About Me
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">“You are the sun, the moons and the stars. You have never stopped being great; your ancestors have always been great, they just tried to make us forget. ”
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">- By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez
Author of “Brown Girls With Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts”
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">Hi,
I’m Mertaly Francisca Martinez;
I go by Francis.
<span data-buffer="">I am a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in the Mind and Body connection. I am also a first-generation Latina, a creator, a spiritual coach, and a healer.<span data-metadata="">
You are the sun, the moons and the stars. You have never stopped being great; your ancestors have always been great, they just tried to make us forget.
By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez
Author of “Brown Girls With Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts”
Introduction
Hi, I’m Mertaly Francisca Martinez; I go by Francis
I am a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in the Mind and Body connection. I am also a first-generation Latina, a counselor, and a somatic therapist.
“You are the sun, the moons and the stars. You have never stopped being great; your ancestors have always been great, they just tried to make us forget. ”
By Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez
Author of “Brown Girls With Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts”
I’m Mertaly Francisca Martinez;
I go by Francis.
I am a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in the Mind and Body connection. I am also a first-generation Latina, a counselor, and a somatic therapist.
My Journey.
As a first-generation Latina, I grew up navigating two worlds, honoring my cultural roots while striving to fulfill the dreams of my immigrant parents. Like many children of immigrants, I carried the weight of success, grappling with guilt, bicultural straddling, and the feeling of not being enough. My parents’ vision of the “American Dream” meant becoming a doctor or lawyer. I chose the path of becoming a doctor but took a non-traditional route—one that resonates deeply with my upbringing and my ancestors.
Naturopathic Medicine goes beyond symptoms, and it focuses on prevention and finding the root cause. It is also a medicine that resembles my ancestors and my upbringing. Looking back, it’s almost a full circle journey that I had to take, not only to help me heal but to connect with my upbringing and my roots. I feel empowered not only by what I’ve gone through in my life but also by what my lineage has gone through.
Living with intergenerational and historical trauma often means disintegrating parts of ourselves to survive. For many of us, this can look like numbing, dissociation, compartmentalization, or even self-betrayal. Over time, these survival mechanisms can leave us feeling disconnected from who we are, from others, and even from our own bodies.
I’ve been there. As a first-generation Latina, I carried the weight of unhealed trauma, which manifested in ways I didn’t fully understand:
- Emotionally: Anxiety, feelings of unworthiness, guilt, insecurity, imposter syndrome, and struggling to find my voice.
- Physically: Chronic pain, acid reflux, stomach issues, persistent nausea, allergic reactions, and a weakened immune system.
During medical school, these struggles came to a head. It wasn’t until I explored the mind-body connection, nervous system regulation, and somatic therapy that I finally began to understand myself and heal. This work taught me how to truly listen to my body, a body that had carried not only my pain but the pain of generations before me. I decided: I would be the one to break the cycle.
The Heart of My Practice.
Today, somatic work is the heart of my practice. Because I was especially interested in mental health, I pursued additional training in Somatic Therapy. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I use evidence-based tools alongside holistic approaches, such as Somatic Therapy, Nervous system Regulation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing, Lived experience as a first generation children of immigrants, Botanical Medicine, Nutrition, and Meditation.
I specialize in working with first-generation Latinas and adult children of immigrants who are navigating the complex reality of adapting to two or more cultures. These individuals often feel the weight of their parents’ sacrifices, carrying the pressure to succeed and make them proud. Guilt, imposter syndrome, and the struggle of putting their parents’ needs first are common challenges they face. Many feel they don’t have a voice, and anxiety and intergenerational trauma often accompany their experiences.
You are not alone in this journey. My end goal is for you to find safety in your body as much as I have.
I am committed to this work that supports liberation, joy, dignity, and rest especially for bodies that have learned to survive without them.
My Journey.
As a first-generation Latina, I grew up navigating two worlds, honoring my cultural roots while striving to fulfill the dreams of my immigrant parents. Like many children of immigrants, I carried the weight of success, grappling with guilt, bicultural straddling, and the feeling of not being enough. My parents’ vision of the “American Dream” meant becoming a doctor or lawyer. I chose the path of becoming a doctor but took a non-traditional route—one that resonates deeply with my upbringing and my ancestors.
Naturopathic Medicine goes beyond symptoms, and it focuses on prevention and finding the root cause. It is also a medicine that resembles my ancestors and my upbringing. Looking back, it’s almost a full circle journey that I had to take, not only to help me heal but to connect with my upbringing and my roots. I feel empowered not only by what I’ve gone through in my life but also by what my lineage has gone through.
Living with intergenerational and historical trauma often means disintegrating parts of ourselves to survive. For many of us, this can look like numbing, dissociation, compartmentalization, or even self-betrayal. Over time, these survival mechanisms can leave us feeling disconnected from who we are, from others, and even from our own bodies.
I’ve been there. As a first-generation Latina, I carried the weight of unhealed trauma, which manifested in ways I didn’t fully understand:
- Emotionally: Anxiety, feelings of unworthiness, guilt, insecurity, imposter syndrome, and struggling to find my voice.
- Physically: Chronic pain, acid reflux, stomach issues, persistent nausea, allergic reactions, and a weakened immune system.
During medical school, these struggles came to a head. It wasn’t until I explored the mind-body connection, nervous system regulation, and somatic therapy that I finally began to understand myself and heal. This work taught me how to truly listen to my body, a body that had carried not only my pain but the pain of generations before me. I decided: I would be the one to break the cycle.
The Heart of My Practice.
Today, somatic work is the heart of my practice. Because I was especially interested in mental health, I pursued additional training in Somatic Therapy. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I use evidence-based tools alongside holistic approaches, such as Somatic Therapy, Nervous system Regulation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing, Lived experience as a first generation children of immigrants, Botanical Medicine, Nutrition, and Meditation.
I specialize in working with first-generation Latinas and adult children of immigrants who are navigating the complex reality of adapting to two or more cultures. These individuals often feel the weight of their parents’ sacrifices, carrying the pressure to succeed and make them proud. Guilt, imposter syndrome, and the struggle of putting their parents’ needs first are common challenges they face. Many feel they don’t have a voice, and anxiety and intergenerational trauma often accompany their experiences.
You are not alone in this journey. My end goal is for you to find safety in your body as much as I have.
I am committed to this work that supports liberation, joy, dignity, and rest especially for bodies that have learned to survive without them.
