Grace Alvarez Sesma is of Yaqui descent and a practitioner of Traditional Indigenous Medicine, cultural educator, and social justice advocate. She has more than four decades of experience serving diverse communities across Southern California and beyond.
She has a background in both mental health and traditional cultural practices. She trains behavioral health clinicians and consults with healthcare organizations. Through San Diego State University’s Academy for Professional Excellence, she facilitates training for the Tribal STAR Program, which prepares social workers, attorneys, and staff to work with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). She is also a facilitator for the Cultural Resource Academy, which offers training in cultural awareness, skill-building, cultural humility, self-assessment, and intersectionality in the workplace. In addition, she partners with organizations to navigate cultural differences, providing training and consultation that promote equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness.
Grace serves on the Practitioners Council of the Consciousness & Healing Initiative and is a member of the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) BIPOC Committee. Through that committee, she developed the Traditional Indigenous Medicine curriculum for AIHM’s Fellowship Program, which helps healthcare professionals deepen their knowledge of integrative healthcare. The fellowship is approved by the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) and meets all requirements of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). In September 2023, she was inducted into the MEChA mural in Historic Chicano Park in San Diego’s Barrio Logan.
Outside her work, Grace treasures time with her family, including her five grandsons and their partners. She also enjoys reading, being in nature, and serving her communities.
