About Rebecca

Rebecca Velasquez, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker | #82361

Why I do the work I do?

As a therapist, wife and mother of two (active) young boys, I’ve felt firsthand the challenges of juggling wifehood, parenthood, my therapy practice, and my own personal development healing work… and doing it all quite imperfectly, too!

The trademarks of my work are the three words my clients often hear me say: “vulnerability, courage, authenticity.” These three concepts practiced in our daily life equals the ability to be intimate, connected and identify with others. I strive to not only help my clients embody these traits in their own life, but I try to do the same as well…

My own journey… (I’m just like you!)

In 2005, I hit a wall in my own life. I felt like I had achieved many “outer things,” but I was an empty shell inside, devoid of meaning and purpose in my life. I kept myself so busy during the day that I wouldn’t have to contend with that nagging sense of loneliness or emptiness. Then I’d wake up at 3 am feeling like I just couldn’t go on like I was.

Upon the suggestions of a few wise folks, I committed daily to a practice of meditation, determined to go inward to seek answers rather than in outward things or vices.

In that process of getting quiet, I gained awareness that I (the accomplished therapist!) was in the throes of an eating disorder. In 2006, I sought help and began painfully facing all the things that I stuffed down with food.

I can say, more than a decade later, that I am so grateful for my own recovery, spiritual growth and for being of service to others on their life journey. I am deeply committed to my own meditation practice and personal development work, as I’ve learned that we never “arrive” – there’s always more inner work to do!

The fruits of my own inner work enriches my professional work with my clients, and, in turn, the fruits of my clients’ inner work greatly enriches my own life. My clients are indeed some of my finest teachers.

When I’m not seeing clients

I’m a very active person. I love to get on the ground and play with my kids, go hiking & biking with them and go to the beach. I also enjoy practicing yoga and karate, as well as, I enjoy the sports of tennis, winter skiing, and snowboarding.

I grew up in Connecticut and lived there (apart from college) until 2017 when our family made a leap of faith to follow our dream of many years of moving to San Luis Obispo for a “better quality of life.” So here we are now “living the dream” of SLO living! Wouldn’t be anywhere else but here!

My credentials in a nutshell:

Graduated with honors in 2003 from Columbia University’s School of Social Work (New York, NY) with a master’s degree in social work.
Graduated with honors in 2001 from Emory University (Atlanta, GA) with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Spanish (I’m bilingual in Spanish). Also studied at the Institute for European Studies/IES (Vienna, Austria), Universidad de Salamanca (Salamanca, Spain) and La Academia Lacunza (San Sebastian, Spain).
I worked as a social worker for several years in agencies and school settings and then in 2012 earned my licensure to do private practice work as an LCSW.
Completed Yoga Teacher Training from Yoga Institute, Houston in 2001. I have taught yoga and meditation in various capacities (gyms, continuing education classes, studios, geriatric facilities) since then.
Completed Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder certification course from Postpartum International (the largest postpartum organization worldwide) enabling me to work more effectively with postpartum women.
Graduated from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course in 2016.
Completed Rosemary Gladstar’s Sage Mountain Herbal Center Program and became Certified Community Herbalism as of May, 2022
Completed Wendy Elliott’s Somatic Psychotherapy Training and became Certified Somatic Psychotherapist as of December, 2022.