Lilian Zelaya-Coria, LCSW

Lilian Zelaya-Coria is a bilingual Latinx Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California who focuses on supporting children, adolescents, and their families through challenging life experiences. She approaches therapy with warmth and collaboration, taking time to listen to each personâs story, explore emotions, and consider how past events influence current functioning. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she is trained to assess needs, teach coping skills, and guide clients toward practical strategies for healing and growth.

She brings nine years of clinical experience and has worked across nonprofit programs, Child Protective Services, and K-12 school settings, delivering services to students and families with diverse needs. Her background includes responding to trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, abuse, anger and conflict, anxiety and depression, generational trauma, substance-related concerns, family violence, grief and loss, and crisis intervention. Lilian blends a trauma-informed and strengths-based framework to help clients build resilience and sustainable coping skills.

Lilian integrates evidence-based modalities such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, along with somatic and expressive techniques. She uses journaling, music, guided imagery, expressive arts, mindfulness, meditation exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation to support emotional regulation and mind-body connection. Her work is client-centered - she partners with clients to identify goals, respects individual boundaries and pace, and offers practical tools when additional guidance is wanted.

Educationally, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Sonoma State University in 2006 and a Master of Social Work from San Jose State University in 2008. She completed her clinical licensure in 2019 and practices under the LCSW credential in California. Lilian does not provide couples therapy, and she emphasizes meeting each client where they are while fostering hope, self-understanding, and paths toward healthier functioning.