Alexis Garza-Kjorvestad

Biography

Alexis Garza-Kjorvestad, MA, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, educator, and clinical supervisor with more than 25 years of experience in the human services and mental health fields. She holds two master’s degrees from Pepperdine University—one in Clinical Psychology with dual emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy and Licensed Professional Clinical Counseling, and a second in Psychology—as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vanguard University of Southern California.

Garza-Kjorvestad began her career in public safety before transitioning into counseling roles supporting individuals with disabilities, chronic illness, and grief in nonprofit and community settings. She completed clinical internships with Hospice Care of California and the Turning Point Center for Families, followed by associate training with the Fullerton Elementary School District and Affinity Recovery. In these settings, she provided therapy to elementary-aged students and individuals experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. She later served as a Clinical Therapist and, subsequently, Clinical Supervisor at the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (LA CADA), where she worked with LGBTQ+ clients, people experiencing homelessness, individuals re-entering from incarceration, and clients with complex trauma histories. Through this work, she developed a deep commitment to mentoring and training emerging clinicians serving high-need communities.

From 2017 to 2019, Garza-Kjorvestad taught at North Orange Continuing Education, where she worked with college-age adults with disabilities. She developed and taught courses in independent living, financial literacy, employment readiness, social communication, and technology use, and found great meaning in supporting her students’ growth and resilience.

Since 2020, Garza-Kjorvestad has served as faculty in Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, teaching Multicultural Counseling and Couple and Family Therapy I and II in the Clinical Psychology master’s program. Her teaching integrates experiential learning, cultural attunement, and self-of-the-therapist exploration, with a focus on preparing graduate students for ethical, inclusive, and socially responsive clinical practice. She has also served as a clinical supervisor for practicum trainees through the California Consortium for Prevention and Intervention.

Garza-Kjorvestad is the founder of New Approach Therapy, a private practice specializing in trauma-informed, integrative therapy for individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, grief, disability, chronic pain, relational conflict, life transitions, and identity development. Her therapeutic work draws from humanistic, family systems, psychodynamic, emotion-focused, internal family systems, solution-focused, and expressive-arts frameworks.

She is a recipient of Pepperdine University’s P@P Recognition of Teaching Service Award, honoring faculty who demonstrate sustained excellence in graduate instruction.

Education

• MA, Pepperdine University, GSEP
• BA, Vanguard University of Southern California