My name is Roberto Garcia II and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA-LMFT 139872) certified to provide mental health services in the state of California. In my approach to therapy, I invite clients to partner with me in a trauma-informed and culturally attentive journey that seeks to place client needs and hopes at the center of our encounters. Therapeutic areas of focus and specialties include Couples Counseling/Intimacy issues, Self-Esteem and Decision-Making, LGBTQIA+2 issues, Faith-Based Issues, Anxiety/Depression & much more.
My approach
Often times in sessions I will be pulling from multiple modalities and therapeutic techniques that are best attuned to client worldviews and perspectives. These therapeutic modalities regularly include Psychodynamic, CBT, Existential, Narrative, and Solution-Focused Therapy.
My focus
Over the past 6 years, I have provided mental health services for non-profit community mental health clinics, probation offices & court systems, middle schools, high schools, and now as a private practice clinician. Within these settings, I have had the privilege of working with individuals, couples, parents, teenagers, children, and families at many different phases of life and personal development. My top specialties include Codependency, Relationship Issues, Family Conflict, Trauma, Abuse, Intimacy, Parenting Issues, and LGBTQIA+2 issues. My most common areas of focus include Stress/Anxiety/Depression, Anger Management, Domestic Abuse/Violence, Substance Usage, PTSD, Suicidal Ideation, Race/Ethnicity, Marriage & Parenting, Sex/Sexuality/ENM, etc.
My communication style
When in session, I strive hard to provide a supportive and encouraging space for clients to be as vulnerable as they choose to be regarding their mental health concerns. I am regularly aware of the need to be trauma-informed and culturally humble with each client and therefore seek to have all sessions and services tailored uniquely to address these concerns effectively in their specific environments and life settings.
My journey to mental healthcare
My journey to become a therapist started off as a literal journey. Before embarking on this path, I was a rideshare driver and had the privilege of driving a fellow therapist who took the time to encourage me toward this profession. During that ride, he looked at me and said, "This field needs more people like you who know intrinsically how to listen and make people feel heard." That conversation set me down an ever-changing life course that has led me to where I am today as a licensed mental health clinician with several experiences that inform my areas of specialty and expertise.
My goals for you
Goals in therapy sessions are established with the client as the expert of their lives, not the therapist. My job is to provide recommendations for goals after a careful assessment of current issues, stressors, identity, trauma, and environmental factors. With this in mind, I will provide an array of options for clients to choose from to help us establish a clear focus and intention with each session going forward.
My first session with you
In our first session together, clients can expect me to provide an overview of my approach to therapy and space for them to ask me direct questions should they desire to know more about me and my experience with their specific concerns. My commitment during this and future sessions is to provide a caring and supportive environment with effective listening skills allowing for greater encouragement of vulnerability, emotional awareness, and objective reasoning.