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H. Luis Vargas, Ph.D., LMFT
MFC#44953

Information You May Want to Know

This description has been prepared to inform you about my qualifications and what you can expect from me as your therapist.

My Qualifications

The majority of my experience has been working with:

Clients of diverse socio-economic backgrounds and multi-cultural experiences.

In particular, my clinical experience includes practice with:

Issues related to acculturation, child abuse, witnessing of crime, disappearance, domestic violence, environmental trauma, homicide, kidnapping, terrorist threats, and their impact on relationships.

Individual and relationship concerns associated with cultural differences, divorce, marital conflict, family hostility, marital/family separation, and their impact on self.

Cultural and social adaptation issues related to immigration, and their effect on relationships.

Problems connected to fears, anxiety, depression, under-achievement, frustrated needs, and their impacts on relationships.

The Therapeutic Process
There are several steps in the therapeutic process. First, we will need to spend some time exploring the concerns that brought you to therapy. Obviously, we need to discuss matters openly and honestly. Certain matters of experience are difficult to share. I will work with you at your pace.

After we develop sufficient background to proceed, we will decide upon specific goals and objectives. Oftentimes, change is a challenging process associated with risks. We will regularly evaluate progress. Treatment efforts will conclude when the sought-after goals are sufficiently achieved.

The FCS Group Practice Model
I am a member of a group practice. One of the advantages to you is that I get to consult on an as-needed basis with a dozen other professionals whom I trust. As a group, we meet weekly. During our time together, we continually advance our knowledge and skill sets by learning about each other's clinical practices and experiences.

Confidentiality
All of our sessions will be confidential. My professional code of ethics prevents me from releasing any records without permission and discussing what is said during sessions with anyone other than my colleagues in peer consultation. The only exceptions to this are if someone is in danger of being harmed, or if the law explicitly states that confidentiality provisions do not apply.

Spirituality and Therapeutic Approach
I carefully and respectfully work from a bio-psycho-social and spiritually integrated theoretical perspective.

In our work together, we will sensitively explore your relationship experience(s) to self and others. We will cover all relationships that are important to you, including your connection to faith.

We will work closely to identify goals that are specific, measurable, achievable and realistic. We will set up a timetable to meet those goals.

In addition, our work will entail engagement in a series of effective clinical processes and therapeutic exercises targeting patterns of thought and behavior evidenced relationally and systemically. The therapeutic processes utilized are research based.

I attend to multicultural and multigenerational influences, family of origin dynamics and life cycle considerations.

Length of Sessions
Therapy sessions are normally 45-50 minutes. Depending upon the nature of the concerns, sessions are held one or more times weekly. It is difficult to initially predict how many sessions will be needed. If this is important to you, I will be better able to discuss the probable number of sessions after we have explored and gained some background - usually, after two or three sessions.

In addition to my member practice with Family Consultation Service, I am currently employed as:

Assistant Professor, Core Faculty member, MFT Program
Alliant International University - California School of Professional Psychology
10455 Pomerado Road - Daley Hall - San Diego, CA.

Adjunct Faculty Associate, MFT Program
Bethel University/Bethel Seminary San Diego
San Diego, CA.

Education:

Ph.D., (2005)
Loma Linda University - Graduate School - Department of Counseling & Family Sciences
Loma Linda, CA.

M.A., MFT, (2001)
Bethel University/Bethel Seminary San Diego
San Diego, CA.

Affiliations and License:

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)

American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT)

International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC)

National Council on Family Relations (NCFR)

International Family Therapy Association (IFTA)

AAMFT Approved Supervisor certification in process

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, MFC#44953

Available for Seminars, Community Dialogs and Speaking Engagements Covering:

Relationship Discord

Multiculturalism