Clinician Spotlight: Dr. Gabriel Garza

As a young person, Happier Living’s Dr. Gabriel Garza had varied interests in medicine. “Emergency medicine was exciting, internal medicine was intellectually stimulating, and radiology had the best toys (equipment),” he says. But he always felt there was something missing – until he experienced his psychiatry rotation in medical school.

“I knew I found something unique, a field that I could excel in, and would enjoy for the rest of my life,” he says.

Dr. Garza has board certifications in general psychiatry as well as child and adolescent psychiatry. Before coming to Happier Living, he was in medical education for 13 years where he trained young physicians in psychiatry. “This work requires expertise in many areas, but my favorite expertise is my skill as an educator,” he says.

Part of why Dr. Garza finds Happier Living such a great fit is his inherent desire for people to live their happiest and best lives. “One value that I feel particularly aligned with is the importance placed on working collaboratively with my patients,” he says. He also appreciates seeing his patients on a weekly basis where he can provide not just the normal medical evaluation and management but also therapy. 

Happier Living’s approach allows Dr. Garza the time to listen to his patients and to try to fully understand their experience, which is deeply important to creating a strong therapeutic relationship, he says. “This requires listening but also actively exploring their thoughts and feelings.  Through this process I get a better understanding, but likewise they also develop greater insight and that shared experience helps build that connection.”

When Dr. Garza isn’t seeing patients, he likes to tinker and explore new hobbies. One hobby he really enjoys is making beer and wine at home, which he has been doing off and on for the last 20 years. He also enjoys spending time with his family and friends and gardening (the okra in the photo is one he grew), woodworking, and cooking, especially exploring dishes from different cultures.

Connect with a Happier Living clinician like Dr. Garza today and take the first step toward a healthier relationship with the world around you.

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