Meet Grazel Garcia of Grazel Garcia Psychotherapy & Associates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grazel Garcia.

Grazel , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story in advocacy began when I was just 7 years old in Manila, Philippines. I’ll never forget the moment my father lifted me onto his shoulders during the People Power Revolution of 1986 – surrounded by my family and countless others, we were part of the movement that ended Ferdinand Marcos’s 20-year dictatorship and restored democracy to our country. That experience planted a seed in me about the power of collective action and standing up for what’s right.

In 1994, my brothers and I finally migrated permanently to the United States to join my family members in Los Angeles, and I carried that spirit of advocacy with me. From a very young age, I had chosen a path to becoming an attorney and simultaneously wanted to pursue psychology so I could better understand human behavior – knowledge that would serve me as an attorney. Before becoming a therapist, I actually studied and worked in law, which gave me a unique lens on how systems and structures impact people’s lives. But in 2007, my father died, and this profound loss shifted my entire career trajectory. His death moved me to pursue counseling, transforming my path in a way I could never have anticipated. I felt called to work more directly with individuals and relationships, pursuing my Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Northridge.

My journey really deepened during my time at the Los Angeles LGBT Center in Hollywood, where I provided mental health services to the LGBTQ+ community. As a woman of color, an immigrant, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I brought my own lived experiences of navigating multiple marginalized identities to this work. I worked with individuals facing everything from depression to schizophrenia, supported people experiencing houselessness and living with HIV, and created specialized groups for addiction recovery and mental health support. That experience reinforced my commitment to serving underrepresented communities.

Today, as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapist, I’m honored to serve a diverse clientele – from individuals in the entertainment and sports industries to professionals navigating complex life challenges. I’m also currently completing my sports and performance psychology consulting hours to better serve the population I treat in the athletic world and entertainment industry. Beyond my clinical work, I train other therapists in EFT and EFT with neurodiverse couples, passing on this transformative approach to the next generation of clinicians. My practice is deeply rooted in being LGBTQIA+ affirmative, neurodivergent-affirming, and kink-BDSM aware. I specialize in trauma, grief, addiction, and relationship work across all structures – monogamous, consensually non-monogamous, and everything in between.

What drives me is bringing together my lived experience as a Filipino-American immigrant, my understanding of how colonization and systemic oppression impact mental health, and my clinical expertise to create healing spaces where people’s full identities are welcomed and honored. That 7-year-old on her father’s shoulders taught me that change is possible – and now I get to support others in their own revolutions of healing and growth. My father’s passing, while devastating, ultimately guided me toward a profession where I could honor his memory by helping others through their own grief, trauma, and transformation.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Far from it. As a woman carrying multiple marginalized identities – as an immigrant, a woman of color, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community – I’ve faced significant challenges, even within my own community of mental health practitioners. I’ve experienced racial oppression firsthand in professional spaces and have carried the exhausting burden of constantly proving that I am smart enough, that I am a legitimate therapist worthy of respect and recognition.

I’d say the biggest hurdle has been navigating the systems of oppression that we all live in. It’s not just a theoretical concept – it’s something I see and experience every single day, both personally and in my work with clients. There’s a particular kind of pain in facing discrimination within a field that’s supposed to be about healing and understanding human behavior. When you’re fighting to be seen as competent and credible simply because of who you are, it takes an emotional toll.

But here’s what I’ve learned: these struggles have also deepened my work immeasurably. Every day, I treat the impact of these same systems of oppression in my therapy room. My clients: whether they’re high-profile actors, athletes, executives, or everyday people like me navigating their own marginalized identities – are wrestling with the same forces that I’ve had to confront. My lived experience of this struggle has become one of my greatest strengths as a therapist. I can sit with my clients and say, “I know what that feels like,” and truly mean it.

The road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s made me a better advocate, a more compassionate clinician, and someone deeply committed to creating spaces where others don’t have to prove their worth to be seen, heard, and healed.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Grazel Garcia Psychotherapy & Associates (GGPA) is a mental health private practice in Atwater Village that offers both in-person and virtual therapy services across California. At GGPA, we view therapy as a relationship, one built on trust, mutual respect, and the deep belief that healing happens in connection.

What truly sets us apart is our liberatory approach to therapy. We recognize that healing exists within the context of your lived experiences, cultural wisdom, and community strengths. Our approach acknowledges how systems of power, intergenerational patterns, and social structures impact mental wellness. This liberatory approach is woven into everything we do.

