate and empathetic environment, ensuring you the highest level of confidentiality at all times.
Meet our team
Sara Kerai, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
- District of Columbia (LPC PRC13868)
- Louisiana (Telehealth Registration, TEL1128)
- Maryland (LCPC LC10855)
- Michigan (LPC 6401019434)
- Virginia (LPC 0701009098)
Sara Moore Kerai, LPC is an independently Licensed Professional Counselor with 16+ years of experience working with diverse clients in the Washington, D.C. area and Michigan. Sara has extensive experience counseling people who are coping with significant losses, family caregiving, or a diagnosis of cancer and/or another chronic illness. Using her clinical assessment skills and understanding of trauma to help clients and families with immigration cases is an especially rewarding part of her practice.
In 2019, Sara completed training with Cecilia Racine on Mastering Asylum and Hardship Waiver Evaluations for immigration cases and she prides herself on creating safe spaces for adults and adolescents to share their stories. She is a graduate of Boston College and she is licensed to practice in Washington D.C., Maryland, Michigan, and Virginia. She is also a registered telehealth provider for Louisiana.
Elizabeth Piren, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
- District of Columbia (LPC PRC14300)
- Louisiana (Telehealth, TEL1021)
- Maryland (LCPC LC11052)
- New Jersey (PC 37PC00442200)
- Virginia (LPC 0701009172)
Elizabeth is bilingual (English/Spanish) and has been practicing for over 20 years, specializing in trauma-focused therapy with adults and adolescents. She has worked in private practice and as a counselor at various agencies serving survivors of intimate partner violence and victims of crime. Elizabeth applies her trauma expertise to immigration evaluations, creating a comfortable and safe environment for clients during the assessment process. She is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Amy Harmon, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker | Registered Play Therapist
- Colorado (LCSW CSW.09925148)
- Georgia (LCSW CSW009584)
- Texas (LCSW-S 115170)
- Virginia (LCSW 0904020260)
Amy Harmon is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist with over 18 years of experience working with immigrant communities, including over 10 years providing clinical mental health services. Her work is grounded in a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and developmentally informed approach. She brings strong clinical assessment skills and an understanding of how life experiences, systemic factors, and relational dynamics impact emotional and psychological functioning.
Amy is committed to creating a space where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences and approaches each evaluation with care and thoughtfulness. She is licensed to practice in Colorado, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia.
Jessica Flores, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- California (LCSW 126621)
- Virginia (LCSW 0904020509)
Jessica is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been providing psychotherapy and psychosocial assessments since 2022. She has experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings, including telehealth, community college, hospital, shelter, and community based settings.
She takes a client-centered and trauma-informed approach, with a focus on helping clients feel comfortable, heard, and supported while sharing difficult experiences. Her clinical experience includes working with trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, and family stressors.
In her evaluation work, she approaches each case with compassion, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity. She is licensed to practice in California and Virginia.
