Therapists in 94118

Realizing and reaching our potential challenges the very essence of who we are: belief, self-esteem, identity. I have a comprehensive approach that will help unlock problematic thought and behavioral patterns, maximizing the resources available to you as you embark on a journey of self discovery and self worth. Identifying and understanding the obstacles that keep you stuck and hold you back are at the heart of personal and professional growth. Recovering from past wounds clears the way towards a wholesome self, reaffirms personal power, and ultimately leads to a greater sense of worth and self-acceptance.

I engage with my clients deeply, using my years of experience, expertise and intuition, to allow them to experience life more fully. Many people cover over feelings of fear and sadness to protect themselves from hurt. I strive to create a safe environment where trust can be developed, and people can gradually rely less on their need to protect themselves through self-destructive patterns, and more on their healthy, life-enhancing strengths. I help my clients to feel more connected with themselves and to have richer, more meaningful relationships with the people in their lives.

Thanks for visiting my site. Your struggles may have brought you to this website, but I believe that you are more than your "symptoms". We often find ourselves struggling with our own struggles rather than using our inherent resilience and strengths to continue traveling in the direction that holds deeper meaning for us.

I work with people who want to feel happy, safe, and be able to connect with others. If you are feeling down, lonely or lost I can help. My goal is to create a safe place where you can express yourself without judgment, explore what is troubling you, and develop strategies to facilitate the change you desire. Together we will figure out what is holding you back and how to overcome it.

My goal is to create an empowering space to draw from your strengths in overcoming current challenges. I work collaboratively with clients to establish ongoing, flexible goals for therapy to make our sessions most effective. I individualize therapy to each person using a range of techniques and approaches. I am particularly interested in the stories we tell about our lives and the meaning we make of them. My clients describe me as warm, positive, and insightful.

Hello, and welcome! I know firsthand that making the initial contact for therapy can often be the hardest part- I'm here for you. I take an open minded, curious, down to earth approach creating a warm and safe environment. We will go at your pace, digging deep when you are ready or scratching the surface of what is on your mind and in your heart. Whether you have pervasive anxiety, unresolved trauma, fears, an unexpected transition, or even desire a mental and emotional 'tune up' I am here. Let's get started! (Video and House call appointments available depending on availability.)

It's hard to be a person. Nobody goes through life without pain and struggle. We carry our experiences, whether difficult or traumatic, in ways that shape how we relate to ourselves, to our thoughts and feelings, our hopes and fears, and to the other people in our lives. We are often unaware of how these internal structures shape our lives in the present moment. Psychotherapy offers an environment, a method, and a therapeutic relationship with which to understand and transform how we experience ourselves and the world around us.

I work with children, adolescents, and adults seeking support to improve social and emotional well-being and alleviate distress. I support children struggling at home or at school due to academic or environmental stressors, mood and behavioral challenges, attention and concentration difficulties, and those with learning differences. I also provide supportive parent consultation in which we work together towards a better understanding of your child’s experience and behavior to increase social-emotional functioning and academic success.

I have been part of the mental health field since 2017. I earned my MA in Psychology with a dual concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy and Professional Clinical Counseling. After earning my degree, I have participated in many webinars and training to continue expanding my knowledge. During my journey of becoming a licensed therapist, I have gained much field experience and guidance from different mentors which have shaped my career as a therapist.

A good therapy session should feel emotional and immediate, yet grounded in the past so one can understand and feel old experiences in new ways. Sometimes there is laughter and sometimes there are tears. A good therapy session feels alive and satisfying.

Seeking therapy can often be a scary and confusing decision to make. If you are experiencing difficulties in life that seem overwhelming or you feel stuck in a rut, I can be the person that will join you on the path to figuring out what step to take next. My approach to therapy is integrative and I work collaboratively with my clients to create a treatment plan that is unique to each individual in order to promote growth.

I grew up in Southern California and received my BA from California State University, San Marcos in Sociology and Liberal Arts. I obtained my MSW from the University of Southern California in 2002 and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2008. I have over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in a variety of settings. My experience includes working with individuals, couples, and families. I have a strong foundation in working with depression, anxiety, trauma, personality disorders, and substance use disorders.

If blocked parts of us remain unexpressed, we can become frozen, or overwhelmed by our feelings, and sometimes develop addictive or unhealthy behaviors, or patterns that impact our lives in harmful ways. Sometimes we just need a space to share and unpack an issue and look at it from a different perspective. I am passionate about producing safe spaces where folks can step outside of their everyday experience and get back in touch with forgotten or unknown parts of themselves.

I can use my broad training and experience to help you. My clients are adolescents to elders from all walks of life. The comfort of my clients guides our interaction. The relationship we develop provides a foundation for facing inner conflicts safely and developing greater self-understanding, peace and confidence. My style is adapted to your needs.

I believe in the powerful abilities of a positive therapeutic relationship. I want clients to look forward to coming each week and to feel safe in our space. I appreciate when clients are not afraid to admit what they don't know and are open to new perspectives or experimenting with new ways of doing things. I do not have all the answers and it will likely be you, with my guidance that taps into the answers that are already there. I have a good sense of humor and believe that using a mix of humor, honesty, reflection and compassion can have the greatest impact on helping us heal our hearts and live our best lives.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. I believe you are capable of accessing and making use of dynamic, healing, empowering capacities in order to shift habits of negative thinking, self-doubt and problematic behaviors. The relationship between therapist and client is vital in facilitating healing, self-compassion and growth. My hope is to assist you in finding and expressing your greatest strengths and potential; as well as working through barriers to express your vibrant self, experience happiness, peace and self-acceptance.

I have been practicing psychotherapy for 40 years. I am an active therapist, committed to staying deeply engaged in our moment-to-moment exchange. I am able to go to the depths of a client's experience, allowing for the release of tangled feelings, and the breaking open of psychological "knots." I employ EFT, and EMDR and Flash (for trauma), as well as guided imagery, which allows clients to access and make use of the expansive and healing capacities of the unconscious mind. I am also skilled in working pragmatically, helping people communicate better, shift habits of negative thinking, and solve troubling life concerns.

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression or difficulty overcoming patterns of resistance that keep you from living your best life? I specialize in helping clients address many issues related to emotional balance and well being including; healthy boundaries, managing anxiety, feeling into layers of grief, forming healthy coping strategies for everyday stressors, and learning effective and authentic communication skills. I offer attachment-focused EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing to address trauma and PTSD complexes.

Many people seek therapy because in some way they feel disconnected from themselves, from others, or from their values. Therapy can be a place to explore and engage in a deeply reflective process and reorient our internal compass to who and where we want to be.