About
My name is Jacob A Sandoval, PhD, LMFT
Click below to find out more about my...
Therapeutic Approach
I am a couple and family therapist, also called marriage and family therapist (tLMFT). The training I received in my Masters program has prepared me to work with individuals, couples, and families through a systemic lens. This means that I like to view a person's reported problem as a piece of a larger narrative. Research shows us that understanding family history, the impact of family, friends, work, school, and other areas of our lives can effect how we experience the world.
​
I invite clients from various backgrounds, identities, and belief and value systems into therapy. I believe that everyone can benefit from therapy at some point in their life. While therapy is not meant to be a one-stop solution to problems, it can be a valuable place to gain insight, release the burden of solving problems alone, or even provide a safe place to decompress from stressors. I believe that everyone is capable of change.
​
When working with clients, I use a social-justice oriented, post-modern (constructionist), and humanistic approach. My collaborative approach allows clients to bring in their own experiences and discover the most appropriate solutions in their own lives. My role is to guide the therapeutic process so that the solution becomes achievable and sustainable.
​
Several years ago, I studied to become a peace officer and received an Associate's degree in criminal justice. This gave me a good idea of what the justice system looked like. Soon afterward, I chose to redirect my studies toward youth and family ministry. I went on to get a Bachelor's degree in ministry, but while working with one church in particular, my eyes were opened to many social-justice issues within the community. Unable to provide the support that the youth in that church needed, I decided to get a second Bachelor's degree in family studies. It was these experiences, and the experience of working with foster children, that started me on a journey that has lasted several years and has brought me to where I am now.
Education
I attended Lubbock Chrisitian University from 2012-2017. While there, I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Youth and Family Ministry and a second Bachelor's degree in Family Studies.
​
Afterward, I attended Abilene Christian University from 2017-2019 where I earned a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (M.MFT).
​
From 2019-2023, I attended University of Iowa, earning a PhD in Couple and Family Therapy.
In March 2023, I also completed the Sex Therapy and Sex Education certificate program at University of Michigan.
Research
LGBQ and Trans* Mental Health Care
My primary research area is the development and dissemination of training programs aimed at educating mental health professionals about LGBQ and Trans* identities and how to work effectively with this demographic. This includes education about acceptance, support, allyship, gender identity and sexual orientation affirming care, and best practices in therapy. This also includes trainings about LGBTQ history and writing WPATH v8 informed letters of support for gender affirming care from an informed consent model.
Sexuality Education Across the Lifespan
My secondary research area is related to understanding human sexuality throughout the lifespan. This includes the development of a sexual education program and a curriculum for comprehensive sexual education program for children, adolescents, and adults.
​
Sexual Risk Behaviors (SRBs)
Sexual risk behaviors are sexual behaviors that put a person at risk for negative health outcomes. These may include things like sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or sexual risk taking. My research seeks to confirm previous findings that suggest that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be related to later sexual risk behaviors. Additionally, my research seeks to determine whether sexual risk behaviors are reduced among adults who have been taught comprehensive sexuality education.
​
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
ACEs are a category of experiences in childhood that include instances of abuse, neglect, and family hardships. Research continues to suggest that ACEs are much more common than previously thought. My research focuses on understanding how to work with traumatic experiences and how these experiences may be related to sexual risk behaviors (SRBs).
​
Father's Experience in Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
In a short term research project that I worked on, my goal was to understand the father's experience of raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a difficult area and there is very little research available about fathers in general. Findings from a case study of one family suggest that fathers may experience similar stressors to those that have been hypothesized in previous studies based on the experiences of mothers.
Licenses, Certifications, Trainings, Honors,
and Awards
Licenses
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
-
Colorado #0002432 (Exp. 08/31/2025)
-
Iowa #100407 (Exp. 09/30/2024)
​
AAMFT Designations
​
Certificates and Certifications
-
2023 - Certificate in Sex Therapy and Sexuality Education from University of Michigan
-
2018 - Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator - Premarital curriculum
-
2018 - Certificate in Technology Assisted Services - Providing telehealth services
-
2018 - Certificate in Practice Management
​
Selection of Trainings Completed
-
2019 - Safe Zone: Creating a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals
-
2018 - Collaborative Relationships and Generative Conversations – Harlene Anderson (6 hrs)
-
2018 - Play Therapy Training Workshop – Hardin-Simmons University
-
2018 - Basic HeartSync Seminar & Practicum
-
2017 - Good Enough Parenting Facilitator - Parenting Program
-
2016 - Train Ugly – Growth Mindset (6 hrs)
-
2015 - Trauma-informed care (6 hrs)
​
Awards, Honors, and Recognitions
-
2023 - National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Graduate Student Honors
-
2022 - Clinical Excellence Award - University of Iowa
-
2021 - Employee of the Month - Life Connections
-
2019 - Spirit of the Counselor Award - Abilene Christian University
-
2016 - Student Service Award - Lubbock Christian University
​
Background and Positionality
About Me
I am an educated, employed, white-appearing, masculine-presenting, able-bodied, American citizen who grew up in a middle-class, Christian family. I am also Hispanic, sexually diverse, gender diverse, and neurodiverse. There are aspects of who I am that afford me power and privilege within American social systems. I work hard to examine my identities, challenge my biases, and bring those parts of myself that may enhance the therapeutic process while working with clients. I also work hard not to let who I am interfere or become an obstacle to your success in therapy.
​
Continuing Education​
In an effort to stay up-to-date with relevant research, I frequently seek out continuing education opportunities in the subject areas of sexual orientation, gender identity, racial justice, and neurodivergence, among other topics.
​