Maurice Garcia, MD, MAS
(He/Him)
Maurice Garcia is Associate Clinical Professor of Urologic Surgery In Residence at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he serves as Director of the Cedars-Sinai Transgender Surgery and Health Program. He is also Associate Clinical Professor of Urology (Adjunct) in the Department of Urology, and, in the Department of Anatomy, at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Dr. Garcia completed residency training in urology at UCSF. He then completed 3 clinical fellowships in: (1) Andrology/Sexual Medicine and Neurourology (UCSF), (2) Feminizing [MtF] genital gender affirming surgery (GAS) (UK), and (3) Masculinizing [FtM] genital GAS (UK).
Dr. Garcia also completed a 2-year Master’s Degree in Clinical Research in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at UCSF.
Dr. Garcia specializes in both masculinizing and feminizing gender affirming genital surgery and reconstructive urology, neurourology, sexual medicine, and transgender surgery education. He founded the genital gender affirming surgery program at UCSF in 2013, and in 2017, he founded and currently leads the Transgender Surgery and Health Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Garcia is an active member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and serves WPATH as a Global Education Initiative (GEI) educator about transgender surgery, and, serves as a co-author of WPATH’s upcoming Standards of Care v8.0 clinical care guidelines for transgender health. For the American Urologic Association (AUA), he serves as Lead Editor for the AUA’s Education Core Curriculum section for transgender/gender affirming genital surgery. Dr. Garcia has led several genital gender affirming surgery hands-on cadaver-based courses in the U.S. and didactic courses internationally.
Thomas Blake, M.A.
(He/Him)
Thomas Blake is a queer psychotherapist with a focus on attachment; certified in EMDR and psychedelic integration. He manages private practices in California and New Jersey, where he has dedicated his career to providing affirmative care and advocacy for transgender youth and the LGBTQ+ community.
With over 7 years of experience, Thomas has honed his expertise through his work with The LGBTQ+ Center of Orange County. There, he received clinical training and offered therapeutic services to transgender youth and their families. Thomas collaborated with insurance companies, medical teams, the board of education, and governmental agencies to advocate on behalf of his clients.
Thomas' impact extends far beyond clinical practice. He previously played a pivotal role at The Trevor Project, a national suicide crisis service for LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-24. Leading a large team of counselors across the country, he provided crucial support to young individuals facing crisis.
Throughout his career, Thomas has developed valuable resources to support the LGBTQ+ community. He has also conducted training sessions for large corporations, emphasizing the importance of creating affirming professional spaces. Above all, Thomas is committed to making therapy accessible to transgender youth who may otherwise lack access to care.
Thomas' dedication to fostering understanding, acceptance, and celebrating the lives of young transgender individuals aligns perfectly with SĀFTY's mission of empowering and supporting transgender youth.