Therapy for Men & Veterans in San Marcos, CA | North County Leadership
I provide therapy for men and veterans in San Marcos, California, supporting individuals impacted by military service, leadership stress, and major life transitions. I work with veterans and military-connected men navigating trauma, emotional-regulation challenges, and identity shifts shaped by years of responsibility and service. My role within the San Marcos community is to offer grounded, evidence-based therapy that is steady, respectful, and practical.
San Marcos combines a growing professional population with close ties to military bases, education centers, and family-oriented neighborhoods across North County San Diego. Many men here balance work demands, long-term responsibility, and service-connected identities while trying to stay present for their families. This local environment often shapes how stress, burnout, and emotional strain quietly build over time.
Many men and veterans in San Marcos struggle with unresolved trauma, emotional containment, and the difficulty of slowing down after years of structure-driven expectations. Clients often choose to work with me because I understand these patterns and offer therapy that is calm, direct, and grounded. My approach focuses on emotional regulation, clarity, and stability without adding more pressure or overwhelm.
Here’s what’s included
Step 1: Grounded Intake & Shared Mapping
We start with a collaborative intake session where we slow down together, map what’s happening in your body and life, and name the systems, histories, and power dynamics that have shaped how you respond. This isn’t a checkbox assessment, it’s a Freirean dialogue where your story is treated as real knowledge, not a problem to be fixed.
Step 2: Freirean Praxis Sessions (Reflection + Action)
In ongoing 1:1 sessions, we practice praxis: we reflect critically on your patterns, triggers, and environments, and then translate that insight into small, concrete actions that honor your values and your nervous system. You’ll leave each session with 1–3 grounded experiments or practices, no perfectionism, no overwhelm, just doable steps toward more dignity, choice, and ease.
Step 3: Integration, Reclaiming, and Future Alignment
As we work, we regularly pause to reflect on what’s shifting: how you’re feeling in your body, how your relationships and boundaries are changing, and what freedom looks like for you now. Together, we refine your practices, celebrate what’s working, and craft a sustainable way of living and leading that’s aligned with your values, so the transformation isn’t just a session experience, but part of your everyday life.
Explore my services
Therapy for Veterans
READ MOREVeteran therapy in San Marcos supports service members balancing work, family life, and long-standing service-related stress. Many veterans struggle with emotional containment beneath a stable exterior. Clients often notice increased emotional balance and presence. Reactions become more manageable, and relationships improve. Sessions explore how service shaped emotional patterns and identity. Therapy is offered in-person or virtually. For veterans seeking local therapy near you in San Marcos, the focus is on regulation, clarity, and long-term support.
Speaking & Organizational Consulting
READ MOREOrganizations in San Marcos often balance education, growth, and service demands. When coordination slips, the impact is felt quickly across teams.
Speaking and consulting engagements help establish shared understanding and practical workflows. The outcome is leadership and collaboration that hold beyond a single session.
Military Transition Counseling
READ MORETransition can feel especially unsettled when your environment is still changing. If you are a veteran in San Marcos, you may be navigating education, career shifts, or family adjustments at the same time that military structure has fallen away. That combination often keeps your system in a constant problem solving mode, even when there is no immediate threat.
Military transition counseling helps you slow that pace in a practical way. We focus first on stabilizing daily life so stress and uncertainty are not running your decisions. This includes sleep, routines, time management, and how your nervous system responds when expectations feel unclear or outcomes feel delayed. The goal is to create enough steadiness that thinking and planning become possible again.
As the work continues, we address identity and leadership beyond service. We look at how your military training translates into civilian contexts without forcing you to abandon discipline, values, or responsibility. Instead of rushing clarity, we build it step by step so your next phase feels intentional, grounded, and aligned with who you are now.
Trauma Therapy for Veterans
READ MOREPeriods of learning, career change, and family responsibility often overlap after service. Around San Marcos, that convergence can amplify trauma responses, especially when expectations increase while structure remains unclear. Stress shows up not as a single issue, but as constant mental load, irritability, or difficulty settling.
Trauma therapy here begins by organizing the present. We stabilize routines, sleep, and stress responses so your nervous system has enough predictability to stand down. This work does not rush you into processing experiences before your system can tolerate calm without bracing.
PTSD treatment for Veterans
READ MOREPeriods of transition tend to expose what PTSD has been holding together. Around San Marcos, many veterans notice that stress increases when education, career changes, or family demands overlap. What once felt manageable can start to feel overwhelming or disorganized.
PTSD treatment here begins by bringing order back into the present. We focus on stabilizing routines, sleep, and stress responses so your nervous system has enough predictability to stand down. This work does not rush into past events before your system can tolerate calm in daily life.
As therapy continues, we examine how PTSD shapes planning, follow through, and decision making during periods of change. We identify where urgency, avoidance, or shutdown take over and build practical supports that help you stay grounded when demands increase.
Anxiety Therapy for Veterans
READ MOREPeriods of change can amplify anxiety that has been sitting in the background. In San Marcos, VA related stress often shows up when education, career shifts, or family responsibilities overlap with benefits, appointments, and ongoing paperwork.
This anxiety is not an overreaction. It develops when multiple systems demand attention at the same time and clarity is hard to find. Your nervous system adapts by staying alert and preparing for problems before they happen, which quickly becomes exhausting.
Anxiety therapy here focuses on bringing order back into the present. We work on reducing background stress, clarifying priorities, and creating predictable structure so your body no longer has to hold everything at once.
Depression Therapy for Veterans
READ MOREThis service is designed for veterans whose depression develops alongside change. Education, career shifts, or family demands can collide with reduced structure and inconsistent support, leaving your system depleted rather than distressed. Energy drops, focus scatters, and progress stalls.
