Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA
Zoe Gordhamer Garcia
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
Sliding scale and some pro bono sessions for front line workers. Video and phone are currently available. Feelings of anxiety and stress need support at this time. My approach is based on the belief that you are naturally intelligent and resourceful. Connect to strengths within you. The quality of your relationship with yourself and others leads to greater freedom, clarity, and peace. Free yourself from stress and conflict that so often occurs in relationships and work. Compassion, insight, and intuition represent my style. Building inner resources and tools to manage emotions improve professional and personal relationships.
Elio Scudieri
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
Sometimes hurts get stacked on each other & we assemble a life that protects against the pain, so it doesn’t ever hurt like that again. But in that process of armoring ourselves, we build a structure that also limits our capacity to enjoy life. We each have a much more unconstrained life that wants us to live it. By knowing ourselves through discovery, we work to be accountable to our own position & condition in life, forgive ourselves & others, & create a life that rewards us for this beautiful & courageous effort. Sessions will likely include mindfulness, humor, creativity, compassion, empathy, accountability, & problem-solving.
Rebecca Zulim
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Feeling anxious or worried? Too busy for therapy during the work week? I'm available for Friday afternoon and Sunday appointments. I provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges, reduce stress levels, and lead richer, fuller lives. I am an interactive, solution-focused, cognitive behavioral therapist. In a comfortable and supportive atmosphere I work with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues.
Tim Desmond
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Tim Desmond is a world-renown expert in self-compassion, and a Distinguished Faculty Scholar in Counseling Psychology at Antioch University. He's the author of Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (2015), The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook (2017), and How to Stay Human in a F-cked-Up World (2019).
Catherine Cervantes
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
I trust your capacity for moving toward healing, change and growth, and my holistic approach welcomes all of you: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, sexual, and cultural. My experience and training in working with mindfulness and trauma can allow you to experience a new relationship with yourself and with others so you can feel more at ease. As a holistic psychotherapist, I use a mind-body approach to help you compassionately discover unconscious patterns that keep you from living your life as you would like. Somatic-based therapy can access and support places in you that talk therapy does not reach.
Ann Marie Speno
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
Are you feeling consumed by self-consciousness, body hatred, and thoughts of food and weight? Do you find yourself trapped in a cycle of undereating and/or overeating, trying to live by rigid dietary rules? I want you to know that you are not alone.
I specialize in treating eating and body image issues. I can help you to explore the emotions that underly your relationship to food and your body, enhance your awareness of the many ways our culture creates eating problems, and help you to locate healthier ways to cope with the stress of life.
Erin Shika Phillips
Pre-Licensed Professional, MA, AMFT
Here to support the beautiful unfolding of your unique journey of deepening into your empowered self. Engaging in what is true and alive in the moment with creativity, compassion, and connection. Sustained by the pursuit of living true to the ever-evolving path of authenticity and wholeness. Considering that which matters most to you with appreciation and wonder for the beauty and complexity of it all. Passionate about providing individuals, couples, and families, seeking to deepen their connection to themselves and others - support in harmonizing inner and outer callings to enhance life quality and satisfaction.
Jonathan Benko
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Offering specialized therapy for support with burnout, healing from trauma, and affirming neurodivergent experience (ADHD/autism/bipolar/LD). Rumination-Focused ERP for OCD, panic, or hypochondria. Scheduling based on your preference: short term, ‘one-at-a-time,’ or longer term. I often support service providers experiencing burnout, people suffering from bureaucratic or institutional oppression, and those healing from narcissistic abuse. And I may be a good fit for people with unique problems, prior negative experiences in therapy, or those who feel like their struggles are never fully articulated or addressed.
David Schulkin
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
I am an experienced therapist who has the natural ability to make almost anybody feel comfortable. I have a compassionate and relaxed personal style, which can be good potential fit for therapeutic work with people of many ages and backgrounds. Along with working with individuals, I enjoy working with the interpersonal where there is often powerful opportunities for change. I work well with couples, because I am able to see multiple points of view and I have a disarming presence, which makes me easily approachable.
Maya Lev
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
I believe the most important element for positive change is the relationship between the therapist and client. If the client can truly trust their therapist, he or she can allow themselves to explore, heal, and integrate all aspects of themselves. This leads to a feeling of wholeness and relief from anxiety, depression, low self esteem, and other issues. I use intuition and compassion, in addition to my training and education. I care about my clients, and feel honored to witness their efforts to grow and change. Buddhist philosophy informs my overall orientation towards the enduring resilience of the human spirit.
Susan Matthews Scott
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
I specialize in individual, couples and family therapy. With over 20 years experience, I work with a broad spectrum of clients.
I have presented at international trainings on how the body stores emotions and trauma, the transforming work of inner identities and living from one's Essential Self.
I am an interactive and dynamic therapist. I provide support and practical feedback to help address life's challenges. I integrate complimentary modalities and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach.
With compassion and understanding I work with each individual to help build and attain the personal growth they're striving for.
Shira Stone
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
I have thirty years experience helping people who are suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, relationship conflict, stress, and many other issues that take away from quality of life. My approach goes beyond plain talk therapy. My goal is to help you release old wounds, connect with your true inner self, and find your power. Whether you are completely new to therapy or have had many therapists and are discouraged with a lack of results, I am dedicated to listening and finding the right approach for you, the unique human that you are. I want to empower you to achieve your goals and live the fulfilling life that you deserve.
