Erick Santos, LCSW #113183

Life may be a myriad of difficulties causing emotional and physical distress which often can lead to mental health challenges that may range from anxiety, depression, or other symptoms you just can’t seem to explain. The difficulty is we continue moving on through life without getting help until these issues become bigger, they may become unmanageable, and often dictating how you live your life. The beauty of us as humans is that we are resilient and capable of healing to become stronger from adversity. Therapy may be instrumental in reshaping life struggles so that you may empower yourself to overcome difficulties and find your inner peace. Beginning the journey to healing is certainly not an easy one and may seem incredibly uncomfortable, but it is through moments of discomfort that you may make the most growth to become the best version of yourself.

I take a client-centered approach in working with you, which means you control the pace of our sessions and ultimately focus on your needs. I will be here to provide empathy, unconditional positive regard, but am also here to challenge you so that we may get you to meet your goals.

I’m a bilingual (Spanish/English) associate clinical social work therapy (ACSW # 95340). I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Cum Laude) from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2013 and went on to complete my Master of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach (Cum Laude). Through my practicums at CSULB, I had the privilege to work with diverse populations in trauma-informed placements that allowed me to develop an eclectic therapeutic style to adjust to the unique individuals I worked with. During this time with Los Angeles Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (LA CADA) and Hoag Hospital’s Mental Health Center (MHC), I worked with young children, adolescents, adults, and older adults (65+) providing client-centered, trauma-informed psychotherapy services.

Establish Safety:

The most important aspect of working with me is to ensure that you are safe during and after our individual sessions. I am able to be flexible in scheduling if circumstances prevent us from meeting at our originally scheduled appointment or if you need additional support one particular week. I focus on building our therapeutic relationship so that you feel safe in being vulnerable in our session and as issues arise in our work together. Mindfulness practices are very important to use in therapy and together we will identify what works best for you to cope in between our sessions. Often during trauma work, we create self-care plans at the start of sessions so that we identify ways you will receive support from others or through the use of coping skills so that you may take care of yourself and feel safe in between sessions.

Clinical Orientation and Specialties:

I particularly chose a Clinical Social Work track to expose myself to various theoretical orientations such as systems theory, individuals being influenced by interplaying systems leading to development, and social learning theory, learning behaviors through the observation of others leading to modeling of those behaviors. While I do draw on these theoretical approaches when working with individuals, I also draw from evidence-based practices to best serve your therapeutic needs. Since this is client-centered, I may help individuals identify an approach that may best work for you but ultimately, we may use a specific orientation that works best for you.

I have extensive experience working on trauma (single, multiple complex), intergenerational trauma, PTSD, addiction, Couples, Generalized Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar disorders, and other mood disorders. I utilize the following evidenced-based practices for these areas of specialty:

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a structured trauma therapy that follows phases or “steps” in rewiring a traumatic memory so that it feels less emotionally charged. Often when we experience trauma, our brain focuses on the emotions, images, sensations, and a belief of yourself which gives power to a traumatic event. These past experiences shape how we live in the present since we are “stuck in the past”. EMDR uses bi-lateral stimulation (tapping or eye movements) to help you access channels of that trauma so that they may become “cleared out” through reprocessing so that you can move on from trauma, have it feel less distressing, and view yourself differently

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): I utilize a combined approach of CBT and TF-CBT. CBT is utilized to help understand the relationship of how thoughts influence our emotions leading to behaviors. Often, emotionally difficult experiences or trauma alter the way we think about ourselves or how we view the world. Utilizing CBT can allow us to reshape cognitive distortions and replace them with healthier, adaptable views. 

Trauma-Focused CBT is used to work through single, multiple, or complex traumatic experiences in a structured way. The utilization of TF-CBT will allow an individual to identify ways to feel safe when working through trauma before gradually beginning to process that trauma during therapy. Using a TF-CBT orientation, we emphasize safety and comfortability as you slowly work through whatever trauma has defined your life. The goal of TF-CBT is to reintegrate the trauma into your life by changing the narrative and effectively consolidating it so that it no longer negatively impacts your life. 

Internal Family Systems (IFS): IFS is a framework that considers our "core authentic self" to be preserved in the face of traumatic events. As a result, our mind protects our core self and we develop internal parts within ourselves to cope and protect ourselves. All parts have good intentions and IFS is a modality that does not pathologize behaviors, traits, or mental health issues that are striving towards overall protecting wounded or traumatized parts of ourselves. IFS can help you on creating safety, compassion, and healing protective parts that have become "stuck" in the moments of the past.

Solution Focused Therapy (SFT): Solution Focused Therapy is a short-term goal-driven therapy modality that helps individuals identify solutions rather than fixating on problems. Solution-Focused Therapy focuses on using strengths, positive emotions, future-oriented perspectives, and increasing motivation to make desired changes. I particularly use Solution-Focused Therapy with couples as I like to highlight the strengths of each individual in a couple so that we may use them to help the relationship bloom into its full potential. 

As your therapist, I am here to meet you where you are at on your journey to healing to become the best version of yourself. I am here to hold a safe space to let go of the trauma and to promote your growth. I provide individual therapy sessions for 50 minutes/ $150 per session. Thank you for reading and taking the time to prioritize yourself by seeking therapy. 

Feel free to contact me for a free 20-minute consultation. I am looking forward to working with you, please contact me with any questions. Thank you!

Email: esantostherapy@gmail.com

Phone: 562-270-5247