Public Scholar · USA
PhD Student · WashU
Keynote Speaker
Therapist · Researcher · Speaker · Advocate

Defying Labels

Trauma-informed therapy in Los Angeles, California (CA)
- Advocacy & Systems Change USA

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Public Scholar · USA
PhD Student · WashU
Keynote Speaker
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Patty Flores

MSW, ASW

Therapist · LA

PhD Student

Washington Univ.

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✦ About Patty

PATTY, MSW, ASW,
PhD Student

Researcher, Speaker, Consultant, and Advocate for Youth Mental Health and Systems Change

Google Scholar Profile ORCID Profile

I am a doctoral student & Chancellor's Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). My work focuses on youth mental health, lived experience, and the systems that shape young people's lives, including foster care, the juvenile legal system, and education.

I bring over a decade of experience advocating for youth navigating complex systems. My perspective is informed by my intersecting identities as a former foster youth, immigrant, queer individual, and someone who has experienced homelessness and involvement in the juvenile justice system.

I have served as a leadership keynote speaker for organizations across Los Angeles County and internationally, presenting to judges, attorneys, probation officers, counselors, professors, social workers, and community leaders. As a researcher and consultant, I collaborate with leading scholars in child welfare on research, program design, and policy development.

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Therapy & Healing

You're not "too much."
You've been misunderstood.

Many of the people I work with have spent years being labeled difficult, defiant, dramatic, unmotivated, resistant, or hard to understand. Over time, those labels can begin to shape how we see ourselves.

Whether you've felt misunderstood by family, schools, systems, relationships, or even previous helping professionals, therapy offers an opportunity to move beyond labels and better understand the experiences, patterns, and challenges that have shaped your story. Together, we work toward understanding, not judgment. My goal is not to tell you who you are, but to help you make sense of your experiences, strengthen your voice, and build a life that feels more aligned with who you want to become.

I don't just speak about these issues publicly — I work directly with people navigating them through 1:1 therapy and coaching.

Work With Me →
Trauma‑Informed Support

Trauma-Informed Therapy for Teens, Young Adults, Adoptees & Former Foster Youth
Los Angeles, California (CA).

Healing from childhood trauma, adoption, foster care experiences, identity struggles, or systemic barriers can feel overwhelming. You deserve support from someone who understands that mental health is shaped not only by individual experiences, but also by family relationships, culture, community, and the systems we navigate. I provide trauma-informed therapy for adoptees and foster youth in Los Angeles and online throughout California for youth, young adults, and adults seeking meaningful support and lasting change.

I offer therapy services in Los Angeles under the supervision of Christina Dixon, LCSW87870, with a focus on childhood trauma, identity development, emotional regulation, relationship challenges, and the emotional patterns that can emerge from surviving instability, pressure, loss, or systems involvement. Through therapy, clients often gain a deeper understanding of themselves while building healthier ways of coping, connecting, and moving forward.

Many families seeking therapy for teens in Los Angeles are looking for support that is developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and grounded in an understanding of trauma. Whether you are navigating school stress, family conflict, identity exploration, anxiety, life transitions, or challenges with communication and emotional expression, therapy can provide a space to feel heard, supported, and understood.

For clients seeking greater flexibility, I offer online therapy across California. Telehealth services allow individuals, teens, young adults, adoptees, former foster youth, and families to access support from the comfort of their homes while maintaining consistency in care. Online therapy can be especially helpful for those with busy schedules, transportation barriers, or changing life circumstances.

I also provide affordable therapy in Los Angeles through a limited number of sliding-scale appointments. Support is available for Spanish-speaking clients, adoptees, former foster youth, college students, graduate students, and young adults who may be navigating emotional stress, family expectations, identity questions, or major life transitions.

In addition to therapy, I provide coaching and mentoring for high school, college, graduate school, and early-career transitions. This includes support with academic stress, motivation, educational planning, graduate school preparation, first-generation experiences, and navigating the pressure that often comes with achievement, uncertainty, and change.

Beyond individual support, I serve as a foster care and mental health speaker in the United States, offering trainings, workshops, and keynote presentations for schools, universities, nonprofits, and organizations committed to trauma-informed and culturally responsive care.

Whether you are an adoptee, former foster youth, student, young professional, parent, or someone seeking support during a difficult season of life, you deserve care that honors your story, recognizes your strengths, and supports the future you are building.

✦ Professional Services

CONSULTING

L. Patty Flores brings a powerful and informed voice, providing institutions with insight shaped by her lived experience, academic research, and professional work. With over a decade of advocacy within the foster care, education, and juvenile system, she offers a unique analytical lens as a researcher, lived expert, and keynote speaker, supporting organizations seeking trauma‑informed, culturally grounded guidance.

Youth Advocacy

Over a decade supporting youth in foster care, education & justice systems.

Global Reach

Collaborative work with leading scholars across the U.S. and Latin America.

Academic Research

Peer-reviewed work on child welfare, lived experience & policy design.

Keynote Speaking

Powerful presentations to 500+ audiences including judges and community leaders.

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Human Expertise in an AI Era

Beyond AI Generated Content

AI can help generate ideas, summarize information, improve grammar, and overcome writer's block. What it cannot replace are mentorship, lived experience, professional judgment, strategic thinking, relationship building, and a deep understanding of people, communities, and systems. Whether you are developing a research project, strengthening a grant proposal, preparing for graduate school, building a community initiative, or navigating your educational journey, the strongest work is built through critical thinking, human connection, and meaningful guidance.

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L. Patty Flores speaking at a university event
Public Speaking & Workshops

Speaking With Purpose, Lived Experience, and Systems Insight

Presentations and workshops for universities, nonprofits, county agencies, schools, and organizations seeking thoughtful conversations about foster care, education, youth voice, lived experience, and systems change.

