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Cassidy Mangio-Gonzales

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #LMFT-154901
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Cassidy Mangio-Gonzales, MS, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #LMFT-154901
(424) 438-2888

Therapy is more than treatment – it’s transformation. It’s a journey toward wholeness, freedom, and living the truth of who God created you to be. I’m here to walk beside you as you grow stronger in your faith, your relationships, and your sense of self. Whether you’re seeking support for anxiety, stress, trauma, relationship issues, family conflict, emotional overwhelm, or feeling disconnected from your purpose, I’m here to walk with you – offering a space that’s soul-honoring and full of grace. I believe that each of us carries God-given strength and resilience, and that with the right support, we can uncover healing, restore relationships, and walk confidently in our identity and purpose.

Carlsbad - Thu & SatOnline Counseling - Thu & Sat

About

I offer professional Christian counseling for children, teens, adult individuals, and families. In this space, you are seen, valued, and supported. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and rooted in the belief that healing involves more than just the mind – it involves the body, the spirit, and the systems around us. I don’t just focus on problems – we focus on goals, growth, and healing. With God’s guidance and direction, I will help you gain insight, find new perspectives, and take actionable steps toward the life you want to create.

My Goal as a Christian Counselor

My goal is not just to help you “get through” but to empower you to thrive – to live with clarity, purpose, and peace. In our time together, we’ll focus on the big picture, emphasizing your God-given strengths and how all the components of who you are work together. My aim is for you to strengthen your sense of identity in Christ and develop the tools you need to overcome whatever challenges you face.

What I Offer in Christian Counseling

I strive to be a compassionate, nonjudgmental presence, offering hope, truth, and grace to those navigating darkness, doubt, or disconnection. I offer a holistic and integrative approach that honors the mind-body-soul connection. Together we will work to develop deeper awareness, connection, and healing by addressing not only your symptoms, but the systems – both internal and relational – that shape your experiences. With faith as our foundation, we’ll work toward lasting change from the inside out.

My Approach to Christian Counseling

I see my role as a Christian therapist as a calling to reflect Christ’s light and love. I see therapy not just as a clinical practice, but as a sacred space where individuals, and families can experience restoration, redemption, and transformation through both psychological insight and spiritual guidance.

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with an undergraduate degree from University of California, San Diego and a Master of Science from Loma Linda University Health.

My Call to Christian Counseling

Through my personal experience, I realized that healing often occurs when an individual has someone walking beside them, helping them see their own strength, and empowering them to move forward with purpose. I can see how powerful human connection can be in transforming pain into growth. That belief, combined with my passion for serving others, made therapy not just a career but a calling. This is where my skills, heart, faith in God, and sense of purpose align.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I enjoy going to the beach, taking mission trips, and participating in various community service events and activities.

Services and Specialities

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

  • Abandonment and Neglect
  • ADHD
  • Aging and Geriatric Issues
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Chemical Dependency
  • Coaching
  • Codependency
  • Counseling for Children
  • Counseling for Teens
  • Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • Grief and Loss
  • Group Counseling
  • Individual Counseling
  • Infidelity and Affairs
  • Men’s Issues
  • OCD
  • Online Counseling
  • Personal Development
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Professional Development
  • Psychiatric Care Services
  • Psychological Testing
  • Relationship Issues
  • Sex and Porn Addiction
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Spiritual Development
  • Trauma
  • Weight Loss
  • Women’s Issues

Relationship Issues

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I’m trained to understand relationship dynamics – even when working with you individually. I will help you reflect on patterns, identify what’s working and what’s not, and develop new tools for communication, emotional safety, and self-respect. Sometimes, healing a relationship means learning how to show up differently. Other times, it means learning to let go. You don’t have to navigate it alone. My approach is compassionate, practical, and focused on helping you build healthier relationships – with others and yourself.

Trauma

My work in high-intensity, crisis-driven environments has shaped my ability to support clients facing trauma with both compassion and stability. I’ve worked with individuals in some of their darkest moments—experiencing loss, abuse, violence, and emotional breakdowns—and I understand how trauma can disrupt your sense of safety, identity, and control.

Codependency

Through my years working in inpatient treatment settings, I’ve seen firsthand how addiction and codependency are deeply intertwined. Where there’s substance use, there’s often a parallel struggle with boundaries, identity, and enmeshment in relationships. My experience in this environment taught me to look beyond surface symptoms and into the relational patterns that keep people stuck.

Codependency isn’t just about “being too nice” or “putting others first”—it’s often a survival strategy rooted in trauma, fear of abandonment, or the belief that our worth is tied to caretaking or control. I help clients untangle these patterns with compassion and clarity. We work on building self-trust, setting healthy boundaries, and rediscovering who they are outside of someone else’s needs or chaos.

