Juliana (she/her) grew up in a small bi-cultural border town situated half in New Mexico and half in Texas. She has wonderful memories of childhood and the fullness of self she developed through play, which is most likely her reason for pursuing a career that allowed her to work with children and advocate for the right of children to have a happy and fulfilled upbringing. She graduated from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio with a bachelor’s degree in health care science and a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Juliana spent the early part of her career in Austin, TX, and worked in private and school-based pediatric settings specializing in developmental and sensory processing disorders. There she gained experience implementing a range of programs including an animal-assisted therapy group, an early start playgroup, a hippotherapy (horse therapy) program, and social groups.

Juliana has advanced mentorship and training in the diagnosis and treatment of Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Autism education, TEACCH Autism Training, SCERTS Model, Social and Emotional Curriculums, Samonas, iLs Listening Therapy, and is highly trained in the implementation of the DIR/Floortime model. She takes pride in serving families under a holistic model where the whole family is at the center of intervention. She is grateful to be a team at DFX that contributes so much to individual families and the community. Juliana has recently taken a special interest in adapting her knowledge via the occupational therapy profession into social programs and equity programs in the community. Juliana has a passion for experiences and nurturing the important relationships in her life via travel, family celebrations, crafting, reading, eating out, hiking, snowboarding, and exploring the globe with friends and family. Juliana believes all children deserve a life that allows them to explore their passions and create meaningful relationships in the process.