✦ Engagements

SPEAKING &
WORKSHOPS

Patty has been a foster care, child welfare, & mental health speaker with lived experience in the USA. Patty’s presentations are a combination of determination and strength while demonstrating her dedication to a trauma-informed approach and social justice, having been a youh advocate and speaker for years. Patty’s affiliation with diverse communities allows her to connect with diverse audiences.

Patty has been invited to speak at universities, organizations, schools, and government entities. Her work spans across the U.S. and Latin America, where she collaborates with organizations supporting women, youth, and LGBTQ+ communities. She brings a perspective that connects deeply with diverse audiences while challenging how we understand behavior, systems, and lived experience.

✦ What People Say

TESTIMONIALS

Megan Levitan

❝
Patty resonates authenticity as she tells her story. She uses her tumultuous and powerful journey as a tool for encouraging others to persist despite the barriers they face. Patty speaks with incredible poise and clarity as she connects with the audience. Her voice is needed in all spaces. ”

Megan Levitan

Director of Education at United Friends of the Children
Megan Levitan

❝
Patty was a fabulous moderator for our panel. She was thoughtful and thorough as she helped the students navigate questions. She had patience as the students shared their powerful story and she contributed to the dialogue by sharing her own powerful journey. Patty is passionate, driven, and determined, and it was wonderful to work with her.”

Jennifer Kottke, Ed.D.

Homeless Education, Coordinator II Division of Student Support Services Los Angeles County of Education
Megan Levitan

❝
Liliana (Patty) has spoken at the Success is our Future event for foster youth who are part of the Los Angeles Probation Department. Her strong determination and desire to rise above her situation defined her presence as she spoke to an audience of 500. She is passionate and truly motivated by her ambition to achieve foster youth success and change the direction of people's lives.”

Monique Chanaiwa

Supervising Deputy Probation Officer of Youth Development Services

✦ Let's Begin

Do not leave for tomorrow,
what you can do today!

If this resonates, contact me to start working together

I work directly with individuals and institutions navigating complex experiences and needing support.

Individuals Organizations Schools & Universities
Patty Flores - contact portrait

CONTACT ME

Los Angeles, CA, 91403
patty@defyinglabels.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Defying Labels Services

Defying Labels offers public speaking, workshops, educational mentorship, research and grant consulting, immigration evaluations, and therapy services. These FAQs help clarify the different ways we may work together.

What services does Defying Labels provide? +

Defying Labels provides public speaking, workshops, educational coaching, academic mentorship, research consulting, grant consulting. Therapy services and immigration evaluations and letters are provided by L. Patty Flores, MSW, ASW126834, Associate Clinical Social Worker, under the clinical supervision of Christina Dixon, LCSW87870 for C R Dixon Counseling Inc. Online therapy are available for California residents.

Do you offer keynote speaking, workshops, or training? +

Yes. I offer keynote speaking, workshops, panels, trainings, and presentations for universities, nonprofit organizations, county agencies, schools, conferences, and community-based programs.

What topics do you speak about? +

Speaking topics include foster care, child welfare, lived experience, higher education access, youth voice, resilience, immigration, systems change, trauma-informed practice, first-generation students, and the ethics of including lived experience in research and programming.

Do you speak for universities and academic spaces? +

Yes. I speak with universities, academic programs, research centers, student groups, and professional audiences on topics related to foster youth, higher education, lived experience, child welfare, research, and systems change.

Do you provide consulting for nonprofits, foundations, or public agencies? +

Yes. I provide research and grant consulting for nonprofits, foundations, universities, county agencies, researchers, and community-based organizations seeking support with youth engagement, lived experience integration, program framing, funding strategy, and community-centered research.

What is educational coaching and mentorship? +

Educational coaching supports high school, college, and graduate students with academic confidence, organization, writing, motivation, graduate school preparation, and educational transitions. Coaching is not therapy. It focuses on academic, personal, and professional development.

Do you work with first-generation, foster youth, immigrant, or nontraditional students? +

Yes. I provide mentorship and coaching for first-generation students, foster youth alumni, immigrant students, undocumented students, LGBTQ+ students, graduate students, and nontraditional learners navigating academic and professional spaces.

Do you provide therapy throughout California? +

Yes. Online therapy is available for California residents. Therapy services are separate from speaking, consulting, coaching, and mentorship services. Therapy is provided by L. Patty Flores, MSW, ASW126834, Associate Clinical Social Worker, under the clinical supervision of Christina Dixon, LCSW87870 through C R Dixon Counseling Inc.

Do you offer therapy in Spanish? +

Yes. Therapy services are available in both English and Spanish. Clients may choose to participate in sessions in English, Spanish, or a combination of both languages depending on their preferences and needs. Therapy is provided by L. Patty Flores, MSW, ASW126834 under the clinical supervision of Christina Dixon, LCSW87870.

Do you offer low-cost or sliding-scale therapy? +

A limited number of reduced-fee or sliding-scale therapy appointments may be available based on financial need and scheduling availability.

Do you provide immigration evaluations? +

Yes. Immigration evaluations may be available in English and Spanish for hardship waivers, asylum, VAWA petitions, U-Visa cases, and other immigration matters. Immigration evaluations are separate from ongoing psychotherapy services and may require coordination with an attorney or legal representative. These services are supervised by my LCSW supervisor.

What makes Defying Labels different? +

Defying Labels brings together public speaking, research, mentorship, consulting, training, lived experience, and community-centered work. The goal is not only to provide services, but to support people, organizations, and institutions in thinking more deeply about systems, identity, healing, education, and change.