Teletherapy for Aptos, CA

Thank you for viewing my profile. We live in tense and uncertain times and it's easy to get charged up and react in ways that maybe we shouldn't have. Part of my work is to help individuals and couples reduce emotional reactivity that may be causing problems. I often help people examine thoughts and misperceptions that color the way that we see the world and that effect our relationships. Did you grow up during the Cold War era? Are today's occurances in Europe triggering anxieties that you thought were long past and gone for good? You are not alone.

Sometimes you have been carrying so much and you need someone to journey with you to help you make sense of what's happening and help you cope in new ways. If you have been struggling with anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, changes in your life, spiritual abuse, or trauma, I would love to support you by giving you a safe space to process and heal.

My commitment to all my clients is to provide empathy, compassion, and curiosity in order to support authentic expression of feelings and needs. The path towards authentic expression is unique to the individual depending on their background, their experience with therapy and their specific therapeutic goals and so I offer various therapeutic interventions, to support authentic self expression and healing. I value both the exploration of one's past as well as here and now functioning through mindfulness practice. Using a holistic approach and focusing on the client's strengths and insights, the journey towards wholeness begins.

You're a smart, sensitive soul who knows how to get shit DONE. People can count on you because you're the responsible, reliable "giver" who makes sure others' wants and needs are met. On the outside, it seems like you've got it all together. But your mind is often a maelstrom of worry and turmoil, anticipating worst-case scenarios and disaster. Your inner critic whispers (or shouts!) in your ear: "Maybe you're just not good enough...you're failing...you're a fraud." Your outer success is a double-edged sword, rewarding you with the external validation that makes you feel worthy but keeps you on the approval-seeking hamster wheel.

I want to hear what you have to say, supporting you with compassion and insight. Who are you at your deepest, truest self? I use the Feeling Good model of CBT and EMDR (Flash and regular EMDR) to help bring awareness to your inner processes, effectively releasing emotion, negative thoughts, and healing trauma. Learn to offer yourself loving kindness and neutrally observe what you are feeling and thinking. Practice self care to to treat yourself as your own best friend. Enlightenment is possible and is an ongoing journey of deepening that awareness.

Are you ready to transform your life and your relationships? To pick up the pieces and reassemble them in a more beautiful way? To explore issues related to sexuality, partnership, and family? By reclaiming the forgotten parts of the self, we move towards wholeness. It is time to make peace with the past, learn to live in the present, and gain clarity of vision for a future worth living. By turning towards our suffering in a safe environment, we can transform our wounds into a source of beauty and strength. It is possible to live a life deeply connected to ourselves, our families, our loved ones, and the Earth.

IN-PERSON and ZOOM appts available. My style is engaged, curious, warm, direct, and my clients tell me they enjoy my sense of humor. I love working with individuals struggling with conflicts in the family, work, or with friends, those wanting to gain insight into themselves, and individuals in the process of healing from trauma. I have specialized training in EMDR (eye movement desensitization & reprocessing), which is an evidence-based practice shown to be effective in decreasing psychological distress caused by trauma and disturbing life experiences. I also incorporate parts work/IFS. I’m neurodiversity affirming and fat positive.

I am a highly experienced practitioner with 43 years of clinical experience, willing to work with more complex cases. I have a calm demeanor (California beach style) but communicate directly, with transparency and tact. My goal is assist you in developing the skills and insights to approach a vast array of situations., with a higher degree of success. I seek to provide the means to manage immediate issues, but also techniques to become more independent in facing the inevitable future challenges of life. I have seen exclusively Kaiser NorCal clients.

I love helping people realize how good they really are rather than staying stuck in their low self-esteem. To be blunt, I’m a smart, deeply experienced, super kind, caregiving Coach. What I really love to do is help women and men solve their anxieties and recover their joy. My goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. If you're looking for extra support and help through a challenging situation or you are just ready to move in a new direction in your life, I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

I work well with motivated clients who are looking to improve their daily lives through self-exploration, and are open to challenging their current patterns in order to reach your goals. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, feeling stuck, work/life stress, relationship issues, past trauma, or managing the daily challenges we are facing during this COVID-19 global shift, I would love to be here to support you. I work primarily with individuals and groups.

Imagine; you are able to shift harsh self criticism, insecurity, people pleasing, perfectionism, impostor syndrome, codependency, & feeling “stuck” in one or more areas of life. You can finally experience self love and acceptance, fulfilling intimacy, great health, & the ability to enjoy your achievements. You unapologetically set limits &boundaries that are in support of your needs & desires, & let yourself rise into a life where you actually have everything you want because you know in your bones just how worthy you are.

When someone important to you has died, grief therapy can help unpack the layers of emotions and memories. Every new loss can bring up memories of past losses, and each year the grief can return during anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, and other events. Modern culture often doesn't know what to do with grief, and the people around you don't know how to respond to your sadness and pain, either treating you like you're fragile or expecting you to move on like nothing happened. You need support through your grief where you can process the loss at your own pace.

Founder and Director of the Intimacy, Sexuality & Gender Center of California, Stephen has been providing professional top of the field Sex Therapy and Gender Identity Therapy to the Central Coast for over 32 years! ISGC, extensively serves the needs of individuals with sexual dysfunctions, those who have been sexually abused, couples struggling with sexual and intimacy issues, the Transgender/Transsexual community, the LGBT communities and the communities of all other sexual and gender minorities. Stephen also serves Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Compulsivity (Out of Control Sexual Behavior.)

I believe that people come into counseling or psychotherapy for a variety of reasons from loss to personal growth. Change and transitions can be difficult. I bring a unique blend of over 25 years of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Professor of Psychology, and California state provider of continue education for therapists and social workers. I believe we are on our path of personal growth. Fear, anxiety, and depression can both slow and inform this process. I work in the here and now, but realize the importance of how our childhood experience has impacted the way we feel, think, and behave.

In a fast-paced world full of distractions, it's easy to become overwhelmed, run-down, and to feel disconnected from yourself and others. When this happens, it's important to slow down to reassess and recalibrate before moving forward. Emotional health is just as important as physical, and therapy can be a way to not only learn tools to regain stability and overcome obstacles but to discover and resolve the root causes of these difficulties. People sometimes find themselves uncertain about starting therapy. My goal is to create a safe space where you feel supported and heard as we work together to nurture your growth.

Are you suffering from the effects of trauma in your life? Are you finding that talk therapy alone is not shifting patterns of mood and behavior? I am a holistic psychotherapist with specialized training in Somatic Experiencing and the Neuro-Affective Relational Model. You may feel as though you don't know who you are any more, that life has become burdensome, or maybe you have the sense that you were never really your authentic self to begin with. Perhaps you experience physiological and behavioral symptoms such as addiction, overwhelm, and isolation. This loss of connection to self/other is indicative of trauma. I can help you.

I am committed to helping you find the best clinician for your needs. Feel free to reach out to me and I will listen to your needs and help connect you with someone who can help--whether that is me or another clinician.

Issues stemming from anxiety, stress, depression, and trauma can get in our way of living a satisfying, fulfilling life. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We all have within us the capacity to cope with, and even grow from, hardships and challenges. With my guidance we will explore and process the underlying fears, unmet needs, and negative beliefs that keep you “stuck”. We will cultivate your inner strengths to help you become healthier, more resilient, and enjoy more positivity in your life and your relationships with others.

In our busy lives we often don't have the opportunity or permission to express our deepest fears, the paralyzing effects of shame, disappointments, regrets and confusion. I am a firm believer in creating optimism by encouraging and gently challenging clients to reach for their goals; always looking at possibilities and opportunities.