Therapists in Sutter Creek, CA

My practice focuses on issues of self-esteem, relational intimacy, shame, personality disturbances, anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. I work relationally and dynamically with a present-centered approach on issues as they are currently manifesting but with an eye to how they reflect deeper structures of clients' personalities and values. Therapy is not focused on fixing things, but on relaxing patterns of thinking, becoming more flexible in communicating emotion, building resilience, and being able to be more creative and trusting of oneself and others.

In our lives we experience painful feelings, and at times we may feel off-balance and lost. You may find that this is a time of more acute emotional suffering and that your existing coping strategies are not holding you. I offer compassionate support and tools to help you identify both immediate and sustaining antidotes to your current struggle. I use a holistic approach to helping my clients, which may include a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Buddhist-oriented psychology and mindfulness approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, emotion regulation, motivational interviewing, and communication skills training.

The wound is the place where the Light enters you.... Rumi. "Are you experiencing sadness, anxiety/fear, or chronic unhappiness"? "Feeling unloved or unvalued in your relationships"? I believe that our wounds, our suffering & challenges can be a profound catalyst for awakening, for learning to love more deeply and for healing & transformation. And it will be my privilege to assist you in your healing journey...to alleviate suffering, awaken the heart towards self-compassion/loving-kindness and shape the brain towards greater joy & happiness!

I'm a forest dwelling, northern California native devoted to helping folks rebuild their neural architecture & grow beyond trauma. My clients are the seekers with BIG questions, creatives, professionals, young adults and the psychedelic-curious. I believe that all good therapy should empower the client via the acquisition of new tools, and that it’s through this process we simultaneously begin to self-heal. I offer creative, strength based techniques to help my clients explore what’s coming up for them from a place of compassionate curiosity.

We learn to survive and cope with our circumstances in the best way we know how at the time. Therapy offers an opportunity to slow down and get to know what is really going on inside and to learn to listen to your body's natural wisdom. I am interested in collaborating with you to explore where you're feeling stuck, confused or overwhelmed. I can help guide you to discover new, more effective ways of showing up for yourself and in your relationships. My own love of nature and mindfulness meditation practice informs much of my work with clients.

My belief is everything is interconnected. When we hurt in one area of our lives, often times the other areas hurt with it. As simple as it may sound, sometimes feeling our feelings can be hard work. Truly understanding and being honest with authentic selves can be challenging and sometimes scary. No one should have to do this alone. Together, we can deeply listen and nurture your authentic self to help you heal and grow. We are not just talking together, we are experiencing. To learn more, visit my website at: nakaimatherapy.com

I provide mobile (where you are), office-based (in Vermont or Iowa), virtual, and nature-based trauma therapy intensives. My work is focused on helping your nervous system and inner child repair itself after trauma. I have witnessed many of clients alleviate long-standing struggles/challenges related to Complex PTSD, unresolved childhood trauma, and related addiction issues by working in this way. I offer integrative trauma therapy focusing on EMDR in CA, NY, VT, IA, NH, MA, ME & worldwide in intensive/extended session formats. I am certified with Skylight Psychedelics for enhancing your work with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Do negative thoughts, feelings, sensations, and habits cause you to overidentify with a limited sense of self? Do you need a psychospiritual therapist that is skillful in helping you use past and present experiences, including the most difficult or traumatic ones, in service to your evolution and spiritual awakening - without bypassing challenges or dwelling on an outdated version of yourself? I can help. I specialize in helping women recognize & amplify inner resources to recover from trauma, anxiety, stress, and distress while attending to the important relationships in their lives - within the context of awakening.

Are you experiencing a "dark night of the soul" and feeling hopeless? Do you need to change a relationship, behavior or thought pattern? Pause. Change can happen in a single moment of insight. You have taken the first step toward self-empowerment and transformation. When we deepen our awareness within a positive, supportive and safe environment, we can find tools to navigate life’s obstacles. Let's have a conversation! Sessions focus are a collaboration toward growth and transformation. I provide holistic and integrative counseling for the body, mind and spirit, with 35 years of experience in the healing arts professions.

