Dr. Cristina Garcia

Hello! I specialize in treating sleep disorders using therapy interventions. The most well-known sleep therapy is CBT for Insomnia, and there are other therapies for other sleep issues (recurring or trauma-related nightmares, night owls trapped in our early bird society, anxiety about using PAP machine, etc.). I love treating sleep disorders! Often, it boils down to creating a new, healthier relationship with sleep.

Aside from sleep work, some of my most gratifying work is with people who are experiencing or still being affected by very difficult times in their lives. This could be a trauma or intensely stressful situation, a series of harmful relationships, or decades of self-criticism. I have years of clinical and research experience working with chronic and severe mental illness (think Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia), and I believe this experience gives me perspective, motivation, and empathy when working with folks in a painful period of life.

FYI...

There are a lot of different types of providers out there, so I like to clarify my education background to help folks understand my experience.

My PhD with specialties in adult serious mental illness and sleep issues required:

• 4 years of undergraduate education
• 2 years of post-baccalaureate research
• 5 years of graduate school including a dissertation
• 1 year of clinical internship (like medical residency)
• 1 year of postdoctoral fellowship (like medical fellowship for clinical subspecialty)

My Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine required:

• 500 hours of didactic training and clinical experience

The #1 change-maker in therapy is the relationship between the client and the therapist. That is my priority and our foundation in therapy. Once we've gotten comfortable with one another, I use gentle, curious questions to guide our exploration of the most important issues for my client. I may help reorganize someone's understanding of a past argument, introduce a new communication strategy, or create a caring, quiet space for someone to reflect on heavy memories. No matter what's happening in the moment, my overall goal in therapy is to help the person find a better way forward.

During the first session, I get to know you, my client, and listen to your stories and goals. I do lots of listening and ask lots of follow-up questions so that I can offer a few different perspectives and starting points, and then we move forward at your pace. I'm the professional in psychotherapy, and you're the professional in... you. So the intake is all about me trying to understand you.