Borderline Personality (BPD) Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

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Photo of Michael James Miceli, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Michael James Miceli
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Co-Founder of A New Hope Family Counseling & Consulting Inc. (A New Hope). I have an extensive history of service to the mental health community, specializing in treatment of Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, OCD, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, and Borderline Personality Disorder. My work is informed by CBT, DBT, Narrative, and Solution-Focused modalities. I look forward to working with you!
(831) 201-1993
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Office is near:
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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Photo of Charese Allen, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Charese Allen
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I believe the purpose of therapy is to create a safe and validating environment where people can focus on creating a "life worth living". I help facilitate this journey by focusing on both acceptance and change in a warm, interactive and thoughtful fashion. If you are someone who is struggling to manage your emotions and behaviors because of anxiety, depression, or trauma we can work together to define the life you want and overcome the obstacles to it.
(510) 876-4191
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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Photo of Heidi Poteet Marini, Marriage & Family Therapist Associate in Santa Cruz, CA
Heidi Poteet Marini
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, , AMFT, ALPCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
Life can be hard but I'm guessing you already knew that.  All the hard stuff can leave us feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or sad. Sometimes life's challenges become too difficult to overcome alone. Finding a safe and collaborative place to explore and address what is troubling you is the first step toward healing.  Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, or challenges within a relationship. While there are no guarantees of what you will experience in therapy, research shows that therapy helps people. It works. Psychotherapy can elevate feelings of self worth, purpose, and improve your overall quality of life.
(831) 232-9638
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Photo of The Mindful Lemon, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
The Mindful Lemon
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Our mission is to provide quality online mental health and substance abuse services while breaking down the barriers of traditional, office based therapy. Traditional mental health and substance abuse treatment tends to focus on what makes you sick, what you are lacking but at The Mindful Lemon, our clinicians let you sit in the driver’s seat, focusing on your strengths and assets to help you become the best version of you! This can be via traditional talk therapy, medication management, mindfulness techniques, an emphasis on health, wellness and fitness or any combination of the above.
(831) 276-0279
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Waitlist for new clients
Photo of Ride The Wave Recovery, Licensed Professional Counselor in Santa Cruz, CA
Ride The Wave Recovery
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPCC, LCPC, LPC, LMHC, CGP
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
Ride The Wave Recovery can serve clients in greater Santa Cruz, CA; Seattle/Tacoma, WA; and Chicago, IL. RtW offers solutions-oriented group and individual therapy to clients of all genders and sexualities living with ADHD and AuDHD and recovering from eating disorders, substance misuse and relational/attachment disorders.
(831) 703-9309
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Waitlist for new clients
Photo of Malinda Thompson, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Malinda Thompson
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
The most important person in the therapy session is you. The most mysterious person in the therapy session is you. And the most powerful insight will eventually come from you. You may feel stuck, angry, lonely, confused, hopeless or numb. Maybe you feel too much? Perhaps you're losing hours on tik tok or porn sites? you dissociate, sleep too much; can't sleep. It's okay to reach out. Everyone wants connection, everyone needs connection. Therapy can help you find ways to connect.
(831) 888-9112
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online
Not accepting new clients
Photo of Thomas Cody Swift, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Thomas Cody Swift
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA
Verified
Verified
*Not currently accepting new clients* Some people sense wisdom within dark places, and seek support to learn and grow through them. Anxiety, depression, and addiction are not merely pathology, but are best understood as part of a larger system that can be brought into awareness. These symptoms may also be fundamentally connected to our greatest gifts and uniqueness - one's sensitivity, awareness, and drive towards growth - often misplaced or misunderstood.
(831) 346-4828
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Not accepting new clients
Not accepting new clients
Photo of Lisa Blevins, Psychologist in Santa Cruz, CA
Lisa Blevins
Psychologist, PhD, CHT
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
I look forward to meeting you and discovering how we can work together to improve your experience of life! I see therapy as one way to prioritize yourself, try something different, and take a risk to address patterns that have not been working for you. My belief is that when you find someone with whom you can trust and who sincerely cares about you, you can then take the steps necessary to create the life you really want. I hope to be that person for you.
(408) 675-0943
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Not accepting new clients
Photo of Mary A Schindler, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Mary A Schindler
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Do you want to stop repeating unhealthy patterns and live a life that brings you an increased sense of joy, calm and health? We can work together to address past traumas, decrease your feelings of anxiety and/or sadness, change addictive habits and improve your relationships. My approach is collaborative, experiential, emotionally focused, person-centered and sometimes even fun. I have been a marriage and family therapist for over20 years and have success in providing compassionate and supportive therapy. The basis of my therapeutic approach is to create a safe environment based on trust and respect.
(408) 827-9724
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online
Photo of David M. Powers, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
David M. Powers
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, LPCC
