Therapists in Santa Barbara, CA

Balancing the demands of life, relationships, career, family, and the changes in the world around us can be challenging. Having someone who can provide a space to be heard, as well as paths to becoming our best selves as we balance these demands can be life-changing. My approach is to understand the needs of each client and provide a welcoming space where they feel safe and heard, while utilizing evidence-based psychotherapy practices to make changes that support greater happiness and life satisfaction for clients.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when we are trying to navigate stress, transition, trauma, loss, or conflict. Through compassionate inquiry into our hearts, minds, and souls we can better understand the path forward to the life we want and the person we want to be. I am a warm, collaborative, and person-centered therapist who believes in the innate capacity of humans to heal, grow, and thrive. I will join you and help guide you to connect to your authentic self, inner wisdom, strengths, and compassion. I work with adults, teens, children, couples and families to find balance and a greater sense of well-being.

Our quality of life is determined by the quality of our relationships. Whatever your goals may be, change is an inside job, and I'm here to be both a witness and a resource in that complex process. When we can let go of shame and judgments around emotions, we allow space to cultivate more curiosity, compassion, acceptance, resiliency, and joy. When we utilize mistakes as informational gifts we can strengthen and clarify the authentic self. I would like to help you meet this self.

Are you frequently worrying about things you can’t control? Do you tend to talk negatively to yourself or feel like you aren’t enough? Are you concerned about relationship issues? Being a human today is hard and people come to therapy for many different reasons. It can be challenging to manage all the aspects of personal, professional, and family life, leaving self-care and wellness on the back burner. I am committed to helping women and couples improve communication, feel better, and live well. I value the importance of building a trusting and collaborative relationship and know that finding the right therapist can be hard.

Do you feel anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed living within this CIS gendered binary restrictive patriarchal society? You do not have to continue to feel this way. I can help you expand your breadth of coping tools, communication techniques, and other skills that could help bring relief.

My goal as a psychologist is to help you live a more meaningful, vital and fulfilling life. I provide compassionate and effective therapy that will help you learn new skills and launch you in the direction you want to be moving in your life. Foundational to my approach is a collaborative partnership, where positive transformations evolve in a warm, safe environment. I have worked extensively with clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, eating concerns and unhealthy habits. I also work well individuals who are going through major life transitions, relationship problems or want to revitalize their lives.

My clients present with mild-severe anxiety/depression, most often caused by trauma, grief/loss, emotional pain from attachment trauma experienced in childhood, due to various family dysfunctions. Most feel isolated, lonely and confused in their struggles, often ashamed that they cannot cope and too fearful to ask for help. Reaching out is a courageous step, and my clients seek to find relief from overwhelming emotions, to tell their story, be heard, seen, validated and understood from their perspective. In our sessions they improve awareness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and coping through insight and renewed clarity.

It is a courageous act to take the first step in pursuing therapy, and I feel honored to assist those beginning this process. My goal in working with people is to help cultivate the balance between finding grace in being present with life experiences, and the motivation to create meaningful changes in one’s life. If you are looking to begin the work of introspection and crafting the story of your life that you want to live, whether it may be in the areas of developing emotional coping skills or improving your relationships, I am here to help.

Welcome! As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I am committed to supporting individuals and couples on their journey towards healing, growth, and fulfillment. My practice is dedicated to the idea that the human spirit prevails in the midst of our deepest sufferings. As human beings, we all possess the innate capacity, courage, and wisdom to overcome adversities in life. With a compassionate and nonjudgmental approach, I provide a safe space for clients to realize their own potentials and empower them to prevail over obstacles, cultivate resilience, and live authentically.

Welcome to my practice!  I am a licensed clinical psychologist and consultant.  I specialize in using science based information and strategies to help my clients change their mindsets, increase self-worth, and overcome negative coping mechanisms.  Areas of specialty include anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, and empowering clients on how to use their mind to change their brain, so that they may reach their potential. My approach is strongly influence by Interpersonal Neurobiology, Psychodynamic Theory, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I also offer EMDR, an evidence based therapy for trauma.

