A place to validate the dark and celebrate the light.

Welcome to Eternal Optimist Therapy, a private practice in Carlsbad, CA.

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Eternal Optimist Therapy was an idea planted and nurtured over many years of working with different populations in diverse settings. I believe in the good of all things and in the power of connection, community, and authenticity. I offer sessions both in-person and virtual. I can’t wait to meet you.

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About me

Erica McDaniel, LCSW

I am a second-generation Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received my Bachelor of Arts in English from UC Berkeley and my Master of Social Work from San Diego State University. I have been in the helping field for more than 15 years and have worked with clients from all walks of life, loving and learning from every single one of them. While I pull from many different therapy styles, I hold true to the idea that my relationship with my client is the most important part of our work together. Once trust and rapport has been established, anything is possible!

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Services

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
— CS Lewis

  • Your story is uniquely and beautifully yours, and this is the space to explore the things that have happened and the things you would like to have happen. I believe that everyone is worthy and deserving of a big, beautiful life, and I would be honored to be your holder of hope.

  • Nothing prepares you for the lack of control that comes with the road to and through early parenthood. Additionally, as many as 1 in 5 moms (1 in 10 dads) experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during the postpartum period. You deserve to be well.

  • There is something uniquely overwhelming about both being a teen and raising a teen. I love to not only be a trusted confidante to teens, but also a bridge and translator for the entire family unit.

I currently accept the following insurances:

A purple logo with the word 'aetna' in lowercase letters.
Logo of a medical or pharmaceutical organization featuring a blue shield with a white caduceus symbol.
Chico healthcare logo with a stylized human figure and green leaves above the text.
The word 'Optum' written in large orange letters on a black background.
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A woman with dark hair wearing a black sleeveless top and white pants, sitting on a wooden desk in a beige-walled room, with a framed diploma from the University of California, Berkeley, a yellow floral lampshade, and a modern wall art piece of a fac
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Person sitting on a green sofa, writing in a notebook with a pen, wearing a blue top and white pants, with a floral pillow nearby.
A woman in a red and white striped dress walking past a living room with a green couch, decorative pillows, a side table with a tissue box, a colorful lamp, a large leafy plant, and framed wall art.
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Wooden table with a floral lampshade, a vintage clock, and a chessboard, next to a leather armchair and a large green houseplant against a beige wall.

See you soon

See you soon