Linda Franco-Bustamante
Therapist/APCC
Hello, my name is Linda Franco-Bustamante, and I am excited to join the Villasenor Counseling team. I am currently an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) working towards my license. I have worked in College Counseling for the past 25 years, with a focus on first-generation college students. I am a first-generation Latina who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and have helped many youth and young adults through the struggles of being the first in their families to go to college and navigate two cultures in the United States.
I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a major in Human Services and earned my Master's in Counseling from Cal State LA in 2000. I have worked in many school settings and across various Latino communities throughout LA/OC Counties, supporting youth and their families as they face challenges beyond educational/economic obstacles. I have always had a lifelong dream of becoming a therapist, and now that I know I will soon become an empty nester (my son leaving for college). I have learned that it is never too late to follow your dreams. I have achieved my goal to utilize my life experiences to help future clients feel seen and validated.
I enjoy spending time with my son when he is home from college, as well as with my bonus grandchildren. On Saturdays, at the park, watching my partner play baseball. I love going to Knott’s Berry Farm and getting my steps in. My Comadres group, with which we get together for support and attend cultural events throughout Los Angeles, especially the Hollywood Bowl in the summertime. My guilty pleasures are watching period pieces like Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age, as well as reality TV, which helps me practice my version of self-care
I am passionate about working with the following people/topics: aging parents and their children, grief counseling, professional working parents, and healing from past trauma, to name a few. I am ready to listen in a safe, non-judgmental, culturally sensitive space. My approach is strength-based, focusing on goal-setting to help you achieve your mental wellness goals. Therapy can be an unknown experience, but I am here to walk alongside you in this new journey. Sí, hablo español, pero a veces se me sale lo americano.