Yesenia Padilla

I've been working in behavioral health since 2017, bringing nine years of experience supporting adolescents, adults, and older adults across a range of clinical settings. My path began as a mental health technician, which gave me an early foundation in psychiatric care before I completed internships at Dell Seton Medical Center and Ascension Shoal Creek. Since then, I've worked in psychiatric and residential behavioral health settings - including Georgetown Behavioral Health and Alta Loma - providing individual, group, and family therapy to people navigating a wide range of mental health and co-occurring concerns. I've also worked in EAP care coordination, supporting individuals in connecting with the right resources through brief, solution-focused care. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Texas State University and a Master's degree in Social Work (with a focus in Mental Health & Substance Abuse) from the University of Texas at Arlington. I'm dual-licensed as an LCSW and LCDC, and have clinical training in CBT, DBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, crisis intervention, and evidence-based assessment tools including the PHQ-9, GAD-7, C-SSRS, and AUDIT. I specialize in anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, trauma-related concerns, and co-occurring mental health and substance use. As a bilingual, Hispanic therapist, I deeply value cultural understanding and work to create a space where clients feel genuinely comfortable being themselves, in whatever language feels most natural. My own experiences have given me a real appreciation for how anxiety, depression, and other concerns can shape everyday life, and how meaningful it is to have a space where seeking support feels safe rather than stigmatizing. I bring that understanding into my work while maintaining professional boundaries.

I take a warm, compassionate, and nonjudgmental approach, while also being willing to challenge clients when it can help them grow. Therapy, in my view, should be individualized, collaborative, and responsive to where you actually are in your life right now. I don't believe one approach works for everyone, so I focus first on understanding the person behind the symptoms before we figure out what's meaningful and useful for you specifically. I draw from a range of evidence-based methods - including CBT (thought challenging, cognitive restructuring), DBT skills, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, strengths-based and psychodynamic/insight-oriented approaches, mindfulness and grounding techniques, psychoeducation, and relapse prevention principles when relevant. I also use structured assessment tools to track progress and support clinical decision-making. I take a trauma-informed lens throughout, and I'm particularly committed to making therapy feel approachable rather than clinical or stigmatizing. Reaching out for support isn't a sign that something is wrong, it's a chance to better understand yourself, build practical skills, and create change that actually lasts.

Our first session is really about getting to know each other. I want you to feel comfortable, not like you're being evaluated or expected to have everything figured out before we begin. We'll talk about what brought you to therapy, what's been feeling hard, and what you're hoping to work toward. You don't need to share anything you're not ready to share. I believe therapy works best when it's a true collaboration, so we'll spend time figuring out together what feels right for you. Your goals, your pace, and what kind of support would actually be helpful. My goal for that first session is simple: for you to leave feeling heard, understood, and like this could be a space where you can genuinely be yourself.