Registered Psychological Assistant 94026049
Doctoral Alma Mater: University of Southern California
Undergraduate Alma Mater: McGill University
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Training: UCLA Child Mental Health Intervention – T32 National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Postdoctoral Fellowship
Types of Clients Seen: Teens, Young Adults, Adults
My therapeutic style in 3 words: Authentic, Present, and Empathic
My specialty in 1 sentence: I specialize in helping people see and own their strengths, while also learning more effective behaviors and coping styles to manage depression, intense emotions, addiction, trauma, self-harm, or relationship difficulties.
Other Languages: Spanish
Pronouns: she/her/hers
About Me:
Dr. Vargas’s clinical specialty is on treating mood disorders, emotion dysregulation, addiction, trauma, and self-harm. She specializes in working with adolescents, young adults, and minoritized people, including ethnic, sexual and gender minorities. In therapy, she uses a strengths-based approach to identify and build on your existing coping skills. She aims to create a non-judgemental space to help you feel truly heard and safe to explore your vulnerabilities and areas for growth. She uses a combination of warmth, directness, and humor to support you in learning new tools and more effective behaviors to live a life you value.
Dr. Vargas approaches therapy with the understanding that we all have problems and patterns we get stuck in. Sometimes it seems like life has played us an unfair hand, and we don’t know how to move forward. Asking for help can be difficult and brave. She sees her role as a guide to help you better understand whatever brought you to therapy, celebrate your strengths, and to develop the tools to take back control of your life.
In addition to her clinical practice with COPE, she is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA. She received her BA from McGill University, PhD and Master of Public Health from the University of Southern California, and completed her pre-doctoral fellowship at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
She provides individual, couples, family and group therapy using evidence-based treatments. She has extensive training and experience in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, adoption-specific therapy, and other emotion-focused and mindfulness-based approaches. She is a native Spanish speaker and provide services in English and Spanish. Proveo terapia en español e inglés.