Carlsbad or Online
Dr. Julieta Aguilera Rice
Licensed Psychologist | OCD, Couples & Trilingual Therapy | she/her
My goal is to provide a collaborative and supportive therapy environment where you feel you can vulnerably explore and share your internal world. My hope is to support you in finding meaning in emotions, relationships, and life experiences with the ultimate goal of helping you build the life and future you envision.
A short introduction
About Dr. Aguilera Rice
Dr. C. Julieta Aguilera Rice is a trilingual (English, Español, and Français) licensed psychologist at Coastal Therapy Group’s Carlsbad office. Her practice centers on adults: treating OCD with ERP, working with couples, and supporting professionals through transitions and the search for purpose and meaning. Grounded in child and pediatric psychology, she also continues to work with children, teens, and families, and offers ADHD and psychological assessment. She holds a doctorate in School and Applied Child Psychology from McGill University, completed her APA-accredited internship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and her postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. She works from compassionate, culturally sensitive, and strength-based frameworks, and sees clients in person in Carlsbad and online throughout California.
In her own words
Let’s learn some new moves together
In reflecting about the work that I do, I often think about the dance that unfolds in the therapy space: the fear and pain that prevent movement and keep us stuck, the communication difficulties that make it so that we step on each other’s toes, the vision we have for our future and our loved ones that fuel our movements, and the non-linear motions that somehow still get us to the place we want to go. Whether it’s by yourself or with a loved one, let’s learn some new moves together… Let’s dance!
How she works
Care that is collaborative and culturally grounded
As a trilingual psychologist (English, Español, and Français) in Carlsbad, I work with individuals and couples experiencing transitions, hardship, conflict, and trauma. I strongly value approaching mental health care from compassionate, culturally sensitive, and strength-based frameworks, and I always strive to tailor the work to your unique needs, building on the resources and strengths you already carry.
That means holding two things at once: the depth to explore what’s underneath, the relationships and experiences that shaped you, and the structure of evidence-based tools like ERP when they fit the problem in front of us. Whether we’re loosening the grip of OCD, working through what’s straining a relationship, or making sense of a life that looks fine on paper but doesn’t feel like yours, we find the approach that fits.
Where her work goes deep
A practice centered on adults, couples, and OCD
OCD & ERP
Evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard approach, for adults ready to loosen the grip of intrusive thoughts and compulsions.
Learn more →Couples & relationships
Work with couples and individuals on connection, conflict, and repair, turning away from disconnection and toward interactions of care. Also available as a focused 3-hour Couples Intensive.
Learn more →Professionals & life transitions
Support for professionals navigating change, and for anyone asking the bigger questions about purpose, meaning, and the life they actually want to build.
Learn more →Ways to work together
Formats to fit what you need
Alongside weekly therapy, Dr. Aguilera Rice offers focused, time-limited ways to work together, useful when you want meaningful help within a defined stretch of time.
The foundation. Weekly individual or couples sessions, in person in Carlsbad or online throughout California.
A single, self-contained session for a specific decision, stuck point, or question, without committing to ongoing therapy.
About Single Session Consultation →A structured psychological consultation (intake, brief assessment, and a feedback session) for clarity and direction.
About Insight Sessions →Diagnostic clarity when you need it, including ADHD and broader psychological assessment. (She treats autism but does not assess for it at this time.)
About Psychological Testing →A single extended session for couples wanting focused, accelerated work outside the pace of weekly therapy.
About Couples Intensives →Credentials as a Psychologist
- Licensed Psychologist, California (PSY33929)
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Pediatric Psychology
- Pre-Doctoral Internship, Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Pediatric Psychology and Community Mental Health (APA-accredited)
- Doctorate in School and Applied Child Psychology (PhD), McGill University (CPA-accredited)
- Master of Arts in School and Applied Child Psychology (MA), McGill University (CPA-accredited)
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (BA), McGill University
Languages
- English
- Español
- Français
Areas of Specialized Experience
- OCD & ERP
- Anxiety
- Couples & Relationships
- Couples Intensives
- Professionals & Life Transitions
- Meaning & Personal Growth
- Trauma & Post-traumatic Growth
- Children & Teens
- ADHD & Assessment
- Psychological Assessment
- Autism (ASD)
- Chronic Illness & Pain
- Grief
- Cultural & Racial Stress, Identity
- Online Therapy (California)
Before you reach out
Questions clients tend to ask first
Do you treat OCD in adults?
Yes. A growing part of my practice is working with adults who are ready to take on OCD directly. I use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the treatment with the strongest evidence for OCD. Together we gradually and collaboratively face the thoughts and situations that trigger anxiety while reducing the compulsions and reassurance that keep the cycle going, at a pace we set together.
What is ERP, and does it mean facing my worst fears on day one?
No. ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is structured and collaborative, and it never starts at the hardest thing. We build an understanding of how your OCD works, then take on situations step by step, starting where it feels manageable. You stay in the driver's seat the whole way. The goal isn't to white-knuckle through fear, it's to help your nervous system learn that you can tolerate uncertainty without the compulsion.
Can we do therapy in Spanish or French?
Yes. I am trilingual and see clients in English, Español, and Français. For many people, doing this work in the language they feel most themselves in makes a real difference, and you are welcome to move between languages in session.
Do you work with couples?
I do. I work with couples and with individuals on relationships, whether you're navigating conflict, a relational injury, a hard transition, or simply wanting to feel closer. Alongside weekly sessions, I also offer a Couples Intensive, a single 3-hour session for couples who want focused, accelerated work. Relationships are one of our most precious resources, and a lot of good work happens in learning how to connect and repair.
I'm a professional who looks successful but feels stuck or without meaning. Can therapy help?
Very much so. A lot of the people I work with are doing well on paper and still feel restless, disconnected, or unsure what it's all for. Therapy can be the space to slow down, make sense of that, and reconnect with what actually gives your life meaning and direction.
Do you still work with children and teens?
Yes. My training is in child and pediatric psychology, and I continue to work with children, teens, and families. Alongside that, more of my practice now centers on adults, couples, and OCD. If you're reaching out for a young person or for yourself, we can talk about whether I'm the right fit.
Do you do psychological assessments?
I offer ADHD and broader psychological assessment for clarity and diagnosis. One note: I work with autistic clients in therapy, but I do not currently provide autism (ASD) evaluations, so if a formal autism assessment is what you need, I'll point you to the right person on our team.
Where do sessions take place?
In person at our Carlsbad office and online throughout California. Many clients do a mix of both depending on the week and what they're working on.
What's the first step?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We'll talk through what you're navigating and whether we're a good fit, and from there we can book a first full session, usually within a week.