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Why are you seeking a therapist? Gaining an understanding of your needs is the first step we take together to develop your personal therapy. Yes, you read that right. I encourage my clients to be active participants in the development of their therapy. What is effective for one person is not necessarily effective for another. The strength of my therapeutic approach is in its transparency and my focus on guiding and empowering you, the client, in becoming an agent of change in your own life.
(831) 661-8919
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online
Photo of Norman Malcolm Brown, Pre-Licensed Professional in Santa Cruz, CA
Norman Malcolm Brown
Pre-Licensed Professional, PhD, MA
Verified
Verified
Never have life challenges been as great as now for you and your future. For we must improve relations with each other and our planet or perish. As a man you may feel frustrated in either work or intimate relationships or both. Yet the personal skills needed for work are usually opposite from those for intimacy. There seems to be no way to the success you yearn for. As a woman you may cope with anxiety or depression and succeed at friendship. Yet coupling has meant losing track of yourself, and good men seem to be hard to find. The way forward involves increasing our emotional skills and love for ourselves, others and our planet.
(831) 900-4877
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online
Photo of Jillian Chesley, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Jillian Chesley
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
With a passion for inspiring individuals to claim their own personal excellence, my expertise is in understanding interpersonal dynamics, and successfully coaching individuals, couples, families and groups into reaching their highest self. My background includes a degree in Organizational Communication, a ten year career as a Technical/Corporate Instructor, and six years providing coaching with a Master of Arts in MFT. Along with my private practice, I teach psychology and management classes for University Of Phoenix and am completing a book, Mental Health For Consumers. I look forward to our meeting and the potential of becoming part of your journey.
(831) 216-6826
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online
Photo of Alia Griese, Marriage & Family Therapist Associate in Santa Cruz, CA
Alia Griese
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
Verified
Anxiety, depression, fear, and shame can threaten our ability to develop and maintain a relationship to ourselves. As clues arrive in unconscious cycles, only some of the personal story can be pieced together. We bend, adjust, bury, and mourn parts of ourselves lost to a world that tells us, in one way or another, that our whole self isn’t welcome. Circumstances may have reached a painful point. The therapeutic experience can provide a container of time and space to hold what’s been left behind, preparing a capacity to imagine into our fullest self.
(831) 228-4236
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Photo of Sylvie Stein, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Sylvie Stein
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Hi there! My name's Sylvie and my pronouns are she/her and they/them. As a therapist, I am tender with people, tough on systems, and committed to our collective liberation. I've been a mental health worker for over six years in schools, at a crisis center, and as a family therapist. I'm particularly experienced in and passionate about working with trauma in its many forms, and partnering with you to transform harm into what serves you, your beloved relationships, and the world you want to see. I offer individual counseling with youth and adults and relationship counseling with loved ones of all kinds.
(408) 766-2985
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Photo of Lighthouse Counseling - Teletherapy Available, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Lighthouse Counseling - Teletherapy Available
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Verified
Verified
Steps away from the beach, Lighthouse Counseling is located on the campus of Janus of Santa Cruz where compassionate licensed and pre-licensed therapists are available to provide client-focused therapy to you and your family. We provide therapy to people who are looking to heal from a variety of challenges including but not limited to addiction, mental health, life transitions, relationship issues as well as circumstances linked to poverty, trauma and marginalization. We serve clients with diverse backgrounds and across the life-span (children, youth, adolescents, young adult , adults and older adults) couples and families.
(831) 498-2186
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Not accepting new clients
Photo of Jasmeen Miah, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Jasmeen Miah
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
We all have a variety of emotions, and that's normal! It's when they interfere with functioning or turn into a long-lasting mood that we could use some help. Perhaps you feel anxious and depressed, or dissatisfied and upset in your relationships. Maybe you need support as you weather a storm in your life, or someone to help you get back on track with your normal functioning. The bottom line is you don't want your mood to derail your goals, your relationships, and your life.
(831) 709-9318
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Not accepting new clients
Photo of Shawn Smith, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Shawn Smith
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT, CADCII, PCI
Verified
Verified
I believe that compassion and collaboration are key to a therapuetic relationship. Through the identification of each persons strengths and resources we are all capable of navigating life's challenges and it is my role to assist in the identification and effective utilization of these strengths and resources. If you are suffering from with ADHD, Depression, Conduct Disorder, Parenting issues, Criminal Behavior, adult and adolescent Bi-polar Disorder, addiction, or the effects of trauma, neglect, and abuse please contact me by text, phone or email at 831-588-7063. I have helped many individuals, couples, and families and perhaps I can help you.
(831) 623-5151
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Photo of Jolene Odile Jensen, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Jolene Odile Jensen
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT
Verified
Verified
Hi. My name is Jolene Jensen. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA. I have over 15 years of experience in the mental health profession, serving a diverse range of clients.
(831) 661-8920
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online
Photo of Shira Stone, Marriage & Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA
Shira Stone
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
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.
(831) 684-7487
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Santa Cruz, CA 95062
& Online
Photo of Men's Issues - Dr. Dean, Psychologist in Santa Cruz, CA
Men's Issues - Dr. Dean
Psychologist, PsyD, QME, Author
Verified
Verified
Welcome to my practice. I have about 15 years of clinical experience and have been featured on NBC/KCAL/HLN as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.
(831) 208-3271
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Santa Cruz, CA 95060
& Online

