Who is Monica?
I am a holistic coach, a mindfulness guide and a spiritual counselor who ponders on the complexities of the human heart and incessantly explores ways to alleviate our suffering.
I do not only listen and support my clients as much as I can, but I also offer many tools to help them reframe their challenging life experiences and nurture their spiritual growth.
What is spiritual development? It is inner development. It is getting to know yourself.
I would love to support you in reclaiming your power so you can connect to yourself, to those around you and to the world in such a way that you are able to embrace & love every aspect of your life, even your challenges.
Personal, Academic & Professional Background
For my academic & professional background, please scroll down.
Personal Background
Anxiety has been one of my greatest teachers, but it wasn’t always like that. I used to see anxiety as my enemy, like a wild animal difficult to tame and ready to jump at me at the most unexpected moment.
I was born into a very conflicted family. My mother suffered from unstable moods and anger flares, and 
because of the unpredictability of my home environment, I developed anxiety at a very early age.
My dad was a pilot in the Argentine Navy Air Force. After being gone for days, I have vivid memories of hearing his car pull up in the driveway in the middle of the night, the kitchen door opening and my mom getting out of bed. What followed were recriminations and screams.
Lying in bed, paralyzed by the fear that the whole scene would trigger in me, I could feel my heart pounding, tingling in my tongue, and an inability to move. Little did I know that I was experiencing a panic attack. At barely 3 years old, that was the beginning of a long experience with my all-consuming anxiety.
As I grew older, I became very curious about the neurological root of the anxiety & unstable emotions. I was tired of fighting and I felt like I was broken. Trying to find a solution, I would stay up late at night reading and researching non-stop about emotions and the brain.
In graduate school, I devoted my research to the topic, and found that the evidence regarding mindfulness as an effective alternative to alleviate anxiety, depression and other mental disorders was undeniable.
I then became my own laboratory. While I did not notice an overnight shift, I gradually experienced a significant decrease not only in the level of anxiety I had had in the past but in the way I perceived life.
I used to have issues with my relationships but then when I changed, those relationships began to change as well. People started to become so nice. Later, I understood that it was not that they were different, but that my shift shaped the way I was relating with myself and others.
Over time, after learning so much from spiritual masters, psychology and neuroscience, I incorporated different methods, synthesized them and brought them together. And I found my freedom, a freedom I did not know was possible.
That is how I began a path of deep self-understanding and self-compassion, a path which could bring healing to the preexistent unresolved wounds that had plagued my life.
Instead of wondering why this is happening to me, I began to ask myself what is this trying to teach me. That was when everything started to shift. And this path has actually saved my life.
That was 24 years ago. As my anxiety evaporated, I committed myself to sharing what I had learned with those who are suffering.
My work is now my spiritual practice. It really matters to me. I care deeply about every single private client and every participant of the courses I offer. I want to serve all those who feel stuck or disengaged in life, and who suffer silently as I did.
If you are one of them, I would love to share the medicine that healed me with you. I know we can all awaken our inner power which may go dormant for long periods of time.
Over the last 15 years, I have had the privilege of supporting hundreds of clients, guiding couples, parents, teachers, coaches, physicians and psychologists through courses targeted to their needs. And I have learned so much from all of them. I created courses in English and in Spanish for all those interested in alleviating their suffering and reconnecting with the beauty that life has to offer.
I know now that anxiety is not the enemy. Anxiety is really a gift. Like all emotions, anxiety is trying to communicate a message. If we pay attention and listen, we will discover that something inside our inner self needs attention. And the moment we reframe our interpretation of anxiety is the moment when everything starts to change in our lives.
It is for that reason, that I am so excited to share with you the tools that have freed me from the prison of emotional pain and which have given me the clarity of mind and the equanimity to be able to enjoy this fascinating and precious adventure we call Life.
If you want to go deeper in this path, I invite you to sign up for the course I am offering now. This is perhaps one of the most important steps you can take on your path of emotional & spiritual growth.
The Universe gives us a gentle nudge, but change can only come from within, and we need some support to do it. So, when you are ready to jump, I am here to hold your hand.
Academic & Professional Background
Monica is the founder of EmbraceMindfulness.org. She holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) and a Master’s Certificate in Mind, Brain and Teaching (MCMBT), graduating summa cum laude, from Johns Hopkins University.
In this program, Monica focused her research review on the mechanisms involved in allostatic load, the consequences of stress overload on the nervous system, and the impact it has on mood, learning, behavior, executive function and well being as well as the effectiveness of mindfulness as an intervention to ameliorate and even transform our reaction to stressors.
Monica has created 19 courses, to share the powerful neuroscience-based techniques
she developed to master her own mind, and the mindfulness tools to become her best self.
She has also created a number of other courses including The Healing Power of Letting Go, The Healing Inner Circle both in English & Spanish, an 8-week course in Spanish called Conocimiento & Auto-Empoderamiento Personal a través de Mindfulness, Mindful Parenting, Mindfulness for Educators, Mindfulness for Doctors, Psychologists, Social Workers and Nurses, and Mindful Communication among others.
In these courses, she incorporates different approaches, synthesizes them and brings them together with a mindfulness base to achieve the best outcomes.
Monica integrates the timeless wisdom of the great contemplative traditions with cutting edge brain science, sensory-motor psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, Attachment Theory, deep Jungian Psychology and somatic healing to raise awareness of one’s experience, restructure the architecture of the brain through neuro-plasticity, develop habits of mind to handle stressors, and bring joy and vibrancy into one’s life.
Monica offers workshops, online and in-person talks, daylong retreats, residential retreats and seminars in different institutions.
Monica offers free Mindfulness Meditation and talks for those who have been touched by cancer and their families at the Wellness House, free – open to the public– Mindfulness Meditation at Congregation Kol Shalom and at Unity by the Bay where she offers monthly talks and weekly meditation sessions.
During the pandemic, Monica offered free weekly dharma talks and meditation to the public via Zoom. Those talks still continue virtually on the last Tuesday of every month.
Monica has trained in the principles and practices of mindfulness through several programs including the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society. Through their Oasis Institute Programs, she completed the Professional Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, led by Dr. Jon-Kabat Zinn, founder of MBSR, and Dr. Saki Santorelli, now retired Director of the Center for Mindfulness.
Monica is also certified in the Dot Be Program by the Mindfulness in Schools Project. Monica also trained in the Fundamentals of Mindfulness Programs and Curriculum Training by Mindful Schools
Through the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, Monica trained in the practical application of Mindfulness for Fear & Anxiety, Depression, Shame, Anger, Limiting Core Beliefs, Emotional Triggers and Emotional Trauma, and how Interpersonal Neurobiology and The Polyvagal Theory also informs us on the best way to apply mindfulness for specific cases.
Monica was the Spanish Program Coordinator and Spanish Editor to Tara Brach’s Dharma Talks and Meditations for the Spanish-speaking world. Tara Brach is one of the world’s leading Insight meditation teachers. Monica is also a member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.
Monica has been practicing mindfulness for over two decades and she has been teaching it for 16 years. She is committed to bringing mindfulness into everybody’s unique life experience.
Regardless of the circumstances that we are surrounded by, we can always tap into our inner power, and develop emotional self-regulation and equanimity to see every situation as an opportunity for growth. Her teachings will guide her students towards the primordial boundless freedom that abides at the heart of our experience.
Monica is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
She and her husband lived in Paris, France, for 6 years where their daughter was born. Monica loves reading, learning, yoga, exercising, writing, walking in nature, and spending time with her family. She treasures her friendships and loves every aspect of life. She says she has been able to create a life she does not need a vacation from, and for that she is eternally grateful.