Monica Valdez

There is usually one thing you have not said out loud yet. Maybe it is how much you are drinking, how long you have felt this flat, or something from years ago that still runs your days. I am Monica, a therapist and certified alcohol and drug counselor in California, and I work with adults who are carrying more than the people around them realize. I help with anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, grief, stress, and substance use, and with the relationship and family strain that usually comes with them. Whatever brought you here, you do not have to carry it on your own.

My work is warm, collaborative, and built on what you already do well. Early on we get specific about what a hard day actually looks like, then find the places where something different is possible. Depending on what you need, I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma focused CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing for substance use and ambivalence, solution focused brief therapy, narrative therapy, and family systems and couples work including Bowen family systems. I will ask about your reasons for change rather than hand you mine, and we will build coping skills that hold up outside the room.

Our first session is mostly you talking and me listening, and there is no right way to do it. You can arrive unsure, or only half convinced therapy will help, and that is a completely reasonable place to start. We will talk about what brought you in, what you have already tried, and what you want to be different. It is normal to feel nervous. We go at your pace, and you decide what we open and when. By the end you should know whether this feels like the right fit, which is the only decision that matters yet.