Hector Garcia
Biography
Dr. Garcia recieved his Psy.D. in clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 2005.
Dr. Garcia is a clinical, and evolutionary psychologist. He spent his early career as a frontline PTSD-treatment specialty provider working primarily with combat veterans, and has worked treating patients with anxiety disorders and depression. His prior research has focused on masculine psychology and treatment utilization, the evolutionary psychology of warfare and reintegration, and occupational burnout among mental health providers.
His research program is focused on evolutionary psychology. One of his current projects is investigating the evolutionary roots of occupational burnout. In particular, his lab is examining how our ancient social instincts misalign with the modern-day workplace to produce burnout.
Dr. Garcia is also the author of two books in the field of evolutionary psychology--Alpha God: The Psychology of Religious Violence and Oppression, and Sex, Power, and Partisanship: How Evolutionary Science Makes Sense of Our Political Divide. His work has been featured on TED, CSPAN, and PBS.
Teaching Summary
| Year | Rank | Company/Institute/University |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-Present | Assistant Professor | Texas A&M San Antonio |
Classes Observing
| Course Code | |
|---|---|
| PSYC 4235 | Abnormal Psychology |
| PSYC 4355 | Internship in Psychology |
| PSYC 5308 | Graduate Seminar in Psychology |
Selected Publications
Books:
Garcia, H.A. (2019) Sex, Power, and Partisanship: How Evolutionary Science Makes Sense of Our Political Divide. Prometheus Books; Amherst, NY
Garcia, H.A. (2015) Alpha God: The Psychology of Religious Violence and Oppression. Prometheus Books; Amherst, NY— Book Authority’s Best Evolutionary Psychology Books of All Time Winner.
Book chapters:
Garcia, H.A. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Combat Reintegration: An Evolutionary Model (2024). In. L. Al-Shawaf & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.), The oxford handbook of evolution and the emotions. Oxford University Press.
Scientific Journals:
Garcia, H. A. (2024). Evolutionary roots of occupational burnout: Social rank and belonging. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 10(1), 50–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-024-00235-4
Garcia, H. A., Mignogna, J., DeBeer, B. R., Song, J., Haro, E. K., & Finley, E. P. (2019). Provider Factors Predict Use of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies in Veterans Affairs Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Specialty Programs: The Role of Profession, Theoretical Orientation, and Training.Traumatology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000220
Garcia, H. A., DeBeer, B. R., Mignogna, J., & Finley, E. P. (2019, February 28). Treatments Veterans Health Administration PTSD Specialty Program Providers Report Their Patients Prefer: The Role of Training and Theoretical Orientation. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000442
Garcia, Hector A., Benzer, Justin K., Haro, Elizabeth, Finley, Erin P. (2018). Occupational burnout among PTSD specialty clinic providers in the Veterans Health Administration: Perceptions of bureaucratic and political oversight. Mental Health and Prevention, 12, 42-49
Garcia, H. A. (2016). If You’ve Never Been There You Wouldn’t Understand: The Evolutionary Reasons for Veteran Mistrust. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000076
Garcia, H.A., McGeary, C., McGeary, D. D., Finley, E.P., Peterson, A. (2014) Burnout in veterans health administration providers in posttraumatic stress clinics. Psychological Services. 11 (1) 50-59
Hector Garcia
College Of Arts And Sciences
Department Health and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Professor
None
210-784-2647
hgarcia2@tamusa.edu
View CV