Hello! I'm Xilo (pronounced shy-loh), and I'm a trans Mexican-American child development specialist and social worker who has been traveling the country with my husband looking for a safe and supportive community to establish a home base as a play therapist, which I have now found along the beautiful Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I have dedicated my life to working with children (once as an elementary school teacher, then again as the founder of a Montessori Preschool in the Dominican Republic), and I'm hoping to build a playroom that works for the unique and varied needs of the children and families of my community. A space for play therapy is wholly different than a traditional therapy office, and though I'm joining the staff of a wonderful community practice, the space isn't ready to welcome children who will need opportunities for creative and trauma-informed play.

Like teachers, I will have to fund these updates myself. But as it stands, I don't have the funds to make the space what it needs to be. I specialize in neurodivergence, anxiety, Complex PTSD, ADHD, and autism, and I want to create safe spaces for self-exploration, emotional expression, healing and growth for children and their families. I hope you'll consider helping as I build the playroom our community deserves!