Therapists in Santa Barbara, CA

Life can get very complicated and challenging sometimes. My commitment to you is to provide a supportive place for us to collaboratively explore the challenges you are experiencing and the areas of your life you wish to change. If you are struggling to come to terms with your past or feel as if something is preventing you from living the life you want I invite you to explore this from a place of curiosity without judgment. As a bilingual and multicultural therapist I strive to support individuals and couples who are experiencing difficult life events.

Sessions are 100% virtual, anywhere in California. There are points in our life when we can feel burnt out, lost, stuck and could use an objective person to help us through these tough times. Whether you're facing the chaos of adulthood, seeking clarity, or simply craving a supportive space; you don't have to do it alone. I help others navigate challenges related to anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, relationship issues, self-esteem/exploration, and life transitions. I am dedicated to tailoring my approach to meet the specific needs of each client, recognizing the importance of individualized care in promoting lasting change.

The hope and goal I have for my clients is to assist them in enhancing personal and familial relationships. As a social worker, I have had the wonderful opportunity to witness many positive changes in the lives of my clients. These positive changes include how my clients have relationships with others and how they come to view themselves. These components are an integral part of the therapeutic process and journey.

Accelerated focused healing! As a Certified EMDR therapist and EMDR consultant-in-training, I offer evidence-based therapy for clients and training for therapists. As a relational and attachment informed trauma therapist, I provide compassionate, warm, and intelligent therapy, and I’m here to support you on your journey to healing. My passion is utilizing the powerful benefits of Accelerated EMDR with clients who are ready to live without disturbing clinical symptoms. Using EMDR therapy we create a plan together to establish and accomplish goals, and provide tools for life’s successes, changes, and challenges.

In-person and telehealth available. I work with adolescents, adults and couples. We all experience anxiety, depression, anger, stress and sometimes the trauma that can occur in our families, our relationships, our friendships, our workplaces and our everyday lives. Some of these stressors are triggered when we break-up, begin a new relationship, start a new job, start at a new school etc. Some individuals need to be sat with and have a space held for them, some are looking for collaborative support and guidance on their life's struggles.

I offer, besides a caring psychotherapeutic relationship, a combined psychodynamic and Buddhist approach to psychology. Mindfulness meditation and therapy create a container to address feelings of anxiety, depression, worries about your relationships, existential and spiritual questions and also difficult themes like guilt, shame, embarrassment, fear, loneliness, loss, anger, despair and disgrace. I welcome talking about spiritual or existential themes like lack of meaning or connectedness, a longing for greater freedom, sense of fulfilled spirituality, a life with compassion and wisdom. I welcome clients from diverse ethnic, cultural and international backgrounds. LTBG community very welcome.

My experience has been working with adolescents and adults struggling with mental health issues as well as substance use/abuse. I work with several therapeutic approaches depending on the client's diagnosis and needs. I am also working towards EMDR certification which allow me to work with clients diagnosed with PTSD and childhood traumas.

You are smart, hardworking, and psychologically-minded. Your wellbeing is important to you and objectively, most things in your life are going well. Yet, feelings of anxiety, sadness, loss, emptiness, or disappointment gnaw at you. From time to time, you think about your past, from your adolescence to relationships and choices. These things aren’t directly related to your life now so you wonder why they come up at all but you cannot reconcile them. Because you are busy with work, family, and staying connecting, these emotional blips get lost. You don’t make time to reflect and feel. You just keep plugging along … until next time.

Something upsetting happened. Whether it happened recently or years ago, it still bothers you today. It's hard to talk about. Thoughts about it pop into your head more than you want them to. Things that remind you of what happened make you feel upset, too. There is a feeling of constantly being on edge, like you can never truly relax. You would like to be able to move on and live your life in peace, but you have not been able to yet. There is a part of you that believes you might not have to feel this way. A part that believes therapy could help you feel better and find more peace in your life. That part of you is right.

Just like physical health, mental health is an essential aspect of living well. When our mental health is amiss, our ability to enjoy life is compromised. Just as a physical limp impedes our ability to move freely, emotional suffering hinders our ability to live as we would like. Effective therapy puts you back in the driver’s seat of your own life. I’m here to collaborate with you to find creative solutions to the sources of your distress.

I feel honored to walk alongside my clients as they navigate their stuck relational spaces. Using a coaching modality, I partner with clients to create an action oriented plan to reach higher levels of thriving in their close relationships. This may include creating healthy conflict patterns, navigating challenging relational topics, or (un)learning attachment behaviors. I see my role as facilitating growth, where the locus of change resides completely in the client's control.

Throughout our lives, we are all presented with challenges, whether it be the environment and circumstances we are born into, experiencing a traumatic event or series of traumas, to unexpected stressors and changing roles and identities. If you find yourself stuck and needing support to navigate your way, I would be honored to help guide you through your journey. I am a licensed psychologist in California and work individually with adults of all ages. My style is warm, compassionate, and strengths based, while I can also be direct and challenge you to let go of old ideas and behaviors that may no longer be serving you.

I'm happy to receive your email or call to answer questions you may have about therapy. I help adults, adolescents, and couples experience life more deeply; enjoy more satisfying relationships; resolve painful conflicts; and improve self-esteem, self-worth and emotional well-being.

Welcome. I have a passion for helping people connect to deeper parts of themselves and access their innate ability to shift, heal and grow. I create a safe, curious, collaborative and compassionate space. In working with clients my approach is to be a skilled and kind mirror and facilitator of change. I believe being in therapy takes courage. I would be honored to walk beside you on your journey. My hope is that we can work together to support you in being your best self.

I work with individuals, couples and families struggling with transitions and communication. I also specialize in Men’s issues that may include challenges with emotional intimacy, difficulty being vulnerable, and maintaining their passion for life. I see men who are wanting to uncover a fuller version of themselves, and feel fully expressed and fully fulfilled in every area of their lives. Clients I see understand that they get out of the therapy what they put into it. The therapeutic relationship becomes the container for change. I see their seeking help not as a sign of weakness, but rather as a sign of good judgment.

You can't change what happened, but you can choose what happens next. Maybe you've behaved in ways you aren't proud of. These behaviors (substance use, anxiety, depression, social isolation) are ways you learned to protect yourself from pain. This is normal, and it’s okay. These unhelpful coping skills aren't protecting you anymore, they seem to be making your problems grow. You want to change your behavior to match your values, what's important to you. You want to live a life worth celebrating. I'm here to support you in moving from thinking to action.

As a therapist, I work with individuals and couples in the areas of anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, and life transitions. Some days we may be laughing, and others we may be sitting with difficult emotions, but I will be there to support you through any and all of it. I believe in collaborating with you to find what path to healing feels most comfortable for you.

If you are reading this, you have already begun the journey toward healing and self-discovery! My goal is to support your growth towards the person you desire to be, heal hurts from the past, and find peace in a sometimes chaotic and stress-filled world. I strive to make a safe space to listen and provide you with gentle guidance, professional interventions that may contribute to wellness, and empathy in a non-judgmental and supportive manner. Life is so short, aren't you worth the journey towards wellness and happiness?! I believe you are!

Life challenges are universal. If you are having difficulties navigating through daily life stressors, adjusting to new circumstances, having trouble communicating, or just feel stuck, I am here to help. Together, we can work on facing these issues and explore approaches that may improve the outcome of these challenges. I received my Masters degree in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. I began working as a therapist in community-based mental health, where I received great experience with families, couples, individuals, and children.