Erika Valtierra Gutiérrez was born and raised in Mexico City, where she pursued undergraduate studies in psychology and a Master’s degree in counseling at Universidad Iberoamericana. After a couple of years believing that she’d dedicate her life to neurosciences, she chose to work with underserved populations after a weekend as a volunteer in a rural community near home.
Ever since, she has also worked with migrants and asylum seekers, torture survivors and their relatives, people with substance use disorders, and breast cancer patients. She currently works at Compañeros En Salud, where she supervises community mental health workers at five different rural communities where CES serves. She also provides counseling mainly to women who live or survived IPV and other forms of GBV.
Erika can be usually found fidgeting or coloring while listening to others; she’s also easily spotted due to her colorful hair and how loud she laughs. An important part of her life revolves around music, especially going to live shows, dancing, singing, and playing viola. She lives with Papa, her sweet and courageous dog, with whom she spends time playing tug games, running, taking selfies, and (occasionally) hiking. She also enjoys weaving to decorate her home or those of friends and family.