Blanca Iniguez Valdivia

Hi, I’m Blanca! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California, offering telehealth sessions for teens and adults. I support clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and those moments when life simply feels like a lot.

I know reaching out for therapy can feel intimidating, especially when you’re not quite sure where to start or even what you’re supposed to say. You don’t need to have everything figured out before coming in. Sometimes simply knowing that you want things to feel different is enough of a place to start, and we can figure out the rest together.

As a first-generation Latina, I understand how culture, family, expectations, and identity can shape the way we experience and make sense of the world around us. I offer therapy in both English and Spanish, so you can express yourself in the language that feels most comfortable to you. También ofrezco terapia en español para quienes se sientan más cómodos expresándose en español.

My approach is warm, collaborative, and down-to-earth. Therapy with me isn't about sitting across from someone who just nods and asks, "How does that make you feel?" I want our sessions to feel like a space where you can be yourself, laugh when things are funny, cry when things are hard, and talk openly without worrying about being judged.

I believe you are the expert on your own life. My job is to help you slow things down, make sense of what you're experiencing, notice patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and find new ways of responding that actually work for you.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy, so I tailor our work to you. We might focus on practical coping and regulation skills, explore relationships and patterns, process past experiences or trauma, or do deeper inner child work. I draw from approaches such as CBT, DBT, EMDR Trauma-Focused CBT, and Motivational Interviewing while always keeping your needs, goals, and pace at the center of our work.

First sessions can feel a little awkward—you're meeting someone new and suddenly being asked to talk about your life! My goal is to make that process feel as comfortable and natural as possible.

We'll spend some time getting to know each other, talking about what brought you to therapy, what's been going on lately, and what you'd like to get out of our time together. You don't need to tell me your entire life story in the first hour, and you don't need to know exactly what your therapy goals are yet.

Think of our first session as a starting point. We'll begin figuring out what's most important to you and what you might need from therapy. Most importantly, I want you to leave feeling heard, supported, and a little more hopeful about what comes next.