Dual Diagnosis Therapists in Sylmar, CA

My name is Raul Salcedo, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California. I am an eclectic therapist using CBT, DBT, ACT, solution-focused, and trauma-informed approaches. My background includes working with individuals with mood disorders, substance abuse, dual diagnosis, trauma, and PTSD. I have had the opportunity to work with adults, LGBTQIA individuals, veterans, and individuals impacted by the justice system. I approach psychotherapy using a holistic mindset, tailoring your interventions to your specific needs.

Barbara Ferrari, LMFT is a Los Angeles-based licensed marriage and family therapist with over thirty years of experience treating mental health issues and working with the dual diagnosed population. My professional services, which operate in a philosophy of hope, optimism, and belief in the benefits of patient and professional counseling, center on creating personalized strategies that encourage growth and healing in the individual, family unit, and community as a whole.

My primary values as a provider are courage, wisdom, and compassion which I seek to hold out for all of my clients to experience and take hold for themselves in their lives. I want you to experience that you are not alone in what you are going through and that deep, lasting healing and change are possible.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Are you struggling with your emotions and mood? Have you experienced a traumatic event within your life? Do you find yourself having a hard time fitting into social settings? Do intrusive thoughts cause a daily impairment within your daily life? Are you unhappy with a relationship or grieving a loss? Do you find yourself feeling in a down mood? Does anxiety appear to rule your life? I would like to help you manage these struggles. I am confident that you can and will get to a better place.

My name is Debra O'Brien Ruiz, MS, LMFT (LMFT104549) and am licensed in California with 10-years professional work experience. I believe you are the expert of your story and have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming daily challenges. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey. I radiate enthusiasm, compassion, and empathy. I am deeply committed to helping others. I motivate others to live a life of purpose.

My name is Leyla Jolivette M.A., LMFT., APCC. I provide individual and couples therapy, and focus on helping people struggling with depression, relationship issues, trauma and PTSD, and coping skills. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused CBT, and Narrative Therapy. I am trained in EMDR, am a certified Grief Therapist, and am LGBTQ-trained and supportive. I am very passionate about providing the space for others to grow, discover themselves, and find more fulfillment in life.

Connecting with your therapist is one of the important parts about therapy and for this reason I offer a 15 min free consultation where you will have an opportunity to meet me and determine if I am a good fit for you. I enjoy helping people through their process and have a lot of experience working specifically with depression, anxiety and trauma diagnoses.

I have been doing individual and couple therapy for over thirty years. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches, always choosing the one that best suits the client's immediate needs. These modalities range from psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral to narrative and existential. There is even some dream, and hypnotherapy added when helpful. In addition to my clinical practice, I have extensive forensic psychology experience, including resolving workplace disputes, custody issues, and trial consulting. My goal is to help clients find meaningful solutions to challenging life problems.

It can feel like the sky is falling. There is more confusion, fear, and uncertainty than ever before. This can be debilitating as we struggle to get out of bed, our work performance suffers and then we find ourselves alone and isolated not knowing how to get back to our previous “normal”. We are constantly overstimulated, told what we ought to be, as we become lost with no way to cope. Talk Therapy combined with a safe place to feel heard and understood can guide us to make sense of it all and progress to a higher state of functioning.

Are you a woman suffering from the trauma of betrayal or narcissistic abuse? Do you struggle with low self-esteem or the "people pleasing syndrome"? Do you tend to look for love in all the wrong places? Do you lack confidence and have trouble asserting yourself? Do you have trust issues? Do you harbor feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and self-doubt, or become depressed, anxious, bitter, angry, or resentful? If so, you're not alone......

I have been a licensed clinician since 1997. I have lots of experience with others’ crises and trauma as I have had my own and was graciously helped in the 1980s by a wonderful L.C.S.W. who worked for Kaiser. I was so grateful for her approach and kindness, and ability to help me through my difficulties at the time. I went to Cal State Long Beach to obtain my Bachelor’s degree in social work, a B.S.W. completed in 1990, and then onto graduate school to get an M.S.W. in 1993. My approach is similar to my therapist’s one that helped me.

Hi there, I'm Alexis, a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 20 years of experience. I help individuals with anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, self esteem, relationship issues, adolescent/teen issues, and more. In my practice, I use motivational interviewing, a goal-directed technique that allows my client to explore and discover the possibility of changes within one’s self. I use a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral, Solution-Focused, Narrative, Family systems, Existential, Psychodynamic, Acceptance, and Commitment therapy. By focusing on the positives, my clients can start to see the progress they are making.

Life can get overwhelming sometimes and what we may need is someone to listen and help us work through those life challenges. I Identify as a Latina, female therapist, who is bilingual (English/Spanish) I work with adolescents, adults, and older adults, of diverse cultural backgrounds. I believe in providing a safe, secure, and calming space. I incorporate a variety of therapeutic approaches including, a strengths-based approach, trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy, exposure therapy, meditation, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, as well as cognitive behavioral (CBT).

Making the decision to see a therapist can be difficult and confusing. Therapy might be new to you, or asking for help is not what you do, but then we find ourselves overwhelmed by our work, relationships, and/or current climate. Then the thought of therapy comes into place. Together can can identify a unique approach to therapy and process that can help provide you with strategies, skills, and hope.

Do you feel anxious? Do you find it difficult to sleep? Does your mind race? Or, do you struggle with feelings of sadness? Do you want someone to help you find your way? It is possible to calm your heart and mind. It is possible to learn new ways of thinking and handling life events. You can find peace.

Hi there, I'm Daniel (Dan)! I have experience working with many different populations. From the most impoverished to the most successful. One common theme among people is how our emotions can affect our behavior in unpredictable ways. Most people already know the answers to their problems. By talking about themselves in a safe environment, and with appropriate feedback and questions, they start to solve their own problems.

Your fears, your anxieties and your self-doubts come from a deep desire to be seen, known and loved. When you can quiet that fear and connect to your story, you can find a path to what you most need in life. The story you tell yourself has the power to motivate you, transform you and move you to action or it can limit you, undermine you and close you off to future possibilities. Telling and owning your story and loving yourself through the process is the bravest thing you will ever do. More importantly, it frees you to write a new ending.

A strong therapeutic relationship is founded by offering an environment that is non-judgmental, open, supportive and is collaborative. I work as a team with you, to encourage and help you reduce unwanted thoughts, worries, feelings of hopelessness and to make positive changes in your life. Through the process, you and I will explore the past, current stressors and worries that impact you today. I will work with you to build effective coping skills, build new opportunities and possibilities, while allowing you to grow, change, enlighten and bring balance to your life.