Therapy can be a powerful tool in deepening relationships, moving through pain, tolerating discomfort, and understanding the unknown! My therapeutic work is rooted in guiding clients to realize their own potential. I develop an empathic, therapeutic relationship with my clients to generate self-directed change. By meeting you where you are at, and helping you see parts of yourself that may feel inaccessible, we can move toward you living life the way you want to.

As a sensitive and deeply feeling person, you struggle to navigate big feelings, sensory stimulation, and a strong emotional response to the state of the world today. You are impacted by the world around you, and are privy to the pain of others who suffer. The weight of a hurting world lives inside you, along with all that you sometimes struggle to feel. You are sensitive, spiritually inclined, and committed to personal and collective transformation. You are seeking a space of support and accountability, where you can develop the capacity and mindset to grow, expand, and open, through those times when things feel “too much.”

I currently provide telehealth services for anyone residing in California or Utah. I believe the core self knows what we need in order to heal if we listen. I have experience with teens/adults who struggle with suicidality/self-injury, trauma, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, life-transitions, and spiritual/religious crises. We apply in-depth DBT, and also (importantly) what comes after DBT. I am trained in Mindfulness, DBT Foundations, EMDR, and Sand Tray work. I work well with spiritual orientations, behavioral approaches, narrative and strengths-based work. My doctoral research focused on self-injury.

Are you ready to up-level your self understanding? Wow, navigating life and relationships can get confusing and overwhelming so quickly! It is my pleasure to help turn the tensions and pain you're experiencing into opportunities for growth and expansion. If you're ready to make changes and welcome in new ways of being, now is the time. I work with individuals, couples, and groups. We will find the nourishment within the pain while not losing track of what feels good...laughter is not uncommon in my office. If you are interested in working in a group, check out IRL Men below.

Are you feeling stuck, lost, frustrated or helpless? Did no amount of affirmations or self-talk change the mind? We can't access our full Self from just cognitive. The body reflects the mind & stores trauma unconsciously which disrupts the nervous system & natural ability to regulate, causing symptoms like anxiety, depression, etc. Symptoms can seem like “traits" when they aren’t contextualized in survival defenses, ancestral, interpersonal & social layers. So we will co-create a nourishing space to hear somatic stories, identify triggers, patterns & skills to realign with innate wisdom so you can move helplessness to empowerment.

I am a queer, disabled, cis woman of white and indigenous descent, well-versed in the nuances of navigating life with a disability. Often, therapists without disabilities either overemphasize or underplay its impact. In our sessions, we'll find the right balance for you, focusing on what truly matters—whether that's disability, queer issues, or other areas of your life. You’ll have a supportive space to discuss any topic without needing to first educate your therapist about your disabled and queer identities, ensuring our time is focused on your growth and well-being.

Whether you or your child struggle with depression, anxiety, phobias, trauma, grief, life transitions, addiction or other conditions, I would be honored to accompany you or your loved ones on your healing journey. Our work will focus on creating the safety and acceptance that allows for change. Because our lives are shaped by the culture in which we live, we can also consider the social forces that may have shaped you, including racial, gender, and class biases.

I graduated from a M.S. mental health counseling program at Eastern Washington University in 1995, got certified and ran a private practice in Seattle from 1995 through 2003. I worked in an outpatient community clinic, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, at retreat centers, and at a college counseling center until starting work on a PhD in Religious Studies and Psychology. I worked, studied, and lived in Europe, East Asia, and Africa before teaching 10 years at San Jose State University, so I am comfortable and confident working with very different sorts of people and I want everyone and anyone to feel welcome and at ease in my care.

Each of us are unique individuals; complex and ever-changing. We are often affected by family, relationships, work, and even spiritual dynamics. I strive to understand my clients' point of view so that I may collaboratively develop a treatment plan that is as unique as they are.

If you could embody all of your identities without shame and judgment - who would you be? Much of my work has been centered around transgender teens and queer individuals & couples. I enjoy working with all humans trying to navigate life with childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, and identity formation. As a queer therapist, I understand the safety and security needed to create a healing relationship. I also assist with psychedelic integration for individuals processing the larger meanings derived from healing mystical experiences and life transitions.