Nicole Garcia, PhD

Nicole Garcia, PhD
New Jersey & New York
PSYPACT

I’m Dr. Nicole Garcia, a psychologist licensed in New Jersey, New York and PsyPact states and the founder and owner of Evolve Psychological Services, a multidisciplinary psychology practice based in Montclair, New Jersey. For more than two decades, I have worked with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families across private practice, hospital, school and community settings.

I began my private practice in New York City in the early 2000s with a goal that continues to guide Evolve today: to provide high-quality, culturally sensitive, trauma informed, collaborative psychological care in an environment where people feel genuinely heard, understood, respected and comfortable being themselves.

Over the years, that individual practice grew into Evolve Psychological Services, a diverse team of warm and skilled psychologists, therapists and coaches who bring different areas of expertise, backgrounds and perspectives to their work. I am proud of the multi-disciplinary team that we have built and the wide range of services that we now offer.

Today, Evolve provides psychotherapy for children, adolescents and adults, couples and family therapy, neuropsychological evaluations, autism and ADHD evaluations, trauma-focused therapy; executive function skills coaching, ADHD coaching, and immigration psychological evaluations.

We are also committed to providing culturally informed, trauma-informed, inclusive and LGBTQ+ affirming care. Our practice welcomes people of different backgrounds, cultures, identities, family structures and life experiences.

In my own clinical work, I have extensive experience working with children, adolescents and adults. I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University, specializing in Child and Adolescent Psychology with an additional specialization in Marital and Family Therapy.

My clinical training includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Brainspotting and other supportive approaches. My areas of experience include anxiety, depression, ADHD, family and peer relationships, parenting concerns, gender identity and sexuality, LGBTQ+ affirming care, life transitions and work/life balance. I provide services in both English and Spanish.

My approach is collaborative and individualized. I believe effective psychological care begins by understanding what is happening in someone’s life, but it also requires understanding the broader context in which that person lives. With children and adolescents, that may include relationships with parents, siblings, peers, teachers, schools and the larger community. With adults, it may involve relationships, family history, cultural influences, career, identity, parenting and the many competing demands of everyday life.

The goal is not simply to help people feel better in the moment, but to help them develop greater understanding, resilience and skills that can support meaningful change over time.

My professional experience spans private practice, academic medical centers, hospitals, schools and community-based mental health programs. I earned my PhD in Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University, with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Psychology and an additional specialization in Marital and Family Therapy. Prior to earning my doctorate, I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with Honors from New York University (NYU).

Before developing Evolve Psychological Services, I held a number of clinical and leadership roles that shaped my approach to psychological care. At NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, I served for five years as Deputy Director of the School-Based Mental Health Program in the Department of Pediatric Psychiatry. I also served as a Unit Psychologist and Supervisor at Bronx Children’s Psychiatric and completed clinical training at New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center/NYU Child Study Center. Additional professional experiences have included Mount Sinai Medical Center, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Arms Acres Outpatient Center.

Culture and identity can influence how we understand ourselves, our families, our relationships and even the ways we experience emotional distress. As a bilingual psychologist providing services in English and Spanish, I have long believed that effective psychological care requires understanding people within the broader context of their lives.

At Evolve, we strive to provide a welcoming, judgment-free environment that respects each person’s identity, culture, family structure, background and lived experience. Our clinicians work with people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals and families. We recognize that no clinician can make assumptions about someone’s experience based solely on one aspect of their identity. Instead, our goal is to listen, ask thoughtful questions and understand what matters to each individual.

I am a professional member of organizations including:

• New Jersey Psychological Association
• New York State Psychological Association
• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
• Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals

Professional involvement and continuing education are important parts of my commitment to providing high-quality psychological care and maintaining a practice informed by developments within the field.

Throughout my career, I have also contributed psychological expertise to media discussions about issues affecting children, adults and families. Selected media appearances and contributions include:

• Screen Wars: How Do you Handle Screen Time? by Emily Klein, Baristanet (7/30/2015)
• Striving for a Healthy Relationship: Montclair Therapists Offer Insights by Kelly Ebbels, The Montclair Times (2/14/2014)
• Smarter, the New Science of Building Brain Power by Dan Hurley (2013)

Evolve has also sponsored a number of events in Northern New Jersey focusing on important topics such adolescent mental health, perimenopause and women’s health, academic performance and success and others.

Taking the first step toward therapy, an evaluation, coaching or another psychological service can feel overwhelming, especially when you aren’t sure where to begin. When you reach out to Evolve, our intake coordinator will learn more about what you are looking for, answer your questions and help determine which service, or services, may be appropriate.

Our Montclair, NJ office serves individuals and families in person while virtual services are available for those residing in NJ, NY and participating PsyPact states.