Therapists in Austin, TX

My clinical and research expertise includes the range of anxiety and stress-related disorders, especially PTSD, OCD, panic, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety. My approach is non-judgmental, compassionate, caring, and fundamentally science-based. I have extensive training and experience working with clients and their families across the lifespan, including children, adolescents, adults, and Veterans. I am also well-versed in delivering several gold-standard CBT and exposure-based treatments. I view meaningful connections and delivering evidence-based treatments as the most important factors that drive therapeutic change.

Most of us need help with personal challenges or relationship issues at some point in our lives. Maybe an important relationship begins to fail, or we can't seem to navigate through a major transition or loss. Sometimes anxiety or depression descends and just won't go away. I have helped hundreds of clients through difficult times like these with skill and compassion. In my practice, you will find a safe, non-judgmental place to share your thoughts and feelings, reach a deeper understanding of your problem, and find new ways of coping. We will work together to get your life back on track.

"Why is this so hard? We love each other, but we can't stop fighting." I understand the hopelessness of living in a cycle of conflict. I became a couples therapist because I believe deeply in the importance of having a supportive and loving relationship--with yourself and with your partner. I will help you learn how to stop when anger, fear and hurt cause you to react in defensive and aggressive ways toward your partner. By slowing down and taking care of yourself first, you will gradually learn how to connect from a more vulnerable and honest place, creating a more satisfying and peaceful relationship together.

The decision and journey to recovery might vary from one person to another, however, most people have the same expected outcomes: quality life and long-term stability. I provide counseling from the perspective of individualism with focus of treatment and support to the whole person. My holistic approach includes discovering who you are as a person.

RJ García is a Central Texan with over thirty-five years of serving the recovery community. RJ earned a Master of Arts in Addiction Counseling from the world-renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies at the Center City, Minnesota alcohol and drug addiction treatment center. HGSAS offered a unique curriculum that integrates theory, science and clinical practice. RJ is a member of the American Counseling Association. RJ is bilingual in both English and Spanish. RJ has a special blend of experience in recovery in educational services, health expertise in interventions, therapy, and heroic habits coaching.

Modern Balance Counseling is a virtual therapy practice for folks that are breaking the mold. If you are navigating changes in your relationship, if you are navigating parenthood (in the teen years or the early years), if you are healing your inner child and feel ready to break cycles, if you are ready to discover more about yourself and heal the scripts of the past... then this is the space for you! The name of the practice evokes its "why" as well as what I hope will be its offering for all folks that work with me. More than work-life balance, something relevant and practical... Modern Balance.

I adore working with women and couples to process their past, consider their present and plan for their future. My work is collaborative, meaning you and I are a team working to heal, process and grow. While I may have the training, you are the only expert of you! I understand that life can throw curveballs, and things can feel overwhelming regardless of the stage of life. I believe that no matter how messy life gets, individuals and couples can be empowered by learning tools and techniques to help ease the discomfort and restore peace in their lives.

**I am currently on hold with accepting new clients.**Life is beautiful but at the same time can be overwhelming. Part of my work as a therapist is to help you mindfully embrace all the beauty (whether within yourself or within your relationships) while being able to identify ways to shift perspective and adapt to new ways of approaching situations. Change can happen each and every conversation if we open ourselves to it.

Looking back, did anyone REALLY teach you how relationships work best? Do you think you've learned ALL there is to know about how to create great relationships? Most of us would candidly answer, "No." Congratulations: You're looking in the right place! I've spent years working with couples and individuals helping them find a way forward in their most intimate relationships. Together, we'll fashion a practical path toward renewing love and discovering self-awareness. We'll customize a plan designed to achieve your specific goals and successfully navigate the bends and turns in your unique love story.

I am passionate about working with my clients to assist them in gaining a better understanding of both their past and present challenges, while exploring what gives life purpose, hope, and meaning. Life is constantly changing around us, which can bring unexpected challenges that can be difficult to manage. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate life’s challenges and transitions alone. Although we can't change all difficult situations, we can work together to uncover the blocks that may be preventing you from living the full life that you desire.

My counseling approach is collaborative, strength-based, and blends both scientific and spiritual understandings of healing. I enjoy working with those who grew up in challenging environments break free from the imprints of painful experiences. We will focus compassionately on your inner experience to maximize your self-understanding, act in alignment with your authentic self, and live in the present moment. Through skillful technique, I’ll also help you navigate your personal relationships while advocating for your own needs, wants, and boundaries.

Depression, anxiety and LGBTQIA+ are some areas of specialization as well as any relational concerns with family, friends or one or multiple romantic partner/s. Life is a rollercoaster (up, down, up, up, down) and the path to healing is not often a straight line. Whatever it is you may have going on, talking about it often helps. If you are looking for a safe, supportive environment to heal, explore, learn and ultimately grow you are in the right place.

All of us have a story and history that we carry. One to be honored, valued, and heard. Throughout our lives, however, that has not always been the case and we are impacted by our relationships and environments that bring us to where we are today. We carry the brokenness from different aspects of our lives with us, which is often confusing, heavy, and tiring. Therapy is a special place, but also vulnerable, requiring a great amount of courage. That being said I hope to provide a safe space to explore some of the ways things should not have been how they were and traumas you may have experienced.

Oftentimes, a precursor to change is strife, difficulty, and confusion about what we truly want. Discerning what we desire – what fills us with vitality- is the work of psychotherapy. It can be difficult to know what we want if we’re stuck in habits, relationships, or patterns that no longer serve us or exist only to help us numb ourselves. Our minds crave novelty, but they also desire stability. But when stability turns to rigidity turns to stagnation – it becomes time for compassionate self-examination. Change is inevitable in life. My work as a counselor helps you make positive changes in your life.

Welcome! I am particularly passionate about helping individuals navigate identity in a culture that doesn’t always create space for difference, pain, and vulnerability. I love helping people, especially young adults, women, and fellow healers peel away society’s messages about who they are or should be and find out who they have truly been all along. I am skilled at seeing the unrealized gifts in others and don’t often use “therapist speak” and am intentional about offering my real, human self.

My work with people of all ages is centered around the good news that the brain is malleable and adaptable. Whether you are suffering from a recent head trauma or are interested in receiving help for struggles that have lingered from a past brain injury, please feel free to reach out to me for more information or a consultation. I'm here to help regardless of how long ago you suffered your injury. My goal is that you walk away from our first session feeling more informed about your brain injury and hopeful for the progress that can be made during your recovery.