Attachment-based Therapists in San Diego, CA

Are you concerned about yourself or your child? I love working with families with toddlers to teenagers and everything in between! I have worked with youth for the past ten years. I enjoy supporting kids and teenagers by uncovering their inner worlds and emotions and finding ways to communicate this to those around them. I understand the uniqueness of individuals and the constellation of supporters around them leading her to understand the importance of communication and collaboration with the parents and caregivers.

You might be feeling stuck in your relationships. You’re struggling to be vulnerable and fully present with not only loved ones, but with yourself. You’re falling into a repetitive cycle that leaves you feeling exhausted, frustrated, and alone. You’re ready to dig into your attachment history and start breaking down the shields that used to protect you, but are now a barrier to vulnerability. You know it's time to do the deep work and cultivate the self-acceptance and relationships you long for.

Sometimes our inner world seems chaotic and stressful. Sometimes we feel like we are going through life surrounded by a fog and can’t see a way out. Sometimes we experience something so significant that our life is turned upside down and we have a hard time coping. Regardless of what you are experiencing right now, it does not reflect anything about your worth and you do not have to navigate it alone. My goal as a therapist is to provide opportunities for you to work through the challenges of life while reconnecting with your authentic self and embracing your inner-knowing.

Maya Angelou once said, "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud." Sometimes clouds enter our lives in the form of depression, anxiety, difficulty with life transitions, losses, or relationship challenges. Each person deserves a listening and empathetic ear as they navigate those challenges. Therapy can be a space to build onto the strengths you already have, and to increase your self-awareness in a way that will support you in managing life's challenges. As an adoptee, I have learned the importance of providing support and guidance to families and individuals who have experienced adoption.

Our clinical specialties: ⯌Premarital & couples therapy ⯌Attachment based dating & parenting ⯌Codependency & emotional maturity ⯌Personal work for therapists ⯌Grief & loss, life stage transitions ⯌Trauma & EMDR therapy ⯌Anorexia, bulimia, & binge eating ⯌Adult children of alcoholics/addicts ⯌Internet & video game addiction ⯌Sexual addiction & sex worker regret / / Our focus is on how difficult issues like mental illness and relationship conflict are influenced by your family of origin and early attachment experiences with your parents. Sessions with us are focused on learning the lessons that you should have gotten from your family.

Our relationships shape who we are, and feeling safer can significantly affect our wellbeing. When our feelings of safety or security are threatened, whether through instability in our relationships, experiences of discrimination, inequity, violence, chronic and complex trauma, or other distressing events and interactions, it may lead to anxiety, depression, patterns of ineffective communication/coping, or manifest in other forms. I have complete trust that you can make choices that promote your growth and health and will collaborate with you to help you reach your treatment goals.

Being an immigrant, a child of an immigrant, a world traveler or an international student has left you feeling disconnected and like you don't belong. You feel alone even though you are among people, busy with school, work and life. You are not alone. Many of us, who uprooted ourselves by choice of our own or someone else, experience these feelings. These feelings are normal. You're human. The isolation and lack of belonging are exhausting and you long to feel better about your life and future.

It takes courage to set up your first therapy appointment, and it can be challenging to find a therapist who "gets you". With a trusted therapist, you can identify your struggles and find ways to overcome them, find importance and meaning in your life, experience healing from bad memories, and communicate better with loved ones. I have worked with clients for 28 years helping people find their clarity and truth. I welcome your call to determine if I'm a good fit for you as a therapist.

I work with children, adolescents, and adults, with a family systems, attachment based, whole-person approach to therapy. I believe in the innate ability of each individual to seek health and well being. I have over 20 years of experience working in multiple settings, including community-based mental health clinics, residential treatment settings, hospice and hospital settings, women's shelter, and school-based services. I am currently offering Telehealth sessions, specializing in work with tweens/teens, adults, and couples, as well as parenting support from a peaceful parenting/ attachment-focused lens.

Sharing our inner experiences with someone can often feel frightening, which is exactly why I place such an importance on connection and acceptance in the therapeutic process. I aim to create a safe environment that will invite my clients to delve deeper into their personal narrative, as I truly believe we are not built to process emotions alone. As humans, we all have a propensity to grow and become our true selves, unfortunately we aren’t always gifted with the circumstances to allow it. I am passionate about creating a space for not only self-discovery and self acceptance, but to allow clients to feel seen, heard, and valued.

I have operated my own private practice since 1991 and have almost 30 years of experience working in a wide variety of mental health settings. My approach works to eliminate symptoms that can interfere with living a life that is worth celebrating. All of my work is grounded in neuroscience principles, developmental theories, attachment theory, and polyvagal theory. I am also trained in attachment-based therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, family-systems theory, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness.

Anna is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California and Oregon. In addition, she is a professional clinical counselor. Armed with about 10 years of experience, she loves to help young children (from infancy to age 9) who have experienced trauma or separation. Her knowledge includes attachment-based interventions, such as: Infant Massage; Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT); Dyadic Art; TheraPlay; and a variety of therapeutic play techniques.

I believe that healing happens when we pay attention to all the parts that make us whole—our mind, body, and soul. My theoretical orientation is influenced by Family Systems, Attachment Theory, Emotionally-Focused, Humanistic-Experiential, and Narrative approaches to treatment. This means that we will be going on an emotional journey together in which I will use an eclectic combination of clinical theories and techniques to help guide my work. I believe that the lack of emotional awareness and avoiding uncomfortable emotions can cause harm to our mind, body, and soul. My hope is to help you get to know yourself better.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Registered Play Therapist that supports children of all ages, teens, adults, and couples and individuals struggling with parenting. There are times in our lives where we recognize we need to nurture our growth, can feel disconnected to each other or our goals, or simply need some support. I am here to help you, your family, and your children with a challenge that might feel too big to manage on your own. I also offer clinical supervision for those therapists accruing hours towards licensure.

Life experiences can impact us in surprising, often difficult, and even traumatic ways leaving us feeling out of touch with ourselves and those around us. We all have a desire to feel understood, and that journey often begins within ourselves. My goal in therapy is to create a space where you feel heard and safe while we explore deeper into who you are and begin to wrestle with the question “where do I go from here?”.

Lauren treats adults, couples, families, and adolescents, and is especially passionate in providing resources and care to the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. She works with various clients, and while trained in a range of treatment types, she strives to tailor her therapeutic approach to each person and their unique, individual needs.

I believe we all come into this life with trauma, whether it was inherited from ancestors or past generations or personally experienced in our lives, big or little T, none of us are exempt. This trauma tends to subconsciously inform our lives through our conditioned beliefs, patterns and behaviors. We all have a purpose, big or small and we all have the ability to heal our past traumas and live a conscious, fulfilled and purposeful life. My purpose is to help, guide and support others along their own healing journeys.