How Dora’s Story Shapes Her Work in Immigration Evaluation Services
Dora Valencia, LCSW, knows what it’s like to grow up between two worlds. She was born in Mexico but came to the U.S. as a baby, raised just miles from a border checkpoint where caution was part of everyday life. Quiet resilience and subtle shifts in identity shape her story.
Today, Dora offers immigration evaluation services to help others shape their own stories with strength and dignity because she’s lived it too.
A Childhood of Dual Identity and Resilience
Dora understands the complicated mix of fear and hope that shapes the immigrant experience because her mother chose to cross the border after becoming pregnant by a man 13 years older than her who was married. She was searching for safety, stability, and a better life for them both. “I was really lucky,” Dora says.
Dora spent her childhood undocumented until she turned twelve, and throughout her early school years, she went by a different name than her legal one. Two names. Two identities that stayed in place until she and her mother obtained legal residency, and she was able to simplify her name.
And just down the street from where she grew up was a border checkpoint that stood as a constant reminder that every outing required a plan. She doesn’t remember feeling fearful about this checkpoint, but she does recall always having to move with a bit of caution and remain alert. She was coached on what to say if stopped by border patrol, learning what to say and how to act.
Turning Lived Experience into a Lifelong Purpose
Although, to a certain extent, being so young meant she was ignorant of real dangers, she can still empathize with those who have genuine fears of deportation. She knows that people don’t leave home without a reason, whether it be fear of persecution, poverty, violence, or something just as challenging.
“Those who immigrate to the United States are truly looking for a better life and America has always been seen as the land of promise and dreams,” Dora says. “They see America as an opportunity to work hard and provide for their family.” She knows this because her family lived it. Dora became a therapist because she wanted to give back, to offer others the same sense of safety and hope her mother worked so hard to create.
Healing is deeply personal for Dora. That’s why she approaches her immigration evaluation services with deep compassion. Because she knows that behind every evaluation is a real person with a story that deserves to be heard.
Access Immigration Evaluation Services in California Today
If Dora’s story feels familiar, know this: you are not alone. Your voice matters. Your experiences matter. And with immigration evaluation services, there’s a way to tell your truth with dignity and strength.
These trauma-informed psychological evaluations support legal cases like VAWA, U-visas, T-visas, and Extreme Hardship waivers. Evaluations are offered in English or Spanish via secure Telehealth sessions accessible from anywhere in California.
Dora meets you where you are and brings lived experience, cultural understanding, and deep empathy to every client she has the privilege to work with.
To schedule an appointment with Dora, contact LETC’s Intake Coordinator at 949-236-1990 or intakes@lisaeatontherapy.com. You can also visit our Get Started page to learn more.
