EMDR Therapists in Soquel, CA

Hello! I’ve been working with children, teens and adults in a therapeutic context, for over 15 years. I offer emotional, psychological and spiritual support through eco-therapy practices, somatic and transpersonal techniques. I have additional training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), Quantum Healing Hypnosis Therapy, & Plant Spirit Healing. I'm interested in guiding one through a transformative experience while cultivating their present moment awareness in order to emerge and align with one's Higher Self and life purpose.

Being compassionate, non-judgmental, and being down to earth with some humor is my approach to life and my work. Helping people find hope and empowering them to turn life challenges into a positive transformation is my passion. I believe that everyone is capable of change and has the ability within to heal.

Do you get the feeling that there are parts of yourself that are blocking you from the life you want to live? Do you feel like you over-react to common things? Do you sometimes feel that you just can't get past your past? I offer an opportunity for you to change how you see yourself. Challenges can be seen as opportunities for growth. Aspects of the self and experiences that are feared can be understood as windows to greater wisdom. Through this healing, past wounds are seen as openings for understanding to grow.

I provide counseling for people of all ages who are struggling to find peace within themselves. We often find ourselves stuck within the grip of anxiety and depression due to the impact of unresolved trauma. These traumatic events can be either "big" or "small," yet they can interfere with the ability to live and love fully. It is possible to learn to love the unlovable and accept the unacceptable through a growth in awareness and compassion towards all that we are. I specialize in the treatment of trauma using EMDR therapy, the Hakomi Method and a compassionate presence.

I'm an experienced therapist of over 25 years having spent thousands of counseling hours with individuals, couples and groups. Women's issues such as sexual abuse, miscarriage, abortion, traumatic events, marital/relationship issues, depression, anxiety, grief and PTSD - are my specialty. I have counseled hundreds of couples to improve communication, intimacy/connection issues, trust; and to heal from infidelity, addictions and wounds that threaten the relationship. Issues of teens and young adults are important to address early in life: school, career, sexuality, relationships, traumas. Better to get help sooner than later!

Relationships are hard, especially when we are carrying uncomfortable feelings about ourselves and others. It is useful to untangle what you would like and develop an outcome that meets your needs. Then, life will seem easier, and relationships will go more smoothly. It is helpful to identify the early imprints, the parts that are struggling to protect us and to bring trauma to a place where it is simply a memory. Beliefs that have been around forever about us need to be examined and updated.

I support adults, baby boomers, & elders in their move toward HAPPINESS. FREE 15 minute consultation. I invite you to my peaceful, hilltop office to explore & work through feelings of loss/grief, non-acceptance, feeling less-than, life transitions, dissatisfaction, helplessness, & pain. I can help you with empowerment, insight, & moving beyond impeding obstacles. With empathy & sometimes humor, I will guide you through life's crises & challenges. You can learn to stay mindfully in the present, an antidote to fear & helplessness. Life can always be better & we can remember to be thankful for the beauty & the good. I work with individuals & couples.

Therapy is a chance to explore your feelings and thoughts, to gain a better understanding of yourself, and to make positive changes that will allow you to experience life more fully. I will provide a safe environment for your exploration, and draw on my knowledge of theory and technique to help you access untapped or forgotten resources. I believe that through a respectful therapeutic relationship you will be able to explore beliefs that limit your life, and ultimately you will be able to choose, with awareness, how you want to be in the world.

I can help you solve your problems and achieve the quality of life and love that you seek. I believe in your potential and the potential of your relationships to go to the next higher level of functioning. I can help you with practical solutions (behavioral changes) to relationship, career and parenting issues as well as personal issues that lead to anxiety and depression. Insight, emotional healing, and inner wisdom are the deeper forces that you can access in our healing work together. Advanced psychotherapeutic techniques (EMDR Trauma Reduction, Somatic, Transpersonal, Mindfulness) are available as well as supportive, nurturing counseling.

This is my passion and my clients feel at ease with me quickly with my empathy and humor. I help relationship stress, anxiety, PTSD, neurodiversity, grief, recovery from child and narcissistic abuse, finding their true authentic self and passion. I use client-centered Rogers, Kohut, EMDR, Beck and Ellis CBT, DBT. ACT, Jung... I am a Christian and I also respect people with other faiths or no faith. I help therapists, interns too.I am 72 years old and I have been married for 48 years to my beautiful wife singer Christina Purcell and we did individual and couple therapy too. We write songs such as the songs on her CD "Love's Calling."