Borderline Personality (BPD) Therapists

What is the most successful approach to treating borderline personality disorder?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is considered the gold standard of treatment for borderline personality disorder. An evidence-based treatment, it addresses the extreme emotional reactivity, the relationship difficulties, and the acts of self-harm that create so much distress for BPD patients. DBT is a comprehensive program that includes both regular individual psychotherapy sessions and weekly group sessions of skills training.

What happens in treatment of borderline personality disorder?

Treatment typically consists of weekly individual therapy sessions that last an hour and group skill-focused instructional sessions that may last up to two hours. Patients are typically given homework “assignments” in which they are asked to practice in their daily life the skills they acquire in therapy. Patients also keep a diary tracking their emotions and impulses as a way to know which situations are most problematic and to help them gain control over their own behavior. Difficult situations and feelings are typically reviewed in therapy sessions and more constructive solutions found.

What kinds of problems does BPD treatment help with?

DBT was initially developed to dampen the self-destructive impulses of chronically suicidal patients. It is now the treatment of choice for borderline personality disorder, a serious condition marked by extreme emotional reactivity, relationship instability, and self-injurious behaviors. Treatment of BPD helps patients tolerate the flux of emotions without acting on them, often with a specific focus on tolerating negative emotions. DBT addresses the core problems of BPD—fear of abandonment, low self-esteem, and impulsivity.

What is the goal of treatment in borderline personality disorder?

The goal of treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) is to relieve the extreme emotional distress that patients experience—to curb their emotional reactivity, to minimize their inclination to self-harm, and to reduce their impulsivity. Toward these ends, patients are not only taught an array of new coping skills and techniques for emotional regulation, they are given opportunities to practice them. Another major goal of treatment is interpersonal effectiveness; patients learn and problem-solve ways to effectively communicate in relationships, especially how to ask for what they need as a way to minimize hurt feelings.