Alicia Santiago, LCSW

Alicia Santiago, LCSW, is a trauma therapist who offers EMDR, parts-based therapy and psychedelic preparation and integration by telehealth to clients in California and Colorado. Originally from Southern California, she is now based in Northern Colorado, and she plans to offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in person from a new office in Boulder.

Approach

Santiago took a BA in liberal studies at San Diego State University, then a master’s in social work, focused on community mental health, at California State University, Dominguez Hills. She has been certified in EMDR by EMDRIA since 2024, completed an Internal Family Systems foundations course in 2025, and trained in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at several centres between 2021 and 2024. Her other training includes ego state work with Robin Shapiro, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at UCSD and a traditional plant dieta in Peru in 2025. She has also been part of a research team studying psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression. She works from mindfulness, compassion and curiosity, with attention to social and cultural context and systems of oppression.

Who it is for

She focuses on trauma and complex PTSD, anxiety and panic, shame and the inner critic, and wounds around attachment and relationships. She also supports people getting ready for, or making sense of, a psychedelic experience.

Practical details

Psychotherapy and EMDR sessions cost $200 for 50 minutes, usually weekly at first. She takes several insurance plans, including Aetna, Cigna and Blue Shield of California, gives monthly statements for out-of-network claims and keeps some places on a sliding scale. Cancellations need 24 hours’ notice or carry a $100 charge. A free 20-minute consultation comes first.

Care and safety

She holds licences in California (69181) and Colorado. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is closed to new clients for now: only existing psychotherapy clients receive low-dose sessions.