Hello,

My full birth name is Maria Perpetua Linsao. I am a queer woman of color, appreciating and celebrating all the different parts of me.

My immigration journey:

I was born in Manila, Philippines, and journeyed to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1971. My mother traveled ahead of us to care for one of her ailing sisters. I was 6 years old when we arrived in our new home. My siblings and I were close, my brother was very protective of us, having experienced various incidents that I now understand as acts of racism. Reflecting on my early years, these were filled with an abundance of time with family– aunts, uncles and cousins; memorable moments, both joyful and not so joyful, ease and hardships, conflicts and appreciation.

What made me journey to California?

In a nutshell, I was seeking a more purposeful and embodied way of life. I landed at Green Gulch, to work in the community’s organic farm and garden and study Zen Buddhism. I lived and practiced at all three centers of the San Francisco Zen Center–Green Gulch, City Center and Tassajara—for 14 years, having ordained as a priest in 2010.

Upon leaving the Zen community in 2016, I embarked on another leg of my life journey, that of training as a psychotherapist.

Education and Advanced Training

Jung Institute Internship (2019-2021), Certificate of Depth Studies

MA in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, York University, Toronto

Experience

Downtown Oakland Therapy (2023-Present)

San Mateo Child and Family Counseling Center (2023-Present)

Alternatives in Action High School, Oakland, School Counselor (2021-2023)

Zen Hospice Volunteer at Laguna Honda Hospital (2012-2013)

Hospital Chaplaincy, St. Francis Memorial Hospital, San Francisco (2006-2007)

Healing Modalities