Today we’d like to introduce you to Ludivina Acevedo.
Hi Ludivina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always wanted to change the world, but I’ve never believed that happens all at once. I believe real change happens quietly, one person at a time. For example, when a child feels safe and truly seen, they grow into a healthier adult. Healthier adults build healthier relationships and families, and those families shape healthier communities. That belief has guided my work from the very beginning.
When my parents separated and I moved to San Antonio at fifteen, my world shifted in big ways. My mom did the best she could with what she had as a single parent, and she modeled compassion, resilience, and care for others. From her, I learned the importance of community and looking out for one another. Even when I didn’t fully understand myself, I always knew I wanted to help people. I was drawn to kids, families, and spaces where people could feel supported.
Growing up, I often felt misunderstood. I did well in school and got good grades, but everyday things like organization, friendships, and emotional regulation felt much harder for me than they seemed for others. I carried a lot of perfectionism and a quiet belief that I was not enough. I felt too sensitive, too emotional, too intense. At the time, I didn’t have language for what I was experiencing. Being undiagnosed ADHD meant I internalized the idea that something about me was wrong rather than different.
After college, I spent three years abroad in South America volunteering and living alongside families. That experience deeply shaped me. I saw how powerful it is when someone takes the time to truly see you. Something as simple as knowing someone’s name, listening to their story, and reminding them that they are not alone can change everything. When I returned home, I realized I wanted more tools to help people in deeper, more meaningful ways. I didn’t want to offer surface-level help. I wanted to understand roots, patterns, and healing. That realization led me to graduate school and into this work.
Through my own therapy and personal journey, I eventually learned that I wasn’t too much. I was neurodivergent. Receiving my ADHD diagnosis helped me understand that my brain is wired differently. I do feel deeply. I am highly empathetic. What once felt overwhelming became one of my greatest strengths as a therapist. I became a therapist because I wanted to be who I needed when I was younger. Someone who could see beneath behavior, honor complexity, and create space for people to feel safe, understood, and held.
Opening Heal & Bloom was my way of creating the space I always wished I had. I wanted something warm, authentic, neurodivergent-affirming, and sensory-friendly. A place where masking isn’t required and people can simply be themselves. My lived experience with ADHD, my identity as a Latina and bilingual therapist, and my faith all shape how I hold space and honor each person’s story.
Even though my practice is still young, it has grown in ways that feel both humbling and exciting. Today, I provide therapy for children, teens, young adults, and families, as well as comprehensive ADHD and autism assessments. I am deeply grateful for how far this space has come and hopeful as it continues to grow.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but it has been a meaningful one. Becoming a therapist is difficult in ways people don’t always see. There are years of training, licensure requirements, and moments where you are expected to hold space for others while quietly questioning yourself. Imposter syndrome showed up early and often. I wrestled with thoughts like how can I help others when my own life is not perfectly together or who am I to build something like this.
Graduating during the COVID pandemic added another layer of challenge. Learning how to be a therapist during a time of global crisis shaped my career from the very beginning. That season required flexibility, emotional endurance, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty. I had to learn how to tell the difference between what was genuinely hard and what was simply uncomfortable, and to redefine failure as part of growth rather than something to fear.
I was fortunate to have mentors and workplaces that believed in me. One mentor often reminded me that I am a human first and a therapist second. That belief reshaped how I approach my work. Perfection is not the goal for me or for my clients. What matters is authenticity, presence, and being regulated enough to show up with care. I bring expertise into the room, but my clients are the experts of their own bodies and experiences. Therapy becomes a collaborative process rather than a performance of having all the answers.
Burnout came early in my career and became a turning point. It forced me to ask what I truly needed in order to be a therapist who could show up sustainably. I had to learn how to care for myself without guilt. That included my own therapy, time with people I love, rest, creativity, and joy. For a long time, going to concerts has been deeply therapeutic for me. They gave me a place to release, feel freely, and exist without responsibility. Those practices are not extras. They are what allow me to stay connected and present in this work.
The challenges along the way shaped me into a more grounded, compassionate, and aligned therapist. They taught me how to make meaning of pain and reminded me that we heal best when we remember we are not alone.
As you know, we’re big fans of Heal and Bloom Family Therapy PLLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Heal & Bloom Family Therapy is a space intentionally built around safety, connection, and authenticity. When someone walks into Heal & Bloom, my hope is that they feel seen and that their body feels it before their mind does. I want people to feel their shoulders soften, their jaw unclench, and their nervous system take a breath. Healing does not mean avoiding discomfort. It means feeling supported enough to stay with it.
