Purple and green Bienestar logo with flower illustration

The Bienestar Program offers a safe, compassionate space for Latina women and the Latine community to foster connection, joy, and healing. We cultivate a collective spirit that honors the diverse roots, customs, and traditions of our participants. We embrace that Latina women come from different countries and that each person and culture has a distinct way of enduring life challenges and building resilience. Our well-being is rooted in community.

Para ver nuestro sitio web en español, utilice el menu desplegable en el encabezado de nuestra página.

Latina woman in blue top smiles at camera in front of green wall

Walk-In Clinic Information for Spanish Speakers

In person, free, and no appointment needed.

One-on-one sessions with a counselor are always free and offered Wednesdays, 2–4pm at our main office. These sessions provide emotional support to women dealing with mental health challenges and referrals to community services.

Contact us 434.328.1800 or bienestar@thewomensinitiative.org for more information.

Meet the Team

Team Bios
Kassandra “Kassy” Baltazar Alarcón, MSW
Kassandra “Kassy” Baltazar Alarcón, MSW

Bienestar Programs Coordinator and Therapist

Kassy (she/her/ella) is a bilingual therapist with experience in maternal and child home visiting programs, and skilled in treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She works with diverse families, including immigrants and refugees, and values intergenerational healing. As a Latina, Kassy uses creativity and expressive art practices to work with Latinas and the Latine community, focusing on nurturing and reparenting the inner mother and child while honoring ancestral lineages.

Sibila Quiroz, MSW
Sibila Quiroz, MSW

Bilingual Therapist

Sibila (she/her/ella) believes we all carry healing medicine. Her indigenous Quechua identity has inspired the search for collective wellness, despite the systemic barriers that drive us apart. For the past decade, Sibila has worked with immigrant children and families in education, mental health, and advocacy. Her therapeutic practice is rooted in kindness and curiosity while drawing from nature, somatic listening, and sound-based techniques. Sibila received her MSW from Arizona State University.

Ingrid Ramos, LPC
Ingrid Ramos, LPC

Bienestar Program Director and Therapist

Ingrid (she/her/ella) is a Dominican-American Latina dedicated to community mental health. She has a bachelor’s in psychology from Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago (UTESA) and a Master of Arts degree in professional counseling from Liberty University. For the last 16 years, Ingrid has been dedicated to serving the Latine community as a counselor. Her passion is to inspire others in their well-being, resilience, hope, and collective healing.

Laura “Lo” Somel, LCSW
Laura “Lo” Somel, LCSW

Bilingual Therapist and Access Specialist

Laura (Lo) (she/her/ella) has experience working with diverse populations, including children with special education needs, refugees, and immigrant families. For the past 17 years, she has worked directly with the Latine community, drawing from IFS, CBT, and somatic experiencing, and bringing a strengths-based, person-centered approach. Lo believes mental health services are an integral part of individual and community well-being. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Master of Social Work degree in 2020.

Alma Molina
Alma Molina

Bilingual Client Support Specialist

Alma (she/her/ella) is an artist originally from Chile who has worked for several years engaging communities with cultural and artistic institutions and manifestations. More recently, she’s been an art manager and artist educator with various women’s organizations and is currently developing an art research project related to maternity. As one of TWI’s client support specialist, she helps connect women with the agency’s services.

Karina Monroy
Karina Monroy

Programs and Design Coordinator

Karina (she/her/ella) is passionate about supporting communities and individuals in creating and rediscovering their personal paths towards healing. She received her bachelor’s degree in art and anthropology from UC Santa Cruz in 2016 and is currently pursuing her master’s in art therapy at The George Washington University. As an artist and student art therapist, Karina is motivated and moved by the decolonial power of collective healing through connection and creativity.

We offer monthly groups to meet the healing needs of Latina women and the Latine community.

Groups are conducted in Spanish by bilingual facilitators, free, and offered in person and virtually.

To register, contact 434.328.1800 or bienestar@thewomensinitiative.org.

The Women's Initiative has a firm policy of protecting the confidentiality and security of information collected from all participants. Read additional information here on our group norms and virtual participation.

Featured
Expressive Art: Moms Creating
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Expressive Art: Moms Creating
Expressive Art: Moms Creating
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Expressive Art: Moms Creating
Front view of The Women's Initiative office in Charlottesville Virginia

Visit Our Main Office!

1101 East High Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Reflections From Participants

  • “The Women’s Initiative is a magical healing space on every level. I hope everyone seeking compassionate care and community can discover all you offer.”

    - Healthy Relationships Group Counseling Participant, Bienestar Program

  • “I feel more confident in being able to pursue time and treatments that benefit me alone separately from the needs and demands of my family and community.”

    - Counseling Participant

  • “I am able to pause and consider emotions instead of reacting with them, I am calmer, and can navigate arguments and difficult situations much easier than I used to…All in all, I am much happier, positive, and motivated.”

    - Counseling Participant

  • "Excelente iniciativa, un grupo hermoso, creativo, colaborador y lleno de empatia."

    – Bienestar Program Participant

  • “Me fue de mucha utilidad. Estas técnicas me ayudaron a calmar mi sistema nervioso.”

    – Bienestar Program Participant

Education and Outreach

We offer workshops and presentations to the Latine community about topics, such as stress management and parenting, and to community providers regarding awareness of mental health issues among Latinos and how to overcome cultural barriers to engage this population in health services.

We also set up educational tables at events that serve Charlottesville’s Latine community.

If you are interested in having us lead a workshop, participate on a panel, table an event, or offer any other educational service, please contact bienestar@thewomensinitiative.org or call at 434.328.1800.

Group of women gather around table during an arts and connection program event in Charlottesville

Community Collaborations

The Women’s Initiative regularly collaborates with local organizations that serve and support the Latine community of Charlottesville and surrounding areas, including Sin Barreras (Without Borders), Creciendo Juntos, and the UVA Latino Health Initiative.

Visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for the most up-to-date information on joint offerings.