Sex and Porn Addiction

Working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses taught me how to hold space for difficult conversations with empathy, accountability, and structure. It gave me a deeper understanding of the complexity behind sexual behavior – how trauma, shame, secrecy, and unmet emotional needs can feed unhealthy patterns. If you or someone you love is struggling with sex or pornography addiction, help is available. Contact our office today.

Individual Counseling

Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, stress, trauma, relationship issues, or feeling disconnected from your purpose, I will meet you where you are. My approach is warm, grounded, and collaborative. I don’t just focus on problems – we focus on goals, growth, and healing. I help you gain insight, find new perspectives, and take actionable steps toward the life you want to create.

Payment and Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

  • Carlsbad – Thursday and Saturday
  • Online Counseling – Thursday and Saturday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals and groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session, the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out-of-Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.

About Biography Services Payment

Cassidy is a spirit-filled therapist who goes above and beyond expectations to help her clients heal. She cares deeply about her clients, and treats them with dignity and respect. I would recommend Cassidy to anyone who is in need of an excellent, compassionate therapist. Rosalinda Rodas, Ph.D., MFT

“We would like to recognize and commend the exceptional work of Cassidy, whose dedication, professionalism, and clinical expertise have made a profound impact on our program and the clients we serve.

What truly sets Cassidy apart is the genuine care and compassion she brings to her work. She creates a safe, supportive environment where clients feel heard and valued, which fosters meaningful therapeutic progress. Her clinical skills are evident throughout the treatment process, as she incorporates evidence-based practices with a personalized, client-centered approach.

Cassidy has impressed our team with her thoughtful interventions, her collaboration with staff, and her unwavering focus on the well-being of her clients. Her contributions continue to enhance the quality of our program and reflect the highest standards of therapeutic care!”

Meeting Cassidy was like a breath of fresh air. She is young, vibrant and dedicated to her work. Her smile and soft laughter is very captivating which puts one at ease and allows you to build confidence. Our first encounter was on a Mission Trip. I have seen her in action working with patients. She is gentle and kind. Her caring ways win them over, as she does a thorough job. Cassidy is very charismatic and excellent at what she does.

Cassidy, a LMFT who I have worked with in the past has great therapeutic skills, empathy, strong working and dedicated to helping others.

My dear colleague Cassidy, who I’ve had the honor and pleasure to come to not only meet but know better with each passing year! We know each other from University of California – San Diego (UCSD) and we’ve worked together for 6-7 years since we first met! We are both alumni now, but my first impression of her was that of an extremely welcoming, kind, smart, hardworking, proactive and caring woman.

She was open to talking to me despite being a stranger at the time. Furthermore, she was willing to team up to take the classes either she, me, or both of us struggled with. I found it admirable she was willing to put in the hours, hard work in and sacrifices necessary to pass classes she didn’t love, but knew she need to pass to reach her goals and dreams in life. Despite being a disciplined, responsible and hard-working person, she didn’t always get the results she hoped for. However, she demonstrated patience and a surprising level of resilience getting back up in a short and quick period recovering as if nothing had happened. It’s safe to say failure and setbacks while not the desired outcome, couldn’t keep her down for a long time.

Speaking of time, in the 6-7 years working together I have always appreciated Cassidy has been authentic, genuine and an encouraging person specially the more years have gone by. I remember about 5-6 years ago; I got my first new iPhone and upon finding out Cassidy got so happy and excited for me. Offering to help and teach me to use my new device since she was already an iPhone user. I remember being touched by such a kind act on my behalf, and thinking she is a very reliable and trustworthy person.

Speaking of kindness, it’s safe to say Cassidy is an agreeable person. During a set of mock therapy sessions we did as practice for one of her assignments, I remember her being empathetic by showing she felt my pain from the personal struggle I was sharing with her. Furthermore, she not only was empathetic and patient listening to my personal problem, but she asked the necessary question to accumulate the information she sought and give me a solution to my problem. 5 years later, and the solution she gave me in those mock therapy sessions continues to work and I haven’t had to face the decade long problem since we did those mock therapy sessions. Safe to say, Cassidy helped me heal and solve a personal struggle I was facing for a decade prior to talking to her!

Looking back, I think the fact she is an artistic and creative individual given the fact we’ve done artistic activities such as painting and listen to music together, plus the fact she is a social person willing to strike conversation with people from different walks of life and help them when she can. Gave her the tools to be able to help me tackle and resolve my issue.

In the 6-7 years of knowing my dear colleague Cassidy and continuing to work together even after we became alumni I can confidently say she has all the qualities previously described. She is an incredible, loving, smart, reliable, trustworthy and hard-working person to name a few! Also, I’m fully convinced anyone who has the luck to have her as their therapists, is in extremely good hands!
– Raul Oropeza