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LCSW

Dominic Valdes, LCSW

  • Experience17 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, LGBT, and Relationship
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Dominic

Dominic Valdes is a licensed clinical social worker who blends Internal Family Systems with client-centered care to help people navigate emotional pain and relationship challenges. With 17 years of clinical experience, he draws on a range of evidence-based methods to address anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and intimacy-related concerns.

Background and approach

Dominic emphasizes respectful, culturally aware work that honors each person’s background while helping them develop practical coping strategies. He has particular experience supporting LGBTQ+ clients through issues such as infidelity, betrayal trauma, sex and drug addictions, and gender-related concerns like dysphoria.

Dominic also works with people facing attachment and abandonment wounds, difficulties with trust and jealousy, and complex relationship structures including polyamory and kink-aware concerns. His practice aims to foster stronger self-understanding, improved emotion regulation, and clearer communication in relationships.

Clients can expect a collaborative, nonjudgmental rapport that combines gentle exploration of internal parts with actionable skills drawn from CBT and DBT where appropriate. Dominic is licensed in California (CA LCSW 71010) and provides services in English, tailoring interventions to each person’s goals and life circumstances.

Integrating IFS and Evidence-Based Care Online

Dominic often combines Internal Family Systems with client-centered work and cognitive behavioral techniques to address emotional wounds and everyday struggles. Internal Family Systems helps people explore the many parts of their inner life to reduce internal conflict and increase self-leadership, which can be useful for trauma, shame, and relationship patterns. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy and collaboration so clients feel heard and understood while they clarify goals and values. CBT provides practical tools to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns that maintain anxiety, depression, or addictive behaviors.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process; Dominic works with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences and adjusts the plan over time. He combines gentle exploration of internal experiences with skill-building exercises when those tools better serve immediate symptom relief and coping.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for scheduling and different communication styles. These formats make it possible to continue meaningful therapeutic work from home or while traveling, and they allow for ongoing check-ins, skill practice, and continuity of care without reshaping daily routines.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Dominic commonly address?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, intimacy-related issues, anger, and self-esteem concerns, along with related topics such as abandonment, attachment issues, and relationship challenges.
What therapeutic approaches does he use in sessions?
He integrates Internal Family Systems with client-centered techniques and pulls from CBT, DBT, and EMDR when appropriate to match the client’s needs and goals.
How much clinical experience does he have?
Dominic brings 17 years of professional experience in mental health settings, applying a range of evidence-based practices across diverse presenting problems.
Where is Dominic licensed to practice?
He is a licensed clinical social worker in California with the credential CA LCSW 71010 and offers services from that location.
Does he offer therapy in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are provided in English, and he is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
He provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How are costs and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How does someone begin working with him?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling a session according to his availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyLGBTRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseDepression

Also works with

AddictionsIntimacy-related issuesAnger managementSelf esteem

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureCommitment issuesControl issuesDrug and alcohol addictionFamily problemsGender dysphoriaHIV / AIDSInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyMen's issuesNarcissismPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Sex addictionSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

17+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English