Lis Cristina Santamaria Garcia

Hello! I am a (English/Spanish) bilingual therapist with over 16 years of experience. I have a background in clinical psychology, human rights, family therapy and humanitarian/community psychology. It may be hard to take the first step and start looking for therapy, so I commend you for being here. There are many reasons why someone would start therapy: feeling stressed, alone, sad or anxious; having challenges with work-life balance; navigating questions of identity; losing someone. Your reasons are as valid as any. The truth is: I am here to help. My approach is systemic, multicultural, pragmatic, and trauma attuned.

I draw on strength-based strategies to support your growth, transference-focused frameworks to understand your relationship with yourself & others, mindfulness to build resilience and acceptance, systemic to ensure we understand your truth; CBT to identify unhelpful thinking patterns that and narrative approaches to support your sense of self across time.

I care about your experience and how it connects you to your world. In our sessions, there will be space for your strengths and shadow self. I will support you, root for you, while gently being direct, if need be, to help you move forward. Therapy is a different journey each time and I am happy to be part of yours.

My hope is that during our first session, we will become familiar with one another and how our sessions may feel, while also collaboratively identifying treatment goals to guide our initial months of work. These goals are flexible and can change over time; having a starting point helps provide direction for our work together.

Sessions with me will feel like a conversation where you can come as yourself, express your concerns, and celebrate your strengths, while feeling heard and met with curiosity. Overtime, I hope you will feel safe enough to explore difficult feelings that may arise.

My hope is that by the end of treatment, you will feel empowered, more attuned to yourself and needs, and have a clearer perspective on how to face the challenges that brought you here.