Inspiring Conversations with Catherine DeCarlo Santiago, PhD of Brave Minds Psychology Center for Child Anxiety

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine DeCarlo Santiago, PhD.

Hi Catherine DeCarlo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a licensed clinical psychologist and owner of Brave Minds Psychology Center for Child Anxiety. Brave Minds Psychology Center for Child Anxiety offers evidence-based therapy to support children, teens, young adults, and parents in learning to manage anxiety in order to thrive. With anxiety being one of the most common child mental health concerns, my goal is to provide the most current treatments supported by empirical research to help youth cope with anxiety, and ultimately flourish. It was a journey to get to this point, and I am grateful for each step along the way.

I have always been interested in psychology. As an undergraduate, I remember taking just one psychology course and knowing I had found a passion. At the same time, I was pursuing opportunities to support child mental health and wellbeing through summer programs, camps, and jobs. Going to graduate school for Clinical Psychology at the University of Denver, which has a child-focused program, was a culmination of my interests and goals.

After earning my PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver, I headed to Southern California to complete my training. I completed my internship and postdoctoral training at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). UCLA has some of the best experts and treatment programs for anxiety, OCD, and trauma. I was fortunate to get specialized training in these areas and I really valued my training and experience. I realized how much I enjoyed providing high quality care to youth with anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.

Despite how much I appreciated this work, I was drawn to academia and my journey took me to Chicago where I spent over 10 years as a faculty member at Loyola University Chicago. As a faculty member, I conducted grant-funded research evaluating interventions for youth and supported the clinical training of graduate students in the Clinical Psychology PhD program. My time as a faculty member kept me up to date on the best available treatments for child anxiety and PTSD. I published widely in the field of child mental health and contributed to the treatment literature, but I also missed focusing more exclusively on providing care. After moving back to Southern California, I worked as a psychologist and supervisor at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, supporting a primary care mental health integration program for youth and families before opening my own practice.

Opening my practice, Brave Minds Psychology Center for Child Anxiety, was a natural next step to building more meaning into my career by working directly with youth and families and sharing all of my knowledge and training back with the community. My practice allows me to draw on my extensive academic and clinical expertise, while focusing on providing the best quality, evidence-based mental health services to youth and families. I love supporting youth and families in learning to manage anxiety.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am so happy to be where I am today and be able to offer therapy for youth and families. Of course, the journey wasn’t always smooth. I found a lot of joy during my time in academia and working directly with youth and families was one of my favorite parts. I knew that I wanted to transition to focusing more exclusively on direct service with families, so I made the leap to private practice. I have found that staying connected to my values and being open to change has helped me navigate each step. When I opened my practice, “Be brave and thrive” became an aspirational mantra for my clients. I also reminded myself of this a few times along the way when I needed to take chances or make changes. I feel lucky to have had support throughout my journey from family, friends, and colleagues. I am fortunate to have established a practice that can meet the treatment needs of children experiencing anxiety, which I find incredibly meaningful.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Brave Minds Psychology Center for Child Anxiety, I offer a range of clinical services to support youth and families, including individual therapy, family sessions, and parent coaching. I also periodically offer group therapy options for youth or parents. I specialize in working with youth experiencing anxiety, fears, worry, panic, school avoidance, OCD, as well as depression and trauma. I also have experience treating Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, like Trichotillomania. My approach draws on evidence-based interventions like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Trauma-Focused CBT, and Habit Reversal Training (HRT). While this may sound like a lot of technical terms, the heart of these treatments includes learning strategies to manage anxiety through different actions and ways of thinking. They also include an approach in therapy for doing things you are afraid to do in a gradual way at a pace you and your therapist work together to set. What is great about this approach is that it can work really well to reduce anxiety long-term. This is central to being brave in order to thrive. My approach also involves helping parents and caregivers support their child in learning to cope with anxiety and challenges. I also work with young adults in navigating new challenges, stress, and anxiety. I personalize those treatments for each individual child and family to ensure we work together to find the best approach for you.

Brave Minds Psychology Center is based in Southern California. To increase access to services, I do offer therapy via secure video platform (telehealth) to youth and families throughout the state of California. In-person services are also available in the Temecula Valley (office located in Murrieta, CA). Anxiety can really hold youth back, but we have effective treatments available. I welcome inquiries to learn more or see if my services would be a good fit.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice for those just starting out would be to stay connected with colleagues, mentors, or others who are also in private practice. Being part of various teams during my training and early career gave me the confidence to launch my own practice. However, without intentional efforts to collaborate, consult, and connect with others, some people might find it isolating. I also recommend shaping your practice to ensure it brings you joy and meaning. For example, I continue to offer training and consultation for schools and community organizations on a variety of topics related to youth mental health. I find this is another way to connect with the community and contribute to disseminating programs and knowledge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bravemindspsychologycenter.com