Raul Galindo, MA, LPC

With the vast variety of therapies available to consumers today, how do you decide if you should choose DBT, EMDR, EFT, SFT, MBSR, etc. as a treatment modality? How do you know if a specific therapy will be effective for you? How do you deal with the feelings of anxiety, shame, or dread that often come up when you begin the process of seeking a therapist?
To help you take the first step in finding a mental health professional, consider that when it comes to medical issues most people would not hesitate to visit with their doctor. Yet when it comes to dealing with mental health issues, many people think twice about seeking psychotherapy, and most go on with their lives feeling unfulfilled and “stuck”.
I am fully aware that taking the first step towards mental health can be a daunting process and at times even scary. While I honor your struggles and fears, I also believe that you deserve to live an authentic and fulfilling life. As your therapist I will strive to create an environment in which we can explore your life struggles and figure out how to get you to reconnect with your authentic self.
My experience of five years working with adults, couples, teens and families has taught me the importance of establishing a genuine, non-judgmental relationship as the basis for change. My work with people is also based on attachment theory first described by John Bowlby. He described attachment as an emotional bond to another person; “a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings”. The central theme of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are available and responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a sense of security. The infant knows that the caregiver is dependable, which creates a secure base for the child to then explore the world. The same concept applies to adults or teens struggling with issues. Simply stated, no matter how old we are, we continue to have the same fundamental need for connection and love. I subscribe to the idea that a teenager’s or adult’s “acting out” behavior is really a protest to a broken bond with the people that matter to them and misbehaviors and/or miscommunication is an attempt at re-establishing that bond.
When people look back on their treatment with me, they usually comment that the practice of learning to pay close attention to their thoughts purposefully and non-judgmentally, allowed them to see life experiences as being more workable. Seeing life as “work