I was intentional about creating a space that does not feel clinical or sterile. Heal & Bloom is warm, inviting, and human. There is color, texture, plants, and small pieces of my personality woven into the space. These are not decorations. They are signals that this is a place where real people are welcome. Clients are encouraged to notice their bodies and advocate for what they need, whether that looks like making coffee, using a blanket, taking off shoes, or adjusting their environment so they can actually be present rather than endure the session.
Therapy here goes beyond talking. My work is deeply informed by nervous system regulation and sensory awareness. With kids and teens, that may look like play, games, or creative expression to build frustration tolerance and connection. Sometimes we are playing Minecraft, Uno, or Sorry while working on emotional regulation and flexibility. With adults, therapy may include art, movement, grounding, or simply slowing down enough to listen to what the body is communicating. Autonomy is central to the work. Clients are encouraged to use their voices, even when that feels unfamiliar, because learning that your needs matter is part of healing.
My approach is relational, collaborative, and rooted in a family systems lens. I pay attention to how internal experiences and external systems interact with one another, whether that is family dynamics, school environments, relationships, culture, or faith. I am trained in CBT and DBT and integrate those tools when they align with a client’s goals, while also continuing to deepen my work through attachment-based, trauma-informed, and parts-oriented approaches.
My primary niche is particularly ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, executive functioning challenges, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality. I work from a neurodivergent-affirming, strengths-based perspective. I do not believe people are broken. I believe people are wounded. ADHD and autism are not flaws to be fixed, but different ways of experiencing and interacting with the world. Through therapy and comprehensive ADHD and autism assessments, my goal is to help clients understand how their brains work, build self-trust, advocate for their needs, and move forward with compassion rather than shame.
I also hold space for clients navigating faith, spirituality, religious trauma, and spiritual abuse. I support people in exploring what aligns with their values and releasing what no longer serves them.
What I am most proud of is that Heal & Bloom reflects my values not just in language, but in practice. It is a space built around nervous system safety, authenticity, and connection.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are so many people who deserve credit, because this work has never been something I’ve done alone.
My mom deserves more credit than I can ever fully put into words. She made countless sacrifices as a single parent and showed me what it looks like to keep going, even when things are hard. She modeled compassion, resilience, and care for others long before I ever had language for those values. Much of the heart behind my work, especially my belief in community and looking out for one another, comes directly from her.
My family as a whole deserves recognition. Their support, patience, and belief in me have made this journey possible. When I was building my private practice, my brother volunteered to paint my office and build all of my furniture. My sister helped me set up the office itself. Every time I look around my office I see their love and support.
My friends have played an equally important role. They held me through some of the hardest seasons of my life and supported me even when I didn’t yet know how to ask for help. My friend Madeleine Rodriguez, in particular, used her creativity and design skills to help bring Heal & Bloom to life, from shaping my website to helping design my office space in a way that feels warm, intentional, and true to who I am. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation, and the love, laughter, faith, and steadiness of the people around me have shaped who I am just as much as my professional training.
I’m also deeply grateful for the mentors and colleagues, I’ve had throughout my career, especially those who shaped me early on when I was still a young student and learning what it truly meant to be a therapist. Working under Ginger Gray, who carried so much wisdom and experience, profoundly shaped the way I practice today. She taught me that being human is not a defect in this field, that being relational matters, and that there is space for both faith and authenticity in the therapy room. At a time when I didn’t yet fully know myself or trust my own voice, she believed in me. That belief stayed with me through seasons of doubt and continues to guide how I show up for my clients. The supervisors and colleagues who encouraged me along the way helped me stay rooted in this work and reminded me that humanity is not a liability in therapy, but one of our greatest strengths.
My clients deserve tremendous credit as well. They show up, they do brave work, and they allow me into their stories with honesty and trust. They have taught me more than any textbook ever could. Watching clients soften toward themselves, find their voices, and begin to heal continues to be one of the greatest honors of my life.
I’m also incredibly grateful for my operations manager, Liz Althouse, who began as my virtual assistant and grew alongside the practice. Her support has been invaluable, especially in helping me build systems that work with my brain rather than against it. Because of her, I’m able to stay focused on my clients and the heart of the work, knowing that the behind-the-scenes pieces are held with care and competence.
Finally, Heal & Bloom is rooted not just in my vision, but in the collective care, encouragement, and love of the people who have walked alongside me. I carry all of them with me in this work.
Pricing:
- $130 Initial Session
- $115 Individual/Family Session
- Insurance
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.healbloomtherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ludi_acevedo/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ludivina-Acevedo/61561660919681/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ludiacevedo/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ludivina-acevedo-schertz-tx/867971
