Isela Garcia White

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive experience in the mental health field. I’m also a first-generation Mexican American, daughter of immigrant parents, and the first in my family to graduate from college. These experiences inform my understanding of the complexities that can come with navigating multiple identities, cultures, and expectations.

I specialize in working with first- and second-generation, Latinx, and BIPOC adults, including college and graduate students and professionals. Many of the clients I work with are navigating anxiety, chronic stress, perfectionism, impostor feelings, burnout, identity-related concerns, academic or career pressure, and major life transitions. I also support clients experiencing grief and loss, relationship challenges, mild to moderate depression, and difficulty adjusting to change.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley and my Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Throughout my career, I have worked across mental health, educational, and healthcare settings, with extensive experience supporting college and graduate students and adults navigating demanding academic and professional environments.

My approach to therapy is warm, affirming, and collaborative. I believe therapy works best when you feel genuinely heard and understood, while also having space to explore patterns, challenge what may no longer be serving you, and develop new ways of responding to stress and difficult emotions.

I use a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach, recognizing that our identities, relationships, families, communities, and lived experiences all shape how we move through the world. I draw from evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, DBT-informed skills, motivational interviewing, and interpersonal therapy, tailoring our work to your individual needs rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Together, we’ll build on your strengths, identify practical tools that fit your life, and create space for meaningful change while staying connected to what matters most to you.

Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin building a shared understanding of what brings you to therapy. I’ll ask questions about what you’ve been experiencing, relevant parts of your history and current life, and what you’re hoping to gain from therapy. You don’t need to come in with everything figured out or know exactly what your goals are—we’ll begin identifying those together.

We’ll also talk about how we might approach our work together, including what you would like to focus on and the frequency of sessions. I’ll review important aspects of therapy such as confidentiality and make sure you have an opportunity to ask questions about the process.

My goal for the first session is to begin understanding you and your needs, establish a foundation for our work together, and help us determine the next steps that feel right for you.