Claudia Ávila is a Venezuelan psychologist of Colombian heritage whose personal and professional journey has been shaped by living across different cultures, countries, and languages. Having grown up between Venezuela, Colombia, and the United States, she developed from an early age a strong capacity for adaptation and a deep curiosity about the many ways people build their identities, cope with challenges, and create meaning in their lives.

Her interest in psychology began at a young age, inspired by watching her older brother work with children on the autism spectrum. This experience sparked a desire to pursue a profession that would allow her to support people through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. This passion eventually led her to study Psychology at Universidad de La Sabana in Colombia.

During her undergraduate studies, she was introduced to Contextual Behavioral Therapies and, in particular, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an approach that profoundly transformed her understanding of human suffering and psychological change. Drawn to this model, she moved to Madrid to further her training with some of the leading ACT professionals in the Spanish-speaking world, completing a Master’s degree in Contextual Therapies, ACT, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), and Mindfulness at MICPSY.

What was initially intended to be a one-year academic experience became the beginning of a new personal and professional chapter in Spain. After living in several countries, Claudia found in Madrid a place where she could build both her career and her life. During this period, she completed the process of validating her psychology degree in Spain, earned a Master’s degree in General Health Psychology, and continued to deepen her expertise through specialized training in ACT for children, teens, and families.

Her professional development has also been enriched by a range of international experiences. During an academic exchange at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, she explored areas such as trauma, grief, criminology, and criminal behaviour analysis. Years later, while training in Spain, she completed a clinical placement at Madrid V Soto del Real Penitentiary Centre, where she facilitated an ACT-based values workshop. Working with individuals in highly vulnerable circumstances strengthened her belief that human suffering can only be fully understood when viewed within the context of a person’s history, environment, and values.

In her clinical work, Claudia combines the scientific rigor of evidence-based therapies with a warm, flexible, and creative approach. She particularly enjoys developing metaphors, experiential exercises, and tailored interventions that reflect each client’s unique needs and circumstances, recognising that no two therapeutic journeys are alike.

Her work focuses on helping people develop a healthier relationship with their thoughts and emotions, increase psychological flexibility, and build lives that are more aligned with what truly matters to them. She strives to create a therapeutic space that is safe, collaborative, and compassionate, where clients can find not only tools to navigate life’s challenges but also a supportive place from which to grow and move forward.