Therapists in Ventura County, CA

Therapy is learning to use yourself as source for truth. It is my honor to be able to support and guide my clients through this process. I hold the perception that we are all creative beings who are artists of our own lives. I believe that every individual has a unique blueprint and a unique way of living. When we paint with the colors that ignite our truest essence, we become tuned and we attract what is in alignment with us. Yet to do so, we must know and understand ourselves. It is in this impactful space where we can find tremendous healing, growth and elevation.

Fuck! Is this as good as it gets? I know the “happily ever after” thing is a bit of a fairy tale, but I never imagined that in marrying the person of my dreams I would one day be dreaming for someone/something more. Sex has become an obligation… a transaction to keep the peace. The desire for passion is imprisoned in my dreams and fantasies… it is not present in my relationship from either of us. We could keep going like this, raise our kids, take vacations once a year… I’m sure things will be fine! But is it bad to say…I want more than FINE! I want fucking Fantastic! This was a chat I had with a client during a recent consult call.

I allocate my time and practice between two specific and unique issues: one being sexually related problems, the other being OCD. With sexually related issues, they can show up as relationship problems, infidelity, arousal discrepancy, or LGBT matters. Likewise, with OCD, there are many different forms and subtypes: harm, scrupulosity, contamination, sexual, symmetry/order/balance/just right. I am trained and experienced in both fields, utilizing tools and interventions to treat one or the other, and sometimes both.

As a person deeply rooted in relationship dynamics, I am passionate and committed to helping my clients explore their growth potential, both in relationships and individually. By nurturing insight and providing consistent support, you will have the opportunity to work at your own pace and work through issues that you feel are impacting your full potential. I provide Individual, Couples, and Family therapy.

My approach to therapy is active and direct, yet compassionate. Together, we will explore to find solutions that will bring you positive change and happiness. I work using a variety of modalities including EMDR, psychodynamic, and DBT in order to customize your treatment for maximum and lasting results.

I am Cheri McDonald Ph.D., LMFT, PATP, a creative visionary with a passion for healing individuals, families, and communities. Drawing from my 35-year private psychotherapy practice at A Place To Turn, I've cultivated wisdom and knowledge that form the foundation of my Holistic Integral Training (HIT). This modality leads to profound, long-lasting healing in the mind, body, and spirit. I stand as a holistic leader and mentor in the mental health realm. With the transformation of the world today and the increasing need to provide healing for the most complex times, I have founded Alternative Place 2 Turn, LLC..

I work with all adults, and I have extensive training in working with couples. You can create a satisfying relationship regardless of your childhood, past injuries, or current circumstances. A new relationship requires new strategies and tools that can be learned. They are proven strategies that will help you maximize shared happiness and minimize distress. Your problems are opportunities. Even a crisis can be the motivation to learn the right tools to succeed. You can heal and learn and make dramatic positive shifts in your relationship.

I welcome you to contact me directly. We can take the opportunity to address your needs during a complimentary 15 minute consultation either by phone or in person. Whether self-referred, referred by a friend, colleague, physician or other health professional, i am here to help assess and address your needs collaboratively, working along with you to create a plan to bring relief, improvement and often resolution to your life issues. My goal is to help you clarify and meet your goals. Fees are flexible for those in need. I have recently started to offer services covered by insurance.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist who is here to help if you feel that your (or a friend or family member's) life is off balance. Your privacy will be highly respected in an environment that I am sure you will find tranquil and peaceful, yet clinical enough to treat you with proper diagnosis. Contact me today to receive your free PHONE consultation, to determine if I am the right therapist for you.

Does the distance between you feel unbearable at times? Perhaps you can't find the will or the courage to draw near your partner. Resentment and distrust may have widened the gap. Though reactive fights stand in the way of the tenderness you need, your heartfelt friendship could be just below the surface. Hoping it will get better, we wait to get help, while patterns reinforce distance and a negative view of each other. We become less willing to reveal ourselves or seek comfort and friendship from our most important person. You both really deserve your measure of happiness.

You don't even recognize the person sleeping next to you. You feel so desperate and alone. All you want is to feel the way you felt on your wedding day. You want to know that you have a partner by your side that you can actually rely on. It feels like you are so far away from where you really want to be that you just don't know what to do next. You can't remember the last time you had a real kiss. Not one of those pecks on the lips but a real kiss. Sex and intimacy feels so distant from you. It's so hard to feel like wanting to touch him let alone have sex.

SEXUAL healing: I can listen to any story - those uncomfortable experiences that are hard to talk about, confusion over using sexuality well. The sexual shame. I have heard it before. Come tell me what you haven't been able to say. It's confidential. I help with abuse history, sexual addiction, and issues of couples. I have written books on how to heal sexuality individually or as a couple. Also smart and GIFTED people, understanding how it makes you feel separate, sometimes isolated. This could be because you really are different. I offer group therapy for those going through or have gone through ALPHA Theta and Neurofeedback.

Counseling Center for Sexual Health focuses on the clinical treatment of sexuality-related issues among individuals and couples. Located in Westlake Village, CCSH provides intensive outpatient programs and therapy for sex addiction/sexually problematic behaviors, sexual health concerns and partners impacted by sex addiction in Westlake Village. Jackson Sousa, director of CCSH holds a California Alcohol and Drug Educator certificate and is a certified sexual addiction therapist (CSAT ) and certified sexual addiction therapist supervisor (CSAT-S). Jackson also is an AASECT certified sex therapist (CST), and works with issues such as sexual disorders and dysfunctions, gender identity confusion, and a variety of sexually-related problems.

I have provided therapy for individuals (children K-12 and adults), families, groups, and couple sessions for over ten years. My modality is Cognitive Behavioral which means we believe it is not the event itself but how we perceive and react to the circumstance that may cause a problem. We will explore different possibilities through our session and discover what may serve us the best in pursuing happiness.

When searching for a therapist it's vital that we find someone we can truly trust and believe can help us. Security and comfort with a therapist is very important. When a client finds these features in a therapist then they are better able to set and reach goals to fulfill their dreams and to find their meaning and purpose in life. I provide a warm, safe and supportive environment for clients so they may feel that they are seen and understood. The basis of my work begins with the birth of a secure attachment.

As a licensed professional living in the community for over twenty years, I have had the opportunity to counsel many individuals, couples and families by assisting them to better cope with life's challenges and helping them to improve their personal relationships. In today's stressful and competitive world, raising a family poses unique obstacles. I provide a non-intimidating, nurturing environment where clients can explore their issues and improve their self-esteem. Due to my life experience and professional training, I believe I am highly qualified to help my clients achieve happier, more productive lives.

It's a privilidge to have been in private practice for over twenty years and, dealt with the range of emotional conflicts that we are all are subject to. I specialize in relationship and intimacy issues and can help sort out the complex and challenging experiences we encounter.

It seems brave to me to make a decision to start therapy, to come and open up to a complete stranger. Whether coming to gain life skills as an individual or a couple; Or coming to therapy to process life events as a family or an individual, the one thing on my part most necessary is to listen without judgment or a personal agenda. Working collaboratively, creating a relationship based on trust and empathy is vital. I feel like it is my part to be professional, ethical, and supportive. I specialize in "interpersonal neurobiology" which is an interdisciplinary view of the mind and how it affects how we feel and behave.

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL 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.