“There are no individuals in the world only fragments of families”

-Carl Whitaker

Welcome!

I am Rita Garcia, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist with the American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). I am also a certified supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Mental health therapy is a passion of mine, whether you’re seeking help with your struggles or come with a desire to learn more about mental health wellness, you are welcome.

Seeking therapy is a meaningful and courageous first step. You’re beginning a journey of change and growth that may bring about positive shifts within yourself or deepen connections in your relationships. Welcome to this path forward. You will never be seen as the problem, the problem is the problem and there are always strategies for understanding underlying emotions maintaining our struggles.

Perhaps you are interested in more guidance in the field of marriage and family therapy. As a systemic supervisor I have nineteen years of experience working systemically with individuals, couples, families, children and teens. Stuck cases are my speciality. My philosophy is that resistance met with compassion can open new worlds for the client and the therapist.

Garcia Marriage and Family Therapist uses evidence-based approaches to help clients gain insight beyond the individual level, exploring how relationships have shaped who they are.

About Me

Therapy is a collaborative process: you are the expert on yourself, and I bring expertise in therapy.

  • I work with clients on a deeper level, understanding them within the context of their relationships. My approach explores family dynamics, early experiences, and past traumas that may influence current challenges. Collaboration is central to my work, empowering clients to take ownership of the progress we make together. I bring extensive experience in helping couples enhance communication by uncovering how childhood experiences and unconscious patterns shape partner choices. I also support individuals managing intense symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as those navigating major life transitions like career changes, divorce, or starting college.

  • My education and experience have shown me that exploring mental health can lead to a meaningful and fulfilling life. During my undergraduate years at Virginia Commonwealth University, I often felt uncertain and lost about my future. However, as I studied psychology and learned about thought patterns and symptoms, I began to use self-exploration to confront my own uncertainties. This journey led me to a deeper understanding of myself and helped me find direction and purpose.

    After earning my Bachelor’s in Psychology, I became inspired to explore how relationships shape our thought processes, prompting me to pursue a graduate degree at Seton Hall University. There, I learned to address mental health within the context of family and romantic relationships, identifying and building on clients’ inner strengths—often strengths they hadn't recognized themselves. My studies affirmed my belief that self-understanding brings both purpose and relief.

    I brought this perspective into my postgraduate work, helping clients in various settings explore themselves and embrace meaningful change. I’ve provided in-home therapy to low-income families, worked with adolescents in the juvenile justice system in San Francisco and Brooklyn, and supported clients in outpatient clinics in Brooklyn and Queens, guiding individuals through severe symptoms of personality disorders, Bipolar Disorder, and major depression.

  • National University-I am currently pursuing a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy at National University. My dissertation is on the need for more sex therapy training for Marriage and Family Therapists.

    Long Island University -Additional courses to qualify for NY licensure, from 2009 to 2011.

    Seton Hall University-Graduated May 2005. M.A. in Psych Studies with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy.

    Virginia Commonwealth University –Graduated December 2001. BA in Science, the main field of study was Psychology.

  • IFS Institute-Level 1 Training completed, from September 22, 2022 to January 15, 2023

    Sex Therapy Postgraduate Training Institute of New York-March 21, 2015-October 15, 2016

Testimonials

  • “Before we found Rita’s practice, we had tried two couple’s counselors with poor results (the premarital counselor basically told us we were fine and started dozing off in our sessions, the second counselor had lots of superficial talk but did little to help us understand each other). Then we each tried individual counseling with our own counselors, thinking that by working on our individual selves we might be better together—but that was not enough. Rita was different. From the beginning, she explained that her goal would be to see us over the course of 2-3 months maximum to give us the tools we needed to break-free from the finger-pointing rut we were in. She didn’t want “regular” permanent clients. We didn’t want to be permanent clients, we wanted help building a strong foundation for our marriage that we could maintain and sustain for the rest of our lives. Rita gave us exercises with a clear structure for these hard conversations. These tools were very effective, but easier said than done. That’s why it was so valuable that she guided us through the exercises in her office before having us try it at home. By using her framework we were able to confront sensitive topics and problems without resorting to the blame game. She also helped us understand the fundamentals of how our childhoods shape our personalities and help inform our idiosyncrasies, what makes us tick and those character traits that can lead to conflict. Understanding each other’s needs through that with those fundamentals in mind gave us the empathy we needed to view the problem —and not our partner --as the problem. We heartily recommend Rita’s services to any couple seeking to heal the wounds in their relationship.”

    -G & M

  • “Rita has been an incredible resource in guiding our relationship to a more loving, understanding, and respectful place. She gave us many tools to help us interpret and appreciate our differences. This awareness has taught us how to communicate effectively and with empathy. She is unbiased, nonjudgmental, and approachable in her dealings with us as a couple and individually. So grateful we had her counseling when we needed it most.”

    -J & C