LMHC, 4 years of experience
New to Grow
I’m Elsie DaCruz, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) dedicated to helping individuals and couples find balance, healing, and clarity. I create a warm, supportive space where clients can explore their thoughts and emotions freely. My approach combines practical tools with genuine empathy, helping clients strengthen self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and build healthier relationships. I work collaboratively to empower clients toward growth, resilience, and lasting change.
In our first session, we’ll focus on getting to know you—your background, what brought you to therapy, and your goals for treatment. I’ll ask questions to better understand your experiences and current challenges, while creating a safe, judgment-free environment for open conversation. Together, we’ll begin developing a plan that fits your unique needs and comfort level, so you leave the first session feeling supported, understood, and hopeful about the process ahead.
My greatest strengths include creating a compassionate and collaborative space where clients feel seen and heard. I draw from evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, and Gottman Method techniques to support emotional growth and healthier communication. I help clients build self-awareness, learn practical coping skills, and find balance between acceptance and change. My calm, validating presence helps clients feel safe exploring difficult emotions while developing confidence to make positive, lasting changes.
I work best with adults and couples who are ready to make meaningful changes in their lives. My clients often come to therapy seeking support for anxiety, stress, relationship challenges, life transitions, or emotional overwhelm. Many are high-functioning but feeling stuck or disconnected and want to develop healthier coping strategies and stronger boundaries. I also enjoy working with clients interested in integrating faith, mindfulness, or personal growth into the healing process.
I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients manage strong emotions, improve relationships, and build healthy coping skills. In our sessions, we focus on mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and effective communication. I incorporate DBT tools in a supportive and practical way, helping clients find balance between accepting where they are and creating meaningful change in their lives.
use evidence-based approaches, including Gottman Method techniques, to help couples strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and deepen emotional connection. In our sessions, I create a supportive space where both partners can feel heard and understood while learning tools to manage conflict and nurture their relationship. My goal is to help couples grow together with greater understanding, respect, and teamwork.
I offer Christian counseling for clients who are specifically seeking therapy from a faith-based perspective. In these sessions, I integrate biblical principles with clinical approaches to support emotional healing, spiritual growth, and personal well-being. This method is only used with clients who request counseling rooted in Christian values, allowing faith to be an active part of the therapeutic process.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns that impact their emotions and behaviors. Together, we work on building healthier ways of thinking, improving coping skills, and creating practical strategies for daily life. This approach helps clients gain awareness, reduce negative thinking, and make lasting positive changes.