Our entire team consists of LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent-affirmative therapists who have advanced and certifications in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). We’re also trauma therapists trained in TRM, TF-CBT and Brainspotting, and we incorporate sex therapy treatments and are kink-aware and polyamory-affirming.

We’ve become known for our specialized work with unique populations. Our practice primarily serves individuals from the entertainment and sports industries – directors, writers, athletes, actors including high-profile public figures, producers, musicians, dancers, and other creatives, as well as professionals like doctors, executives, lawyers, and business owners. We understand the unique stressors that come with high-performance careers: public scrutiny, intense competition, irregular schedules, financial pressures, and the constant pressure to perform at your peak. I even provide on-location therapeutic services such as set visits, allowing for continuity of care regardless of professional commitments or travel schedules. We also specialize in working with couples from all types of relationships including those in consensual non-monogamy (CNM), mono-polyamorous, polyfidelity relationships, interracial and intercultural couples, neurodiverse relationships, and folks from the BDSM and kink community.

What I’m most proud of brand-wise is our team itself. Beyond me, we have Dr. Tyler Howard, a clinical psychologist who serves as our neuropsychological testing director and provides LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse-affirmative psychotherapy and several incredibly talented associate therapists including Tiffany Cuevas (a second-generation Mexican-American), Arami James (a first-generation Paraguayan-American) who both bring multicultural perspectives, Samantha Lam (trained in Brainspotting and Havening), and Rachel Wiederhoeft (who brings over a decade of film industry experience as an IATSE camera department member). Nicole Orsini, our operations manager and a licensed clinical social worker, handles all client inquiries with exceptional care. Nicole, also helps with streamlining my business operations. I love her dearly. We also facilitate group psychotherapy for ADHDers and their partners, addiction, substance use, harm reduction, and groups for LGBTQIA+ communities. I personally train other therapists locally on neurodiversity-affirmative care for couples and serve on the EFTCLA EFT training team.

What I want readers to know is this: We create brave spaces where your full self is welcomed, validated, and celebrated. We maintain the highest standards of confidentiality and uphold our ethical duties as therapists with integrity – both in our character and our candor with clients. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, identity, relationship challenges, trauma, grief, or the unique pressures of high-performance careers, we’re here to walk alongside you with care, curiosity, and cultural humility. Every session is shaped by who you are and what matters most to you.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my most treasured childhood memories takes me back to the Philippines during rainy season. As a young kid, I would play outside with my brothers for hours, completely immersed in the heavy tropical rain. There was something magical about those moments – I’d wait jumping up and down for fresh fruits to fall from the trees, and I’d eat them right there in the pouring rain. Mangoes, atis, sineguelas, duhat – the taste of those fruits mixed with rainwater is something I can still recall vividly. Btw, if you haven’t eaten filipino mangoes (grown in the Philippines) then you are missing out.

Another deeply cherished memory is Christmas in the Philippines. The spirit of community was so alive during that season – carolers going door to door, their voices filling the neighborhood with joy and connection. And Simbang Gabi, the nine-day series of dawn masses leading up to Christmas, brought everyone together in such a profound way. Waking up before sunrise, walking through the cool morning air with neighbors and family, sharing in that collective devotion and anticipation was more than just a religious practice. It was about belonging, about being woven into the fabric of our filipino community. After mass, I couldn’t wait to eat the Christmas breakfast called “puto bumbong” – those warm, purple rice cakes made from glutinous rice, steamed in bamboo tubes and served with butter, sugar, and shredded coconut. It’s only made during the holiday season, and that anticipation of tasting something so special, so tied to that specific time and place, made it even more magical.

There was such freedom and connection in those simple moments. No agenda, no busy studying schedule and extra curricular activities – just a child connected to the beauty of nature, to community, and to the abundance around me. Looking back, I think those experiences taught me something profound about being mindfully present, about finding joy in simplicity, and about the nourishment that comes from our environment, our culture, and our connection to one another. It’s a memory that grounds me, especially now when life moves so quickly. Those rainy afternoons and Christmas mornings in Manila remind me of where I come from and the pure, unfiltered joy that’s possible when we’re fully ourselves in the world, surrounded by community.

Pricing:

• Therapy sessions range from $150-$350 per session
• Group sessions range from $15-100 per group member per group session
• Neuropsychological Testing range from $2500-8000+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.grazelgarciatherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grazelgarciapsychotherapy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grazelgarciapsychotherapy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrazelGarciaTherapy
• Other: https://grazelgarciatherapy.com/blog/hold-me-tight-retreat/

Image Credits
Photos by: Erik Aviles