Natalia Garcia, PhD

Contact: nataliagarcia@jetcitypsych.com

Phone: 206-486-5919

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience providing individual and group therapy services. My areas of expertise include trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief/bereavement, suicidal thoughts, life transitions, and distress related to overwhelming emotions, relationship challenges, and impulsive behaviors. I have extensive training in various evidence-based approaches, most notably Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Behavioral Activation (BA). 

My therapy style is one that balances acceptance and change. This means accepting and understanding you exactly as you are *and* collaboratively identifying areas you want to change. We will work together to identify your treatment goals and assess what’s currently getting in the way of reaching those goals. In my work with clients, these barriers often include intense emotions, unhelpful thinking patterns, and hard-to-change behaviors. Once we identify specific treatment targets, we will work together to incorporate evidence-based approaches and periodically check-in regarding your progress, making adjustments as needed. Building rapport is extremely important in any therapy relationship and over time I hope to earn your trust and learn about you in the context of your identities, culture, life experiences, and worldview. Together, we will build your emotional skills and lean on your innate wisdom, strengths, and values in order to move you closer to the life you most want to live. 

Licensure:

• PY 61055984 (WA state)

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Clinical Psychology, University of Washington

• Masters of Science (MS), Clinical Psychology, University of Washington

• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, University of California, Berkeley

Advanced Clinical Training:

• Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Puget Sound - Seattle Division

• Clinical Psychology Internship, University of Washington School of Medicine

Consultation and Leadership Experience:

• Consultant for the National Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training roll-out in VA's Suicide Prevention 2.0 Program

• Chair of Psychology Training Program Diversity Subcommittee, VA Puget Sound - Seattle Division

Authored Book Chapters:

1. "Prolonged Exposure and Cognitive Processing Therapy for MST related PTSD" in Treating Military Sexual Trauma 

2. "PTSD Treatment Effects and Underlying Mechanisms of Change" in Treatments for Psychological Problems and Syndromes

3. "Sexual Assault and Memory" in Handbook of Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault Prevention

4. "Fear and Anxiety" in Emotion in PTSD

5. "Exposure Therapy When Patients Present with Borderline Personality Disorder" in Clinical Guide to Exposure Therapy: Beyond Phobias