Rated 4.9 stars out of 5, 36 ratings

Alicia Santiago

LCSW, 9 years of experience

Warm
Authentic
Intelligent
Virtual
Next available on

About me

Hi there, I'm Alicia. Are you feeling lost or stuck in some aspect of your life and finding it hard to move forward? Is it hard to be kind to yourself? With your permission, I help to hold the container for deeper exploration and healing. I am a trauma-focused therapist, certified in EMDR and trained in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. I’m originally from Southern California, the traditional homelands of the Tongva (Gabrielino) and Chumash peoples, and I’m now based in Colorado, on the ancestral lands of the Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne peoples. I offer virtual individual therapy to clients in both states. I believe that each of us possesses an internal source of wisdom that can be cultivated through psychotherapy, psychedelic medicines, meditation practices, yoga and other connecting practices that link the brain, body and spirit. My therapeutic approach is grounded in mindfulness, compassion, curiosity, and respect. I often draw from concepts rooted in Buddhist psychology and contemplative traditions. I frequently incorporate EMDR as an evidence-based method for working with both acute and developmental trauma, along with parts work (IFS). I am attentive to the impact of a person’s social, physical, and cultural environment, as well as systems of oppression. Clients describe my approach as warm, relational, collaborative, strengths-based, and trauma-informed. I cannot do the work for you, but I can help you along the way, and it is truly an honor and a joy for me.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, and I'll share some housekeeping about privacy and my cancellation and after-hours policies. Then we will dive into the specific challenges you're coming to therapy for, and I'll learn more about who you are and your background. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to integrate brain-based, trauma-informed modalities with deep compassion and curiosity. As a certified EMDR therapist, I use this powerful approach to access parts of the nervous system most impacted by trauma—helping clients process emotional distress and symptoms that can be difficult to reach through talk therapy alone. I am also trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), an evidence-based model that supports healing by working with a person’s inner parts or sub-personalities. This approach allows clients to explore their internal world with gentleness and clarity, fostering self-understanding and lasting change. Another strength I bring is experience in the psychedelic space. I offer psychedelic integration support before and after experiences, helping clients process insights and meaningfully incorporate them into everyday life. Finally, I approach therapy through a culturally responsive and justice-informed lens, always paying close attention to how identity—such as race, ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, and size—shapes a person’s lived experience and healing journey.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

My ideal clients are individuals seeking meaningful healing from trauma—whether acute, complex, or long-standing. Many come to me struggling with anxiety, PTSD, panic, bipolar disorder, grief, or the impacts of abuse. They’re often looking not just for symptom relief, but for deeper self-understanding and lasting change. Clients are drawn to my warm, relational, and trauma-informed approach, as well as my training in EMDR, IFS, and mindfulness-based therapies. They value a collaborative space that honors their inner experience and recognizes the impact of identity, culture, and systemic oppression. Some also seek support in integrating psychedelic experiences in a grounded, intentional way.

Specialties

Top specialties

Other specialties

Bipolar DisorderFirst Responders/Healthcare WorkersGriefSpirituality

I identify as

Serves ages

My treatment methods

EMDR

I am a certified EMDR therapist and have been using this modality since 2021. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR therapy facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories and other adverse life experience to bring these to an adaptive resolution. After successful treatment with EMDR therapy, affective distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, and physiological arousal is reduced. During EMDR therapy the client is attending to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus. Therapist directed lateral eye movements are the most commonly used external stimulus but a variety of other stimuli including hand-tapping and audio stimulation are often used (Shapiro, 1991).

Person-centered (Rogerian)

Person-centered therapy, also referred to as non-directive, client-centered, or Rogerian therapy, was pioneered by Carl Rogers in the early 1940s. This form of psychotherapy is grounded in the idea that people are inherently motivated toward achieving positive psychological functioning. I focus on you, the client, rather than me, the therapist, and use a non-directive approach that allows you to take the lead in sessions. I also use this treatment method in my psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions.

Trauma Informed Care

I am a trained trauma-informed therapist and am sensitive to how the complex impact of traumatic experiences can shape our experiences and relation to the world and ourselves. I honor your voice, your pace, and your intuition with what feels good to you as far as how we approach your goals.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

I am a psychotherapist grounded from a Buddhist psychology lens. I often use perspectives and language from this unique perspective and am passionate about the use of mindfulness and self-compassion to support clients. I am a meditation practitioner myself and also enjoy conscious movement practices such as dance and yoga.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

I’m trained in IFS (Internal Family Systems), a therapy that helps you gently explore the different parts of yourself that may feel stuck or in conflict.

Location

Virtual
Rated 4.9 stars out of 5, 36 ratings

5 ratings with written reviews

May 28, 2025

Absolutely wonderful! Her kindness, knowledge and warm character makes me very comfortable and accepted.

Verified client, age 35-44

Review shared after session 36 with Alicia

May 20, 2025

Alicia brings kindness, compassion and reflects back to me in a way that I feel deeply seen. She is fluid with my needs to either do EMDR or talk and is an excellent listener. She has shared “Wheels of Emotions” that have been amazing to learn about. She seamlessly weaves therapy, presence, body awareness and spiritual principles like the “sacred pause”. Explaining the “map” of EMDR and ensuring I have resources creates safety, especially with difficult memories and emotions. I feel blessed

Verified client, age 55-64

Review shared after session 42 with Alicia

May 8, 2025

She is empowering with all the tool she provides and very solution oriented too.

Verified client, age 45-54

Review shared after session 67 with Alicia