About Rocio Vaca, LCSW
Founder of Emotiva Counseling
Emotiva Counseling was founded to support individuals and couples in moving from conflict, overwhelm, and emotional distress toward clarity and relief. This shift is nurtured through compassionate dialogue and evidence‑based therapeutic practices that honor each person’s lived experience.
Our Story
Emotiva Counseling provides thoughtful, evidence-based therapy for adults, couples, children, and teens navigating life’s challenges, relationships, and periods of change. Whether you’re working through anxiety or burnout, strengthening a relationship, exploring your identity, or helping a child build confidence and resilience, therapy is tailored to meet you where you are.
Founded by Rocio Vaca, LCSW, Emotiva Counseling brings together clinical expertise with warmth, empathy, and genuine human connection. With extensive experience supporting individuals, children, and families, Rocio understands that our experiences, relationships, and environments all shape how we move through the world—and that meaningful change looks different for everyone.
Therapy is collaborative, practical, and grounded in respect for your individual experiences and strengths. With flexible virtual sessions throughout California and in-person options in Orange County, Emotiva Counseling offers a supportive space to better understand yourself, strengthen your relationships, develop useful tools, and move forward with greater confidence and clarity.
Our Values
Warmth
We cultivate a therapeutic environment defined by warmth, genuine care, and human connection. Every interaction is guided by compassion, presence, and heartfelt understanding, ensuring you feel safe, welcomed, and deeply supported. By leading with warmth, we create a space where healing feels possible, vulnerability is honored, and you can move toward growth with comfort and confidence.
Empowerment
We believe empowerment is the foundation of meaningful and lasting change. We are committed to helping you recognize your strengths, trust your inner wisdom, and build the confidence needed to navigate life with insight and intention. Through collaborative guidance, practical skill‑building, and unwavering support, we foster a therapeutic environment where you feel capable, resilient, and fully equipped to shape your own development and well‑being.
Respect
We honor you with deep respect, recognizing the dignity, autonomy, and lived experience you bring into the therapeutic space. We listen with openness, speak with care, and uphold boundaries that foster safety and trust. By valuing your unique identity, culture, and perspective, we create a supportive environment where you feel acknowledged, affirmed to flourish on your own terms.
Rocio Vaca, LCSW
Couples · LGBTQ+ · Childhood OCD and Trauma · Anxiety · Depression · Burn Out · Life Transitions
Hello, I’m Rocio Vaca, a licensed clinical social worker based in Orange County, California. Through my private practice, Emotiva Counseling, I provide virtual therapy to clients across the state and offer the option for in‑person sessions in Orange County through a mobile office. I specialize in evidence‑based therapy for couples, individuals, and children ages 9 and over, with the goal of helping you move toward a more grounded, supported, and improved state of well‑being.
Education
I hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from California State University, Bakersfield. I went on to earn my Master of Social Work (MSW) from California State University, Long Beach, with a concentration in Child Welfare in 2015. Following my graduate training, I obtained my clinical licensure through the state of California.
Experience
My clinical background includes five years of experience supporting neurodivergent children through Applied Behavioral Analysis, helping them build life skills and confidence. I bring more than 17 years of expertise in Child Welfare, with a strong foundation in adoptions, the juvenile dependency system, and the ways family law proceedings can shape a child’s experience. Throughout my Child Welfare career, I have conducted comprehensive family assessments and worked extensively with children impacted by adverse childhood trauma, focusing on fostering healing, resilience, and long‑term stability.
Working with families within Children and Family Services has involved providing psychoeducation to parents on child development, best parenting practices, and supporting them as they process their own trauma. I believe that when caregivers gain insight into their own experiences and how these patterns influence their family system, they are better equipped to create healthier, connected relationships at home.
I believe deeply in the empowerment that comes from learning and the intentional transfer of knowledge. This commitment to education and professional growth has guided my work with emerging clinicians; thus, my experience teaching in the Master of Social Work program at California State University, Fullerton. In addition to teaching, I provide clinical supervision to Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs) and Associate Clinical Social Workers (ACSWs), supporting their development as thoughtful, ethical, and competent practitioners.
My experience has given me a deep understanding of how biological make up and environment factors play a role into shaping unwanted behaviors and the cognitive and emotional implications. This insight allows me to identify effective treatments in order to shape behavior back to one that works harmoniously with your lifestyle.
Credentials You Can Trust
Our clinician is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who attends annual continuing‑education workshops and participates in peer consultations to continue development and evidence‑alignment.
License # 113199