New Clients Welcome! I offer a Free 15-minute consultation. I'm glad you are taking these first steps in seeking help and investing in your mental health. I can assist you with decreasing and managing any psychologically distressing symptoms and increasing and improving your overall mental health and well-being. I specialize in anxiety, depression, sex therapy, psychedelic-assisted therapy, sexual trauma, and all types of trauma. I also specialize in working with bipolar disorder, OCD, LGBTQ+ issues, PTSD and more. I hold a Doctorate degree (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology and am a licensed Psychologist.

I help my clients experiencing difficulties in their emotions, relationships, and other areas of their lives, navigate their experiences to gain a deeper awareness of their strengths and needs. I aim to help you in this discovery that can bring about meaning and a new sense of freedom in life. Many of my clients have experienced issues in their family and are seeking help prioritizing their emotional health and boundaries. We all experience traumas or difficulties in life, whether they be developmental childhood trauma, relational issues, or other struggles. Your emotional needs and values deserve attention and validation.

You may be finding yourself in a place of time where your life’s situation or way of thinking has exceeded your ability to cope. During these instances, the struggle to connect to yourself or others may feel harder to do. You are not alone in this. In each of our own ways the experience of “feeling off” can exist. All the while, we are connected by the human ability to find resilience and grow through conditions that promote value, care, and acceptance. My hope is that by unpacking these moments, we may strengthen the quality of relationships- with both ourselves and others for a better future.

The complexities of life can be challenging to navigate on your own. To stay or leave the relationship, resign from work or switch majors, work through grief & loss, or how to set boundaries with friends & family, can send our thoughts spinning into a cycle of anxiety. Practicing honesty with yourself may feel daunting & in some cases impossible, as it can call for acknowledging uncomfortable situations or feelings in your life. The fear of speaking up can lead to avoidance behaviors such as substance use issues, withdrawal from friends & family, cessation of things you enjoy, mental fog & depression as well as codependency.

It can be difficult to ask for help in the midst of struggle. Daily life can feel overwhelming and difficult to navigate or make sense of. You don't have to do it alone. Karina is willing to walk with you in your journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth. As a compassionate and dedicated therapist, Karina specializes in a holistic approach to mental health, by enhancing your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. She offers a comprehensive and personalized approach to support individuals like you in overcoming life's challenges.

“I have a deep belief in treating the whole human being and not just the symptom whether it be physical, psychological or spiritual. Both my skill as a therapist and my knowledge of East/ West Psychology aids me in providing essential knowledge and techniques for clients to affect change. I have been in the fields of therapy and mindfulness meditation for the last 20 years and in that time I have focused on integrating what works for those clients I have served. My work is informed by over two decades of exploration into the heart and mind. From the monasteries of Asia to the lecture halls of cutting edge American Universities.

I help individuals, couples, families and youth deepen and grow in their relationships to thrive emotionally, physically and mentally. I have specialized and work with anxiety, depression, EMDR, internet addiction, relationships, dream work, body image, mindfulness and improving self-esteem. l design a therapy program to meet your wellness goals. I’m passionate about my work and strive to help clients achieve greater peace, satisfaction, and connection in their relationships and lives.

The Hosford Clinic is a university-based community clinic that provides affordable mental health services to people in the Santa Barbara area (including Isla Vista, Goleta and Carpinteria). We offer counseling and treatment services for individuals, couples, adolescents, children, and families. These services are evidence based, culturally-responsive and low-cost. We provide a safe space for you to talk privately about your worries and concerns and can help by: *asking questions that help you see your problem in new ways; *teaching you effective ways to cope; *coaching you in ways to improve your work, school, and home life.

Life satisfaction hinges on the quality of past & current relationships because we grow in relationship with others. This is what therapy is all about. I work with adults, adolescents, college and transitional-aged clients to unearth the roots of inner distress, expand awareness, curiosity, energy and empowerment. Life is not rigid, it flexibly ebbs & flows. Growth, while scary demands a surrender of outdated beliefs and behaviors, leaving a familiar comfort zone. But guess what? You will not be alone.