Trauma Focused Therapists in Lafayette, CA

There are so many different reasons to seek therapy and it is my job to get you to where you want to get, as quickly as possible. I am a down to earth, experienced therapist. I use scientifically proven approaches, based on the needs and preferences of my patients. I focus on building strong relationships and providing a space where we can develop and implement a plan to make meaningful change happen. I have over 15 years of experience working in this field and feel very passionate about this work.

I believe forming a strong therapeutic relationship is key for therapy to be successful. I believe that empowerment is an essential part of the therapeutic experience of every client. That is why I use an integrative approach, which essentially means that I draw from many clinical modalities to provide you with specific tools to help you (or your child) meet your goals. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and also enjoy providing parent consultation/coaching support.

Everyone has challenges and battles to fight. A pain-free life is not always possible. Even the strongest people amongst us need a little bit of help to work through some of life’s difficulties. Whether you struggle with depression, grief, anxiety, or other issues, you should know there is hope for better tomorrows.

In a warm, genuine, and respectful environment, I help clients to alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, create and maintain satisfying relationships, work through issues of grief and loss, trauma, and resolve the often-debilitating symptoms of PTSD. I am experienced in helping clients resolve family of origin problems, relational and family issues, and enhancing communication skills. In collaboration with clients, I use a variety of techniques tailored to meet clients' needs and to help clients achieve their goals. I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing).

Therapy is an incubator for change. It's where you workshop how to initiate it, and digest the changes that have happened. As a therapist, I am 'issue agnostic' and willing to work with most challenges. What's important is your desire to create a change, and readiness to collaborate with someone to create it. Equally vital to me, as a therapist, is that you feel actively heard — something sorely missing for many of us. I feel that we need to be heard and our experience recognized, before we can move on to any sort of change.

Trauma and other difficult experiences can impact the way we view our relationships, the world, and ourselves. I support clients in processing traumatic experiences, identifying triggers, and reclaiming their sense of safety and joy. I work with teens, adults, couples/relationships, and families of all kinds. I welcome and affirm non-traditional family structures (donor, adoption, foster, blended families), members of LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent individuals, and people who have had negative experiences with therapy in the past.

Do you, or your child, struggle with intense emotions? Do either of you spend time feeling alone and searching for meaning? Maybe you find it difficult to increase your sense of self-worth, and wonder what to do? If any of these questions resonate with you, then you have come to the right place. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (99859) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (4606), and I genuinely enjoy and feel honored to work with each of my clients, and provide them with the support they need to meet their goals.

Are you feeling stuck? Cynical about relationships? Anxious? Troubled by anger? Confused? Overwhelmed? By building on the power of the therapeutic relationship, I encourage self-discovery, authenticity, and offer coping skills that help people work through these challenges. use a personally tailored approach designed to promote clarity, insight, and growth. Let's find your blindspots. My special interests are: EMDR for trauma; life transitions such as aging, grief, divorce, and retirement. It's time to break old habits and get off of automatic pilot! "An unexamined life is not worth living." --Socrates

Often when we go through difficult points in our life, we may first try to think our way through it and rationalize. Or we may avoid thinking about it altogether, distracting ourselves. It can be hard to turn towards something that feels emotionally painful and sometimes it can feel overwhelming, especially when we feel we have to manage it on our own. The idea of seeing a therapist could feel intimidating because there could be beliefs around needing to push through internal defenses. I believe that defenses are important and are to be respected, they are what has helped us get here and are important tools to keep us feeling safe.

Parenting can be the hardest job in the world and I am here to help. Do you have a difficult teenager? Is your child having trouble in High School? Has your family experienced divorce, remarriage, or difficulties with co-parenting? These types of issues have become very common and it is normal to need some help coping with them. I have many years experience working with children and their families and as a parent I can relate to the difficulties that arise each day. The decision to start therapy can be difficult because you may feel that you have already tried everything or you wonder if this will really help.

Are you stuck in behaviors that hurt your health or risk your relationships? Are you caught in self-defeating habits? Many of my clients pressure themselves into doing it all, which can lead to problems at home or work. Some want resolution of trauma or mysterious health issues and don't know what to do next. Others turn to food, wine, pills or poor relationship choices to manage their situations. My Habits Into Health System is a skills-based model that helps ease emotional symptoms, quiet busy minds and invites soulful action. This approach can help you unwind outdated patterns so you can form a more peaceful and powerful future.

After a long and diverse career, I am choosing to focus on clients who are experiencing suffering due to grief, loss, caregiving a loved one or transitioning into a new phase of life. I have a deep understanding of the emotional dysregulation that is caused by these experiences and hope to teach others the skills needed to lessen suffering and reduce stress and to stay present.

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed, or stressed, or just not like yourself? Are you feeling frustrated in your relationships? Sometimes messages or experiences from the past, faulty beliefs, or challenging relationships keep us stuck and out of touch with our well- being. Couples are helped when each has an opportunity to feel heard, and when early attachment styles and emotions underlying the problem can be better understood.

As a psychologist, teacher, mother and trauma specialist, I enjoy working with teens, young adults, adults and couples who are trying to feel better. If you are wanting to stop the challenging patterns in your life, we may be a good fit. If you are wanting to find (or re-find) the joy in life, we may be a good fit. If you are wondering how your history may be affecting your current life, we may be a good fit. If you are looking for a psychotherapist who will help you help yourself, we may be a good fit. You and I will develop a warm, accepting, compassionate environment where we work to establish hope. Give it a try!

I have two main specialties. I work with athletes, dancers and musicians of all levels, and business executives who are in transitions as a result of injuries, retirement, or the desire to make changes in direction with their sport, instrument or career; as well as often working with their family members. I also consult with high schools, universities, and professional coaching, training and teaching staffs about their teams and about individual athletes who are in transitions. My other specialty is training clinicians to work with all types of eating disorders, and working directly with people who suffer from eating disorders.

As your psychotherapist, I am here to listen and offer compassionate support. My style is warm, direct, and strives toward cultural sensitivity. While the majority of my practice focuses on improving one's relationship with food and body, I also work with those who struggle to cope with trauma, anxiety, or depressed mood. In your course of treatment we can navigate issues such as perfectionism, low self-esteem, body image distress, and disordered eating behaviors.

I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, and life transitions. I use a combination of Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM), Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Existential-Humanistic psychotherapy to treat a variety of mental health disorders. What creates long lasting effective change is my investment in you and your investment in yourself. I have the ability to attune to your feelings in the here and now; this allows for insight to grow and happiness to build in your life. Contact me now if you would like to be happier about your life. danmaincounseling.com