Theresa Flores (she/ella) is a Brooklyn born, North Carolina transplant who openly identifies as a first-generation, neurodivergent, queer Salvadoran Mexican therapist. Theresa received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double minor in Latinx Studies and Social and Economic Justice. Theresa went on to pursue her Masters of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work through the 3 year distance education program. Theresa continued to work full-time throughout her masters program.

The foundation of Theresa’s clinical work experience occurred within Duke’s Healthcare System, initially in her final clinical internship with the Emergency Department. Working in the ED provided exposure to a wide range of clinical work including psychiatric assessments, safety assessments, to facilitating external referrals and connections to community and state resources. What was additionally unique was getting to work on an integrated healthcare team with different personality styles, work approaches, and clinical backgrounds to all work collectively to create a plan of care that would be in the best interest of the patient. 

Theresa’s time at the ED served as a turning point to springboard her clinical focus into pediatric and adult psychiatry services offered within major healthcare systems. This translated into a position within the Psychiatry as a dual outpatient therapist and team member of clinical triage and care coordination team. Theresa continued to expand her knowledge base in specialty areas by working with consultation teams including the Multicultural Consultation Team and the Gender Care Consultation Team. Theresa prides herself on working with patients, staff, and providers from a place of authenticity in her own identities, being openly transparent regarding her first-generation status as a daughter of immigrants, being out as a queer cisgender provider, and not shying away from the respective challenges that accompany working within structurally oppressive healthcare systems. In 2022, Theresa decided to launch her private practice Floreciendo Therapeutic Services, PLLC.

Theresa lives in Durham, NC with her spouse and three cats and spends her free time on her current creative hyperfixation, journaling, and watching the latest organizational home makeover show.