We work on restoring daily rhythm, clarifying priorities, and supporting decision making so your system can regain traction without relying on pressure or urgency. The work is practical and paced for real conditions.
As therapy continues, we address how depression affects self trust and direction. The goal is steadier engagement, clearer choices, and a return to forward movement that feels sustainable rather than forced.
Anger Therapy for Veterans
READ MOREPeriods of transition often intensify anger. In San Marcos, changes related to work, education, or family can bring frustration to the surface, especially when direction feels uncertain.
Anger control counseling helps you understand what your reactions are signaling during change. We work on stabilizing your system, clarifying boundaries, and building responses that support leadership over how you show up rather than reacting from accumulated stress.
Sex and Intimacy Therapy for Men
READ MOREPeriods of transition often disrupt sexual connection. For veterans in San Marcos, sex therapy helps make sense of changes in desire, confidence, or engagement that follow shifts in work, education, or identity. This work supports clarity, communication, and rebuilding intimacy in a way that aligns with who you are now.
I serve veterans in San Marcos.
Veterans in San Marcos often come from areas near California State University San Marcos and North County inland communities. I also serve veterans from Escondido, Vista, and nearby cities looking for therapy grounded in real world military experience.
“Richard’s work reflects both intellectual depth and genuine care. He brings clarity, discipline, and empathy to every role, making him an exceptional clinician and consultant.”
— Academic & Clinical Reference
“Richard combines clinical skill with deep leadership. He brings clarity, compassion, and structure to complex environments, empowering individuals and families to move forward with dignity and accountability.”
— Keith D. Washington, LCSW, DCSW
“Richard’s leadership in high-pressure military systems stood out immediately. His ability to balance clinical judgment, teamwork, and mission readiness makes him a trusted guide in complex, real-world settings.”
— Senior Military Supervisor
“What sets Richard apart is his ability to connect systems, people, and purpose. He leads with integrity, cultural awareness, and a deep respect for lived experience.”
— Community Mental Health Colleague
“Richard creates spaces where growth feels possible. His approach is thoughtful, structured, and human—especially for those navigating leadership, identity, and high-stakes environments.”
— Professional Peer
“Richard’s work reflects both intellectual depth and genuine care. He brings clarity, discipline, and empathy to every role, making him an exceptional clinician and consultant.”
— Academic & Clinical Reference
“Richard combines clinical skill with deep leadership. He brings clarity, compassion, and structure to complex environments, empowering individuals and families to move forward with dignity and accountability.”
— Keith D. Washington, LCSW, DCSW
Testimonials

Hello, I’m Richard De La Garza, a veteran therapist offering counseling for anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges after service.
I’m Richard De La Garza, a veteran mental health therapist supporting veterans in San Marcos. My work helps military connected men navigate transition, trauma, and identity shifts with clarity and sustainable structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this work?
We start with a complimentary 15‑minute consultation to see whether we’re a good fit and to answer any initial questions. If we decide to work together, we’ll schedule your first full session and complete intake forms through a secure online portal.
In our sessions, we meet virtually (or in person if you’re in San Diego, CA and choose that option). We’ll slow down, map what’s going on in your life and body, and set goals together rather than imposing a one‑size‑fits‑all plan.
I draw from several approaches—including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma‑informed care, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), strength‑based and compassion‑based practices—while centering intersectionality and cultural context. That means we look not only at your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, but also at how identity, history, and systems shape your experience. Each session is a mix of reflection and concrete practices, so you leave with 1–3 grounded steps to try between sessions.
Therapy is typically weekly or bi‑weekly at first, and we’ll regularly check in about how it’s going, what’s shifting, and whether the frequency or focus needs to be adjusted.
Can I use insurance?
I do not accept insurance at this time. All services are self‑pay, and payment is due at the time of service.
Many clients choose to use HSA/FSA funds or speak with their insurance provider about any out‑of‑network benefits that might apply. I’m happy to answer questions about fees and payment so you can make an informed decision before beginning.
You also have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of the expected costs of your services, in line with the No Surprises Act.
What technology do I need?
Virtual sessions are held through a secure, HIPAA‑compliant video platform.
You’ll need:
- A stable internet connection
- A smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and microphone
- A private, quiet space where you feel comfortable speaking openly
- Headphones or earbuds (recommended for privacy and sound quality)
Before each session, you’ll receive a link by email; you simply click it at your appointment time—no special software is required beyond an up‑to‑date browser.
- A stable internet connection
What happens if I need to cancel?
Life happens, and sometimes you need to reschedule. I ask for at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or change an appointment.
- Cancellations or reschedules made more than 24 hours in advance: no fee.
- Cancellations, reschedules, or no‑shows within 24 hours of your appointment: you will be responsible for the full session fee.
This policy helps protect the time I set aside for you and ensures that appointments are available for others who may be waiting. If you’re unsure whether you’ll be able to attend, please reach out as soon as you can so we can explore options.
- Cancellations or reschedules made more than 24 hours in advance: no fee.
Good Faith Estimate
What is a Good Faith Estimate?
If you are paying out of pocket (not using insurance), you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) outlining the expected cost of your therapy.
A Good Faith Estimate includes:
- Describes the type of services we’re planning (for example, weekly 50-minute sessions)
- Outlines the estimated total cost over a period of time (for example, 3–6 months)
- Is provided in writing before we begin ongoing therapy
This is an estimate, not a contract. If we adjust your treatment plan—such as meeting more or less often—I will update the estimate to reflect our new agreement.
Under the No Surprises Act, if your actual charges are significantly higher than the estimate, you may have the right to dispute the bill. This law is designed to promote transparency, so you can make informed decisions about your care.
