Margarita Garza

Bilingual English-Spanish clinical mental health counseling graduate student and Certified Peer Support & Recovery Professional (CPSRP) with 30+ years of experience supporting individuals, families, students, and educators. Experienced in individual and group counseling, psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, clinical documentation, recovery resource navigation, family engagement, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive care. Currently supporting adults with complex mood, psychotic, substance-use, and suicide-risk concerns in a hospital behavioral-health setting.

M.A. expected August 2026; plans to pursue Connecticut LPCA licensure.

Counseling Intern, Adult Unit at HHC Health - Naugatuck Hospital (2025-08 – Present)

• Provide individual counseling and conduct psychosocial assessments for adults with complex mental-health and recovery needs.
• Lead and co-lead therapeutic groups focused on coping skills, emotional regulation, wellness, resilience, and recovery.
• Assist with treatment planning, clinical documentation, and client-centered care in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.
• Support adults presenting with depression, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis, polysubstance-use concerns, suicidal ideation or prior attempts, and other behavioral-health needs.

Volunteer at Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) (2024-01 – Present)

• Provide peer support and recovery resource navigation for individuals affected by addiction.
• Support Telephone Recovery Support and group facilitation to promote connection and multiple pathways to recovery.

Founder & Workshop Facilitator at Raising Together LLC (2022-01 – Present)

• Design and facilitate creative wellness and family communication workshops that promote resilience, self-expression, and culturally responsive connection.
• Develop art- and wellness-based activities for families and underserved communities.

Educator, Mentor & Family Engagement Leader at Durham & Martin Elementary Schools, Houston ISD and Alief ISD (2010-01 – 2022-12)

• Guided students and educators in bilingual literacy, social-emotional learning, technology, and inclusive learning.
• Led family engagement, bilingual workshops, outreach, and mentoring to strengthen achievement and resilience.
• Served as a dual-language Mathematics and English Language Arts specialist, contributed to second-grade dual-language curriculum, and applied Action-Based Learning strategies.

Community Engagement & Leadership at Community Engagement & Leadership

• Facilitated bilingual literacy, art, and wellness programs supporting families and underserved populations in Mexico, Canada, Thailand, and the United States.
• Coordinated fundraising, outreach, and health initiatives with Misiones del Carmen and Brigadas Médicas.
• Built community partnerships and advocated for equitable access to educational, wellness, and recovery resources.

M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling – Sacred Heart University (2026-08; GPA 4.0) M.S. in Instructional Game Design and Technology – University of Houston-Clear Lake (2018-01) B.S. in Education - Science Education; Minor in Bilingual Education – Universidad Regiomontana