Defying Labels

MSW, ASW

Therapist · LA

PhD Student

Washington Univ.

TikTok Instagram LinkedIn

✦ About Patty

PATTY, MSW, ASW,
PhD Student

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

Google Scholar Profile ORCID Profile

I am a doctoral student 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.

Therapy & Healing

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

I work with individuals who have been labeled difficult, defiant, or hard to understand — helping them make sense of their behavior, identity, and experiences.

If you've ever felt unheard in your family, misunderstood by systems, or unsure how to navigate your reactions and patterns, this is where we begin to work through it.

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

Work With Me →

✦ 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.

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.

✦ Engagements

SPEAKING &
WORKSHOPS

y’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.

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

“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

“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

“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

✦ Media & Research