Teletherapy for Huntington Beach, CA

I work with teens, adults, couples/partners and families and view therapy as a systemic and holistic process in which your unique history, needs and goals are the foundation of your treatment plan. You want to achieve your goals and find joy in your life and relationships again. Let me be your guide and walk along side you on the path to healing. For some, that means having a space to process their thoughts and emotions, while others prefer a more clinical approach. I utilize research backed therapies in my practice including EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and the Gottman Method. Let's get started!

My main way of helping people is through EMDR therapy. What EMDR therapy does is help the brain heal itself from negatively stored memories. These memories are stored in the brain in a manner that, when triggered, produce the same emotional and physiological response as first experienced. These responses can range from fear, anger, feeling unsafe, sad, or worried. EMDR helps the brain process these negatively storied memories and thus desensitize these automatic responses for good.

Life is surprising, and all of us encounter various struggles along the way. It is brave to seek help in the midst of those struggles, and though it can be difficult to know who to trust when we are in need, professional counselors can be an extraordinarily beneficial resource. It is my greatest honor in life to be a counselor, and to walk alongside those courageous souls who acknowledge that they want change, and to assist them in creating the lives they deserve.

I know how it feels to be stuck in pain, and I know how amazing and life changing it feels to find a way out. I believe that this process is what builds beautiful, strong resilient people. I help people on that path. I believe that involves processing past pain, and then using spirituality, nature, movement, art, music and human connections to pursue the values and passions you discovered on your journey. I also enjoy helping couples and families learn skills that enable them to connect, understand each other and work together.

Are you at a time in your life where you feel like you, your marriage or your family life needs a little help? I am committed to helping you fulfill your therapeutic goals by walking alongside you and assisting you with your emotional well-being. I will strive to help you gain insight and help assist you in understanding your triggers and reactions. I will also help implement the necessary tools to help you regain control of the areas in life you are struggling with. I pride myself on constantly learning and developing my skills to always provide the best care with the most current research in my specialities.

As a parent, you may be feeling overwhelmed and hopeless on how to best help your struggling child in school. You may wonder if you are doing everything that you can for your child. Understanding your child’s behavior and how it is impacting their learning in the classroom can be frustrating and complicated for you to navigate on your own. You believe that if you knew “WHY” your child was behaving in such a manner then they would be able to be happy and successful in school and, in turn, would be able to learn.

Are you stressed, worried or feeling hopeless or worthless? Do you suffer from panic attacks? It's hard to deal with these feelings, especially if you don't have someone with who you feel safe. My specialty is to help you get relief from anxiety, depression, nervousness, or panicky feelings. If you are suffering from a recent crisis such as job or relationships problems or long term insecurities call me and I will be happy to chat with you to see if we are a good fit. I also serve federal workers who have on the job stress.

How would you like to create meaning in your life? What would it look like to fulfill your dreams and achieve happiness? Do you live in fear, anger, and sadness wondering how to sustain joy? My goal is to help you generate insight about yourself, identify your needs and wants and teach you how to communicate this to yourself and others, and manage interfering thoughts and behaviors that may limit growth and change.

My theoretical approach pulls from Cognitive Behavioral Theory and many successful techniques (humanistic, strategic, psychodynamic, and solution focused), which allows me to personally tailor your therapy session based upon your unique needs in an eclectic and integrated approach to therapy. Therapist flexibility is a valuable tool in helping my clients gain a balanced perspective on the life issues they are facing. I view therapy as a collaborative, sharing experience and seek to help my clients feel safe, comfortable, and truly understood.

My clients seek to go "further faster." Many are eager to perform better in their careers. They may feel they lack focus or feel strongly they are being undervalued and overworked. They also know they are capable of much more. They are typically being paid several thousand less per month than they could be. (I know, I was once there too.) I provide the needed insight, assessment, encouragement and positioning. Sometimes they need counseling to deal with blind spots, sometimes coaching, sometimes a hybrid. Does this sound like you? Let's talk and see if we are the right fit.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction I know the challenges of this lifestyle. You do not have to go to 'rehab' to make lasting changes in your life. Leaving your family, job, school or other responsibilities for an extended period of time is not always needed to get yourself healthy and on the right track. Being caught in the cycle of addiction is hard...feelings of anxiety, fear, failure, unworthiness, and shame. You may have tried stopping on your own, only to find yourself engaging in the same unhelpful behavior. Breaking this cycle on your own is tough! Counseling may be more effective for you than rehab.

Immediate In-Network Availability. Accepting New Clients! Trauma Specialist with over 30 years experience specializing in the treatment of Adult & Childhood Abuse Trauma/ PTSD, Grief & Loss, Relationship issues, Work Stress, and Life Transitions. I provide adult individual therapy. I have worked cross-culturally across multiple, diverse cultures to include American Indian Nations. I am gender affirming & LGBTQ+ allied. I bring forward professional and personal life experiences in addressing various life transitions. If you have struggled to understand your own feelings you may need help to make sense of your experiences.

Yes, life is difficult! Having someone to talk too in confidence can greatly alleviate loneliness, anxiety, and depression. I'm a licensed psychologist practicing 20+ years with adults and teens! I treat mild/moderate mood disorders, anxiety, relationship dysfunction, career/work stress, substance use/recovery and its relation to depression and anxiety. I can help older teens/young adults to find purpose and 'launch'. Or, if you just need help finding your way. I employ talk therapy approaches to alleviate sx's, elevate the mood, and increase self-awareness and existing strengths. I can be direct and humorous along the way.

When we are exposed to trauma at an early age, it can seriously impact how we feel about ourselves and our relationships with others. Trauma can also profoundly affect whether we feel this is a safe world and can contribute to depression, anxiety, and relational/familial issues. My practice is from a strengths-based, trauma-informed perspective with a non-judgmental framework. I aim to understand clients’ internal responses and to provide more options for emotional regulation and problem-solving.

I aim to support my clients through different transitions and stages throughout their lives. With all the information we are constantly taking in, it is easy to lose ourselves or feel stuck in different versions of our stories. As a result, this can leave us feeling an array of different emotions and confused on where to start. However, the great thing about feeling lost is that it gives us the opportunity to find ourselves again. My goal is to help you disentangle yourself from those stories and embrace all the parts of your own, by reclaiming the authors pen and adding chapters towards telling a story that feels authentically you

Frustrated with your: relationship? sex life? child? I am trained in 2nd level, Gottman Method, a specialty that started with couples. John Gottman, the author of, "7 Principles of Marriage," is known for predicting divorce with 90% accuracy, has been influential over my career. The Gottman Method has transformed my practice to focusing on couples, parenting, and children. If you're looking for guidance through a challenging situation with your children, partner or anyone else, I look forward to working with you to accomplish your goals.

Clients often experience challenges that manifest in anxiety, depression, substance abuse and relational issues. They need a supportive clinician that can hold space for them to do the self-exploration and reflection needed to experience healing. I find that these issues usually stem from early traumatic experiences. Understanding the root cause can be the most impactful and sustainable approach to long-term healing. I am passionate about helping my clients establish a greater sense of self so that they can thrive in their relationships and their lives.

My focus is to help individuals and families heal from anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship/family issues. As the therapeutic area of concern is introduced, we can begin to work together in developing empowerment of self as we set up together healthy and achievable goals. I aim to establish include compassion, good communication and trust. In our relationship then I will work alongside you to develop your own coping tools. My approach is a person-centered (positive type) direction to further your strengths and resilience which is tailored towards your specific goals and needs.