Lidia Garcia, MSW

Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW 100207) Supervised by Monica Valdivia Aguilar, MA (LMFT 41352)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” ~ Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself. It’s a space to express your brilliance, vulnerability, loves, fears, process pain, and grow in resilience. 

So, who are you and how do you want to express yourself?

As a therapist, I collaborate with clients to create a comfortable space to safely to express vulnerabilities, process experiences, and fearlessly confront limiting beliefs. I support clients with coping strategies, skills for building self-compassion, and tools for processing difficult emotions. 

I am a trained social worker as well as psychotherapist. As a social worker I’m equipped to examine the ways in which family structures, cultural expectations/traditions, sociopolitical issues, and other external pressures can have a role in shaping the ways we interact with ourselves and the world around us. I take care to use culturally appropriate language and interventions to support clients. Interventions include, but not limited to: mindfulness, somatic awareness, breath work, cognitive behavioral, imagery, coping strategies, grounding, journaling, art, boundary setting, nonviolent communication, movement/physical activity, and radical self-love.  

My personal identity can be defined as: “second generation Mexican American”. “Woman of color”. “Athlete”. “Daughter”. “Sister”. “Friend”. “Therapist”. “Advocate” … But like you, I am so much more than any label can define! Let’s begin to peel back layers of both superficial and mistaken identity to reveal the brilliance of who you are and how you want to express from this moment forward.    

Education: 

Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, New York City

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside 

Previous experience: 

Community mental health supporting adolescents and families in navigation of behavioral and emotional challenges. I also have experience as a mindfulness coach and hypnotherapist supporting adults in navigating personal healing and life transitions. 

Clinical interests: 

Anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, trauma, attachment wounds, confidence and self-compassion, people pleasing/ perfectionism, comparison, exploration of identity, and sports/high stakes performance.