Therapists in Lakeside, CA

Welcome! I work with communication issues, trust issues, infidelity, intimacy issues, LGBTQIA+ couples and couples practicing ENM/polyamory. I also work with couples practicing kink/BDSM. I am a queer and neurodivergent therapist, and I have specialized experience working with ADHD and autism in the context of relationships and mixed-neurotype couples. I love to see my couples walking out of my office holding hands, looking at each other with more gratitude, with a new hope for the future. I have a trauma informed approach that helps my couples understand the origins of their thoughts and behavior within the relationship.

Welcome to my page! I work primarily with neurodivergent (autism, ADHD, PDA) clients and mixed neurotype couples/polycules . As a queer, and late diagnosed neurodivergent therapist, I love helping others to understand themselves better and advocate for their needs. Receiving my own diagnosis in adulthood came with grief and I’d love opportunity to help you work through the complicated emotions inherent in this type of identity exploration. Working with my brain instead of against it as been incredibly healing and has drastically improved my mental health; I hope to help my clients achieve the same freedom.

My clients are children, teen, or adult students who are neurodiverse and struggling with learning, socialization, behavior, and/or mental health symptoms. Primary focus is help improve educational (i.e. academic, social, behavioral) and/or vocational functioning with my clients. As a team; we will work together to identify presenting concerns and co-develop goals in order to create a treatment plan to address those concerns through a strength-based and neuro-informed lens. My clients consistently share the positive impact of my services.

I believe that human beings are capable of tremendous growth, love, and connection—and that none of us have to be stuck where we are. No matter where you’re starting from, therapy can support you in breaking out of “stuckness” and discovering more of who you really are. I relate to all of my clients as whole and complete, not broken or needing to be fixed. From that context, I’ll support you in discovering the barriers and obstacles to having your life and relationships really thrive. Together, we’ll explore some of life’s most important questions.

Is your child struggling in school with learning or behavior? Are you concerned they may have a learning disability, emotional disability, or neurological disorder such as ADHD or Autism? Are you an adult in college or a career where you have/suspect a learning disability impacting your performance? Dr. Ward's goal is to assist parents in being the best advocate for their children by providing knowledge, guidance, and confidence that they are doing everything possible to maximize their child’s learning potential. Dr. Ward also specializes in DHH assessments with 13 years of teaching and 10 years of assessing this population in ASL.

Mental health, addiction and traumas can be treated with the appropriate psychotherapy. With thirteen years of experience in the field, I have had the opportunity to work with clients who have different problems, needs and objectives. People of all ages, ethnicities and cultures; therefore, giving me the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding on how to detect and treat various conditions. Psychotherapy helps people to go through a recovery process without problems.

What is stopping you from reaching your fullest potential? Sometimes we as human beings need to confront our past in order to regain our future in an assertive way. Therapy can be a helpful tool in empowering your life.

I love to see others be over-comers and feel privileged when I can be a part of that process. I recognize that one of God´s specialties is to "make a way" in the desert. Sometimes the desert is the parent-child relationship, a trauma in the life of the adult or the child, depression and anxiety, a learning or developmental difference, difficulty crossing cultures, etc. Sometimes our own difficulties with self esteem, boundaries, or trauma make day-to-day responsibilities difficult. The kids I worked with in Mexico for many years taught me a lot about overcoming trauma, regulating their emotions, etc. (They also taught me Spanish!)

I have a relaxed approach that is spiced with humor and education. My goal is to have a comfortable and creative environment to help you make the changes you want to see. I'm big on education and will likely push books, articles, and videos on you; or at least summarize to the best of my ability. I'm also big on self acceptance and self-awareness, using practical mindfulness and personal intelligence as a guide. This means getting to know yourself and your strengths to learn how to use them to help yourself.

Hello and welcome! Grow Through Life Counseling is a group private practice welcoming both in person clients in La Mesa, CA and via Telehealth in CA. We have immediate openings and are accepting new clients. Our Mission is to provide quality counseling for all ages throughout life. We provide culturally sensitive and inclusive care for all children, teens, adults, couples and families. We respect each family member's unique identities, perspectives and experiences in life. With effective and creative psychotherapeutic interventions, we support emotional growth and development during the various stages of life to be healthier.

When discovering a child’s difficulty at school, their family can get lost asking, why do they need so much support from us to get these grades? When I am asked to assess students, I attempt to get to know the whole child and family. We will start with a family phone consult, where parent's concerns and the child's current areas of struggle are expressed. We will then create a targeted and individualized assessment to determine their areas of strength and areas of need. From this, we can work together to find supports to help your child thrive at school.

I specialize in treating teens, adults, and families who have been affected by trauma. I use a variety of modalities including neuropsychology, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment Based Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Somatic Therapy. I treat a variety of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders. I also have experience working with individuals diagnosed with special needs and their family members as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

We look forward to working with you to reach your goals in therapy. Our compassionate therapists are trained in evidence-based practices, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, to help you meet your goals within a short amount of time. Whether you would like to attend therapy on your own, with your partner or as a family, our therapists are ready to make a difference. You can be rest assured you are entering a non-judgemental and supportive environment when you walk through our door. Call us today to begin making positive changes in your life.

Began Practice in 1999 Walter begins treatment with a brief solution focus treatment plan for couples, adults, children, teens. His style is respectful, interactive and dynamic. Walter also has published a book titled "Heart and Soul Toward Intimacy: Couples Workbook." Certified in LENS treatment helps your brain heal with low energy feedback, utilizing EEG color brain mapping technology provides freedom of life long symptoms. BEGIN by Logging into website, 1st complete new patient paperwork, 2nd schedule your appointment online at orange banner. Refundable Deposit required.