Lauren Labinger
Marriage & Family Therapist, MACP, LMFT
Verified
Welcome - I'm so glad you’re here! Looking for a therapist can be overwhelming. Sometimes frustrating. A little scary. But you’re here because you’re ready…or you *think* you might be ready, and you need some support to take the next step. Whether you know that you'd like to find an attachment-based therapist, or you aren't sure exactly what you're looking for, it's all ok. I'm here to help.
Liz Vines
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
Do you feel like you are “too sensitive for the world around you?” Are you fine one moment and then overwhelmed with emotions the next? Maybe you’re in a “good” relationship, but can’t stop wondering whether it’s right for you. It can feel scary and lonely when it seems like your life is going well on the surface, but underneath there is a different reality. Many of my clients live with trauma, anxiety, extreme stress levels, and depression. They manage to expertly float through life finding “success” while feeling empty and depleted. The good news is that the skills that have helped you come this far are already in place.
Alexandra Gulbis
Associate Clinical Social Worker, MSW
Verified
Are you looking for meaning? Are you looking for a purpose? Do you find yourself getting in your own way? Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you're living in the past? Therapy is the bridge between where you are today and who you want to be tomorrow.
Annabelle Niebel Drda
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
As I see it, the primary role of a counselor is to serve as a mirror to help reveal what the client hasn't yet been able to see-especially those patterns of relating to self, others, and the environment that might be causing suffering. At the same time, the counselor is there to reflect, affirm, and strengthen the client's unique gifts and talents.One of the biggest impediments to healing, growth, and creativity is shame. To help clients move through this debilitating emotion, I use a combination of mindfulness, body awareness, and other healing modalities.
Daniel Christopher Dailey
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, 113459
Verified
I work primarily with couples and individuals toward creating better communication and developing coping strategies to help with stress.
J. Sarah MacEwan
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Stop looking for the "right" kind of therapy, and start looking for the right kind of relationship. Too many of us are suffering in isolation, with complex challenges and big feelings that we were never meant to carry on our own. But once we have a place where we feel seen, heard and held without judgment, we naturally begin to heal. Allow me to be that place for you. I love supporting people with grief and loss, life transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma, and issues around self-worth and self-esteem. I am so glad you found me.
Lisa Black
Psychologist, PsyD, BCN, BCB
Verified
Dr. Black specializes in trauma, TBI/concussion, insomnia/sleep issues, anxiety, depression, and coping with chronic illness. The therapies Dr. Black specializes in are neurofeedback, biofeedback, ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), existential therapy, motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
Liz Walker
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MFT
Verified
Are you feeling the pressure of parenting expectations which have quadrupled, upled, upled recently? Feeling trapped or like not a "good enough" parent? Maybe there is some guilt mixed in with questions around difficult relationships, money and a lack of care received? Being MOM is hard. I understand and want to help you to feel strong, capable, and relaxed. I am dedicated to helping Moms provide care for their children and take care of themselves. I will explain some of the "Whys" and provide a safe place to work on difficulties that are not meant to be solved alone. I can help you feel safe and get on better with your family.
See more therapy options for Santa Cruz
What type of mental health professional is right for me?
Some of the most common types of mental health providers in Santa Cruz are psychologists, licensed counselors, therapists, psychotherapists, and licensed clinical social workers, all of whom diagnose mental health conditions and provide individualized treatment.
Services offered, education and credentials vary by type of mental health professional. Each professional in Santa Cruz then may specialize in certain areas, such as depression, marriage counseling, or anxiety. Although many mental health providers are not licensed to prescribe medication, they may coordinate with a provider who can.
Both in-person and online therapy sessions are available from most psychologists.
Services offered, education and credentials vary by type of mental health professional. Each professional in Santa Cruz then may specialize in certain areas, such as depression, marriage counseling, or anxiety. Although many mental health providers are not licensed to prescribe medication, they may coordinate with a provider who can.
Both in-person and online therapy sessions are available from most psychologists.
How to find a specialist?
You can refine your search using the filters on this page. There are several categories you can filter by to find mental health professionals with the experience you are looking for. You may want to filter for CBT Psychologists in Santa Cruz, or Child Psychologists in Santa Cruz.
Many find it useful to use filters to view only psychologists that have experience working with certain issues, like Santa Cruz psychologists specializing in EMDR.
Many find it useful to use filters to view only psychologists that have experience working with certain issues, like Santa Cruz psychologists specializing in EMDR.
What method of therapy is right for me?
When it comes to treatment methods, there's no 'right way.’ Each method of therapy can be beneficial for a variety of issues. Psychologists in Santa Cruz specialize in therapeutic approaches such as CBT, EMDR, and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), among others. Finding a psychologist or therapist who is a good fit for you is the most important step to discovering what type of therapy, or combination of therapeutic approaches, will meet your individual needs. Learn what to expect from different types of therapy and how they work.
How to use my insurance?
Many therapists accept health insurance. Check to see if your insurance is covered. Feel free to discuss this when you contact the therapist.