Gerardo Puga Cervantes, LMFT
Therapist focused on life change and relationships
Details
| Name | Gerardo Puga Cervantes |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMFT |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About Gerardo
Gerardo Puga Cervantes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who focuses on helping people handle stress, anxiety, addiction, and relationship concerns. He aims to build a comfortable, respectful space where people feel heard. Gerardo takes a collaborative, nonjudgmental stance and treats each person as the expert on their own life.
Gerardo uses Narrative therapy to help people reframe their stories and see problems as separate from themselves. He also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help clients notice difficult thoughts and make values-based choices.
Background and approach
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy strategies are used when practical skill-building will reduce distress. With ten years of clinical experience, Gerardo has supported people working through depression, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, and self-esteem struggles. He has also helped clients navigate career shifts, bipolar symptoms, compassion fatigue, and ADHD-related challenges.
Additional focuses include abandonment, attachment issues, body image, codependency, and communication problems. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish and Gerardo is based in California. He works with people who bring a wide range of life stressors, including blended family issues, divorce and separation, and concerns tied to sexuality such as kink and alternative sex culture.
The goal is practical change, clearer choices, and greater emotional balance. People who choose Gerardo can expect a steady, person-centered approach. He listens first, then tailors methods to fit the client's goals and daily life.
The work often mixes storytelling, mindfulness of difficult feelings, and concrete behavioral steps.
What this therapist works with
His listing names Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, LGBT among the things Gerardo works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-harm
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in his listing among his approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Gerardo among the ways he works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Gerardo directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how he works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Gerardo directly how he uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and acceptance approaches work online
Gerardo often blends Narrative therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to guide online work. Narrative therapy helps people separate themselves from their problems by retelling difficult experiences in new ways, which can clarify values and choices. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy emphasizes noticing difficult thoughts and feelings while taking action that aligns with what matters most, useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Gerardo treats the first sessions as a collaborative match-making process where goals, daily routines, and personal preferences guide which methods are used. He will check in regularly and shift strategies if something isn’t helping.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video calls are good for face-to-face conversation and reading nonverbal cues, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging allow brief check-ins, ongoing reflection, or support between longer sessions. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel schedules while keeping the focus on practical change.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of problems does he help with?
He helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, anger, and relationship challenges. He also supports work on self-esteem, career changes, and coping with life transitions.
What is his general therapy style?
He practices a person-centered, nonjudgmental approach that emphasizes rapport and collaboration. Methods include narrative work, acceptance strategies, and practical skill building.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has ten years of experience providing mental health services across a range of concerns and populations.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He holds a California LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and practices in California.
Can I work with him in my language?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish. He also accepts international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Gerardo are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Gerardo where he has space. Ask about fees, and whether he holds a licence or registration where you live.
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