OCD, trauma & addiction therapy that breaks the loop.
Feeling overwhelmed, on edge or shut down? Maybe it's intrusive thoughts and compulsions you can't shake, drinking to get through the week, or the pressure of holding it together for everyone else. You don't have to keep white-knuckling it.
What I help with
Specialized, evidence-based approaches for the patterns that feel hardest to break.
OCD
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the leading treatment for OCD, for intrusive thoughts, checking, reassurance-seeking and other compulsions.
Trauma & PTSD
EMDR therapy to help your brain process painful experiences so they lose their grip on the present.
Urges & addiction
DeTUR, an EMDR-based approach that works on the triggers behind drinking, substance use and other compulsive habits.
Anxiety & overwhelm
Tools to calm your nervous system and step out of burnout, emotional shutdown and constant worry.
Does this sound familiar?
I work with adults who feel stuck in painful patterns or disconnected from themselves, and who want to understand why and build real stability.
Many of the people I see are the ones everyone else leans on. They're carrying a lot of responsibility, running on empty, and quietly struggling with things they haven't told anyone.
What is DeTUR?
DeTUR (Desensitization of Triggers and Urge Reprocessing) is an EMDR protocol for addiction and compulsive behaviors. Rather than treating the underlying trauma and hoping the behavior follows, DeTUR targets the trigger-to-urge link directly.
We start with your own goal for what life looks like when you're doing well, then work through the triggers (a stressful day, a certain place, a lonely evening) so they lose some of their pull.
Collaborative, trauma-informed and practical
Healing isn't linear, but it is real, and it begins with being met where you are.
My approach is client-centered and strength-based. I draw on EMDR, ERP, psychodynamic principles, somatic regulation and neuroscience-informed tools, and we decide together what fits. Expect a warm, non-judgmental space where change is something we work on as a team.
Background
- Associate Clinical Social Worker, California ASW #132540
- Supervised by Christina Castro, LPCC #10716
- Bachelor's degree and Master of Social Work, UCLA
- EMDR trained
- Trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD
- Trained in DeTUR for addiction and urges
A little about me
I'm a dad to a four-year-old, and my wife is a social worker too, so helping people runs in our house.
If you're ready to stop just coping and start feeling better, let's talk.
Sessions are online from anywhere in California, with daytime, evening and weekend times available. Start with a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit.
James Garcia, Associate Clinical Social Worker, ASW #132540, supervised by Christina Castro, LPCC #10716. Some plans don't reimburse out-of-network sessions with associate clinicians, so we'll confirm your coverage before you begin. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room. This page is for information only and does not create a therapist-client relationship.