Meet Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW | Founder of OCD & Anxiety Colorado

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alie Bernard, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk has never been theoretical for me—it’s been bone-deep, all-consuming, and brutally personal. There was a time when drinking water, eating a bite of food, stepping outside felt like life-threatening decisions. OCD convinced me that safety could only come from obeying its rules—ritualizing, avoiding, shrinking. But when I finally found Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, everything changed. ERP didn’t offer certainty. It offered freedom—if I was willing to face fear head-on. It asked me to do the things that felt impossible, not because they were safe, but because they mattered. Because they were mine. That risk—saying yes to life even when it terrified me—saved me.

Starting OCD & Anxiety Colorado (OAC) came from that same place. Our adolescent and young adult IOP is evidence-based, family-centered, and neurodivergent-affirming, serving ages 12–22 with ERP, parent support, and wraparound services like med management, OT, and academic coaching. I didn’t build this program because it was easy—I built it because I know what it’s like to need this kind of care and not have it. Creating OAC was a risk, but it mirrored the risk that saved my life: moving toward fear, choosing meaning over certainty, and daring to believe something better is possible.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
OCD & Anxiety Colorado was born out of both professional experience and deeply personal lived experience. I founded OCD & Anxiety Colorado to create the kind of program I needed when I was younger: one that’s evidence-based, family-centered, neurodivergent-affirming, and rooted in compassion.

Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) serves adolescents and young adults, ages 12–22, who are struggling with OCD, anxiety, and related disorders. We specialize in treating:
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Social Anxiety
• Panic Disorder
• Health Anxiety
• Phobias
• Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs)
• School Avoidance and related functional impairments

What sets us apart is the depth and integration of care we offer. Our program includes:
• Evidence-based treatment, with a strong foundation in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and anxiety disorders
• Family involvement and support, including SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) for parents
• Neurodivergent-affirming care, recognizing and supporting the unique needs of autistic, ADHD, and otherwise neurodivergent clients
• Wraparound services, such as:
• Medication management
• Occupational therapy
• Academic coaching and executive functioning support
• Individualized, flexible care delivery, with core group sessions held Tuesday through Thursday from 12:00–2:30 PM, and all other services scheduled based on each family’s needs and availability

Every inch of this program —has been shaped by what I’ve lived and processional what I’ve seen missing in the mental health field. This isn’t just clinical work; it’s advocacy, healing, and reimagining what mental health care can look like for families who’ve been dismissed, misunderstood, or repeatedly misguided by non-specialists in the field.

Getting here was anything but easy. Starting a program from scratch meant navigating complex systems, pushing against outdated models, and choosing again and again to lead with integrity, even when it was hard. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that doing things differently—building something that doesn’t fit neatly into the traditional boxes—is worth it. Because families deserve care that sees them fully.

What I want the world to know is that OCD & Anxiety Colorado is more than a program. It’s a place built by someone who’s been through it, for people who are still in it. And we believe that the kids who are often overwhelmed by fear, misunderstood by providers, or written off as “too complicated” are exactly the ones who deserve deeper understanding, not less.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in Boulder County since my family moved to Superior in 1999, so showing someone around here feels personal. These places are part of my story—they feel like home, no matter how many times I go back.

I live for breakfast and brunch, so that’s where we’d start. The Buff for a California Omelette (my go-to) and a Salmon Benedict for my mom. Huckleberry in Louisville is a forever favorite—Scramlette Lorraine and a chai.

Morning Glory in Lafayette would be another morning stop, and Otis Coffee would be on repeat. We’d drive into Boulder the way I used to on my way to Fairview— on Marshall Road or taking South Boulder Road.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My story is shaped by the people and organizations who walked with me through some of the hardest chapters of my life. The ERP therapists who treated me with compassion and unwavering honesty helped me rebuild a life that OCD had nearly erased. Their work didn’t just guide me toward recovery—it modeled the kind of care I now strive to offer others.

The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) has also been a foundational part of my journey. As someone who went over 15 years without access to evidence-based treatment, finding the IOCDF was a turning point. Their commitment to education, advocacy, and elevating lived experience—mine included—has helped transform how OCD is understood and treated. Being part of their advocate community has given me space to not only heal but to speak out and help others find their way to effective care.

I also wouldn’t be here without my parents, who stood by me through over a decade of misdiagnosis and non-evidence-based treatment in Boulder County. Their support never wavered, even when nothing made sense and progress felt impossible. And my husband, Adrian, has been the kind of partner every survivor hopes to have: steady, loving, and unshakably supportive through it all. These people didn’t just help me survive—they helped me believe that something better was possible.

Website: https://OCDAnxietyColorado.com

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/OCDAnxietyColorado

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/OCDAnxietyColorado/

Other: https://g.co/kgs/gxXbNQa