LCSW, 7 years of experience
I am Carlos Cisneros, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive experience in community mental health. My work focuses on helping individuals manage and overcome challenges like anxiety, depression, trauma, and life stressors using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I strive to create a supportive and culturally sensitive environment where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings, develop healthier coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive change.
In the first session, clients can expect a welcoming and safe environment where we will focus on building rapport and understanding their unique challenges. I will gather background information about their mental health history, current concerns, and life circumstances to gain a comprehensive view of their situation. We will also discuss what they hope to achieve in therapy, setting the stage for collaborative goal-setting. Additionally, I will explain my approach to therapy, such as using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and how we will work together to address their needs. This initial session is an opportunity for the client to ask questions and express their concerns, ensuring they feel comfortable and supported moving forward.
My greatest strengths as a provider include creating a compassionate, culturally responsive environment where clients feel safe and understood. I utilize a range of therapeutic interventions beyond Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and mindfulness-based approaches. This allows me to tailor treatment to each client’s unique needs and therapeutic goals. EMDR, in particular, is effective for clients dealing with trauma, as it helps process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact. Additionally, I integrate mindfulness techniques and solution-focused strategies to help clients develop practical skills for managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions. My diverse toolkit ensures that I can offer a flexible and client-centered approach that fosters healing and growth.
I am best positioned to serve clients from diverse backgrounds who are facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions, particularly those in underserved or marginalized communities. My approach is especially effective for individuals who are open to exploring how their thoughts impact their emotions and behaviors, and who are motivated to develop practical coping strategies. I work well with clients who may be experiencing systemic stressors, such as economic hardship or cultural displacement, and I strive to provide a compassionate, culturally sensitive, and strengths-based therapeutic environment.
In my practice, I use CBT to help clients develop awareness of unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. Working in a community setting often means dealing with a broad spectrum of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma from systemic inequalities. I tailor CBT interventions to meet each client where they are, ensuring cultural relevance and sensitivity. For example, many clients may feel overwhelmed by external stressors like economic instability or lack of access to healthcare. In these cases, we focus on recognizing automatic negative thoughts, reframing them into more realistic and constructive ones, and developing coping skills that align with their personal values and cultural context.