Raised in South Gate, California, Cynthia was largely parented by her maternal grandparents. Raised in an intact family of three siblings, her upbringing was greatly colored by her mother's Catholicism and compassion for those in need. Her father's experience as an Ex-Prisoner of War (WWII) also left a life-long desire to understand various cultures and experience the good in people world wide. She was born to a family influenced also by both the Native American and Mexican American values, leaving her a rich appreciate of the two cultures admired within her immediate family.

Unfortunately, Cynthia's mother died when Cynthia was 12 years old and a few short years later she found herself independently advancing her way through college and graduate school. She wanted to attain the education necessary to reach her goal to help those in need. Always attempting to maximize her understanding of the lives of others, Cynthia voluntarily worked in the farm working industry along with migrant workers. She befriended people from different countries and attempted to learn different languages and understand their traditions. She volunteered to study and work in a psychiatric hospital in Michoacán Mexico, and traveled to the Nordic States as well as parts of Europe seeking to interact with the common citizen. In the United States, Cynthia continues to invite a greater understanding of the varying and wonderful cultures of our country.

Cynthia's personal challenges and accomplishments has led her to be a compassionate, inquisitive and open-minded therapist who is always interested in learning something from each experience and bringing it's richness into her therapeutic practice.