Name: Diana Santos (JD 2008)
Employer: Change Works Family Therapy
Title: Wellness Coach & Student Therapist
Practice Area: Former Immigration Lawyer turning Psychotherapist
Diana is currently in her final semester of her MSW program at VCU. Upon graduation she intends to go into private practice as a psychotherapist helping individuals coping with anxiety, perfectionism, body image and eating concerns, career changes, and working with couples around infidelity, low desire, or those considering polyamory.
Diana graduated from WCL in 2008 and for over 10 years worked as an immigration lawyer. She utilized her experience counseling individuals, couples, and families through crises from her previous career as an immigration attorney to pivot into coaching and counseling. Under the auspices of Divya Whole Health, she has also coached clients with body image concerns and disordered eating as a certified coach through the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Diana is a registered, certified yoga instructor and believes in incorporating mindfulness and mind-body techniques into therapy where appropriate. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work, with an expected graduation date of May 2022.
As a recovering perfectionist, Diana has done extensive research into the causes and mental health pitfalls of perfectionism and will discuss signs of perfectionism, root causes of maladaptive perfectionist tendencies, and simple practices to help silence your inner critic.
Join the Office of Development & Alumni Relations and Diana as she guides us through strategies to deal with unproductive inner-thinking and unhealthy ideas about perfectionism.
Overcoming Perfectionism: Turning Off the Lawyer Brain