Claudia Santiago, LCSW

Claudia Santiago is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California with 12 years of experience helping people through difficult emotional times. She focuses on concrete steps people can use to manage anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life changes. Claudia speaks English and Spanish and aims to make therapy feel direct and understandable.

Her work blends cognitive behavioral therapy with client-centered listening. She helps people spot unhelpful thinking, try small behavior changes, and practice skills that fit daily life. Sessions focus on what matters most to each person and on practical strategies that can be used between visits.

Claudia also addresses relationship and communication problems, self-esteem, grief, and addiction-related concerns. She pays attention to attachment and abandonment issues, codependency, and patterns that keep people stuck. When physical illness or caregiving stress is involved, she balances emotional support with realistic coping tools.

Her style is collaborative and affirming. She partners with people to set clear goals, track progress, and adjust techniques if something isn’t working. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are added when clients need present-moment awareness or help building motivation for change.

Clients can expect straightforward language and a focus on skills they can try right away. Claudia’s approach honors culture and lived experience while keeping the work focused and usable. She aims to help people feel more capable and steady as they move forward.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Claudia commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thought patterns and test small behavior changes. CBT offers step-by-step ways to reduce anxious or depressive reactions and to build coping habits that work in daily life.

She also practices client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening deeply and reflecting what someone is feeling. This approach helps people feel understood and guides the work toward goals they choose. Additionally, she draws on mindfulness techniques to teach attention and grounding skills useful for stress, trauma responses, and emotional regulation.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Claudia collaborates with each person to decide which methods to try, checks in on what helps, and adjusts the plan based on individual needs and preferences. The result is a tailored mix of skills, insight, and practical exercises.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions happen. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual connection matters. Phone sessions can be lower bandwidth and easier to fit into a break. Live chat or text messaging supports brief check-ins, homework review, or ongoing coaching between visits. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, school, caregiving, and other responsibilities.