People experiencing sensitivies, trauma, depression, anxiety, relational challenges or complicated experiences need supportive facilitation. Looking for a way to change patterns that do not support your well-being? Desiring a comfortable and supportive session in which to share intricate and personal experiences and challenges? Ready for positive change and needing some new clarity and tools to navigate in happier ways? In order to make changes we need a safe place to talk about intricate personal matters, help with clarity on what we do wish to experience instead, and facilitation of how to get there. This is available to you now.

Dr. Dufford received specialized training and experience in treating anxiety disorders at the Anxiety Treatment Center with Dr. Bourne, author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Since 1993 Dr. Dufford is director of Anxiety Treatment Services treating Generalized Anxiety, OCD, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety and related issues: addiction, anger, depression, Trichotillomania/Excoriation, relationships, sleep/insomnia, grief and self-esteem. He is a professional member of the California Psychological Association, Obsessive Compulsive Foundation and EMDR International Association. Dr. Dufford is certified as a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Expert in Traumatic Stress and Addictions Counselor.

People experiencing sensitives, trauma, depression, anxiety need supportive facilitation. Compassion, honor of the unique individual, plus methods to navigate positively, heal wounds, make valuable shifts offered. People seek ways to change emotional, spiritual and mental habits internally, while navigating real life difficulties. Respect for uniqueness and privacy given. I have effectively helped people from a vast array of cultural backgrounds with positive life change. Go deeper than talk therapy with tools. IFS, EMDR, hypnotherapy, somatic, expressive arts, cognitive/emotional, spiritual, and additional modalities offered.

I am currently offering in-person and online individual sessions using expressive arts, mindfulness, neurofeedback, EMDR and Ketamine. Artistic expression may be done through an online collage program or with any materials you would like to use. This may include drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, music, movement, writing, photography, role play or any combination of these. The focus is on the creative process as a tool for transformation and manifestation, rather than on the quality of the product.

I believe we all go through difficult periods in our lives where we need someone to talk to who can give clarity, understanding, guidance, tools and support. I love my work and feel honored to help people work through whatever is in their way of living their best lives. The therapeutic relationship is key to the healing process. I meet each client where they are at and build on their strengths, passions & talents to empower them while working through their struggles. When appropriate, I think it is imperative to bring joy and laughter into session.

Walk talk therapy is a unique approach to therapy that combines the benefits of physical activity with the power of conversation. Instead of sitting in a traditional therapy setting, clients and therapists engage in sessions while taking a leisurely walk outdoors. This form of therapy not only provides all the psychological benefits of traditional talk therapy, such as improved mental health and emotional well-being, but it also incorporates the physical benefits of exercise. Walking side by side, clients often find it easier to open up and express their thoughts and feelings.

When a couple comes to see me, there is most often a feeling of safety. Because they know that the model I use for the healing of couples' relationships brings such a high percentage of satisfaction. The model is EFT ( Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples). Even though EFT does not need the teaching of communication skills, I am also, a communication teacher. For the couple and myself, it is always thrilling to see workable interventions that give them more freedom and safety because life is so much easier living within a secure relationship.

Are you needing a safe and confidential place to sort through all that is going on, so that you can create a life of Greater Ease, Choice and Connection? Are you needing new skills to help address your “emotional dysregulation” so you have these tools available when you most need them? Somatically-Attuned Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps you creatively reduce inner criticism, shame and anxiety & reclaim a life of Greater Presence, Clarity & Joy. We will use Parts Dialogue, Expressive Arts, EFT Tapping & Guided Visualization to transform your old, critical limiting beliefs into Authentic Compassion, Love & Self-Appreciation!

My work as a therapist is to create a safe, supportive space for clients to open up, experience life as it is right now, and explore whatever is calling out for attention from within or from outer challenges. This work is empowering to my clients as they connect with a flow of healing and transformation from within themselves and learn new tools for living more fully-tools that they can carry into their lives long after our time together has passed.