Meet Chris Datiles

As a queer Filipino therapist in my late 30s, my own experiences with grief and loss due to intergenerational trauma, suicide, and cancer brought me to this work. I was born in Hawaii, grew up in the Bay Area, and came to understand my identities and values in San Diego and LA.

I’m an Internal Family Systems therapist who cares deeply about creating space for people to feel a sense of belonging within themselves and with others as they navigate change and loss. What matters to me is thinking critically about power and inequality, working towards collective healing and liberation, and healing that unearths one’s innate creativity, clarity, and confidence.

I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor #13266, am trained in Internal Family Systems and Polyvagal Informed Practices.

website-backgrounds-luma.png
 

 
 

My clients desire a life where they no longer have to mask their grief, queerness, and pain.

They’ve learned to push important parts of their identities to the side to establish a sense of safety and belonging with others. They have a history of being dismissed and misunderstood when they unmask and step outside the roles others expect them to play. They’re familiar with the grief that follows change and loss, and are exhausted at feeling pressured to just push through it—whether it be related to coming out, taking care of an aging parent, the death of a loved one or pet, or feeling the impact of one’s efforts to break generational patterns. My clients share this leaves them feeling angry, stuck, and self-critical.

Therapy with me is intentional, compassionate, and curious about how family, culture, and systems have influenced one’s life. Throughout our time together, my clients are able to give themselves the permission to:

  • Create space to pause, listen to, and communicate their needs in their relationships

  • Express grief that has been minimized, silenced, and misunderstood

  • Slow down and make room for practices that facilitate creativity and connection

  • Unmask and show up as they are, unapologetically

 

My clients are also couples who want to reconnect sexually and emotionally, or are looking to address the dynamics of their intercultural relationship. They have a deep love and respect for each other, and are curious about how to repair moments of rupture and disconnection.

The roles and cycles you find yourself in don’t have to be permanent. Therapy with me is a space to help you process what has helped you navigate life up until this point and practice what can help you experience life with less constraints and more freedom.

Special welcome to artists, young widowers/divorcees, and queer and trans folks who grew up in religious homes.


Postgraduate degree in counseling: San Diego State University, Multicultural and Social Justice Education

Specialized training(s): Level 1 Internal Family Systems (Parts work/IFS), Polyvagal Informed Practice