Grazel Garcia, LMFT

About Grazel

Hi, I’m Grazel — and I’m happy you are here

I was born in Manila, Philippines and in 1994 I permanently migrated to Los Angeles, CA to be with family. My pronouns are she/her/hers and I identify as Asian Pacific Islander (API). I speak Tagalog the native language of the Philippines. Pre-colonization, the Philippines was known as the “Island of the Painted Ones.” For me, I have tattoos as a visible expression of my filipino ancestral identity.

As a bilingual Filipino-American psychotherapist who immigrated to the United States in 1994, I carry deep awareness of how colonization has shaped both my homeland and my perspective on healing. Coming from a country with a complex history of Spain, Japan and United States of America colonization, I intimately understand how historical trauma and cultural displacement influence mental health across generations.

I vividly remember my first advocacy experience at age 7 when my dad carried me onto his shoulders to join my family and many others in the People Power Revolution of the Philippines in 1986 — which ended the 20-year dictatorship and restored democracy. My ability to speak both English and Tagalog allows me to connect more deeply with Filipino clients and better understand the nuances of cultural expression that often get lost in translation.

Prior to becoming a therapist, I had a career in law which is an experience that uniquely enriched my path to this work. This background, combined with my Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, informs a rigorous, justice-oriented approach to clinical work.

I am a certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist (EFCT) and EFT Supervisor candidate. I specialize in working with entertainment industry professionals and couples in diverse relationship structures — including monogamous, consensual non-monogamy, mono-polyamorous, and kink-BDSM relationships. My practice is deeply rooted in LGBTQIA+ affirmative, neurodiversity-affirming, and kink-BDSM aware care.

I am also passionate about working with individuals. In particular, I work with public figures, executives, athletes, actors, and performers across all neurotypes, applying sport and performance psychology principles to help clients find balance in arousal regulation, emotional well-being, and mental performance — with the goal of reaching and sustaining peak performance.

I am a strong, confident, and grounded therapist. I draw on direct and psychoanalytically informed approaches, combined with emotional attunement and techniques that deepen your understanding of your unconscious self. I tend to work best with clients who have strong, confident personalities and who value healthy relationships, emotional and intellectual balance, consistency, discipline, commitment, and integrity.

Additionally, I bring specialized expertise as a neurodivergent specialist, grief and loss therapist, addiction specialist, domestic violence certified therapist, and Brainspotting practitioner for trauma treatment. Outside of the therapy room, I train therapists in neurodiversity-affirming care for couples, serve as head of the EFTCLA Steering Committee, and am a member of the EFTCLA therapist training team.