Mia Garcia

Mia works with clients who are working through a variety of concerns, including but not limited to: trauma, identity development, depression, anxiety, behavioral concerns, adjustment issues, life transitions, relationship issues, and school success. She is currently working on her PhD in Counselor Education and supervision to provide a higher level of training and care. A focus of her work is providing Child-Centered Play Therapy to children as young as 2 to increase self-esteem, emotion regulation, and coping skills. She believes working within the family as a system is the best approach in creating a safe space for children to heal. Mia specializes in suicidal ideation and behavior in elementary school children. Mia also used Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to assist individuals in working through trauma. Mia focuses on personal identity development for all ages. She values the role identity development plays in trauma and the majority of wellness journeys.

Before coming to Tabonuco, Mia worked as a school-based play therapist. She worked as a school counselor for 2 years and is extensively familiar with the NC school system and supporting school related concerns. She has completed two international internships, providing mental health support groups to traumatized and vulnerable populations in Uganda and Nepal. Mia’s approach to therapy is to collaborate with clients as they strive to reach their personal goals. She believes in sharing expertise, following where the client needs to be, and endowing empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity into the counseling relationship. Mia works from a multiculturally competent framework and strives to create safe spaces for clients of all cultures and backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, and political views.

Credentials

• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA)

• National Certified Counselor (NCC)

• Licensed Professional School Counselor

• Currently Pursuing Registered Play Therapist (RPT)

• Partially trained in EMDR - working towards being fully trained

Education

• Currently pursuing Ph.D in Counselor Education and Supervision

• M.A. in Counseling

• B.S. in Health Psychology

To contact Mia, please reach out to her.