Marriage Counseling Therapists in Aptos, CA

I believe that people come into counseling or psychotherapy for a variety of reasons from loss to personal growth. Change and transitions can be difficult. I bring a unique blend of over 25 years of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Professor of Psychology, and California state provider of continue education for therapists and social workers. I believe we are on our path of personal growth. Fear, anxiety, and depression can both slow and inform this process. I work in the here and now, but realize the importance of how our childhood experience has impacted the way we feel, think, and behave.

Are you tired of facing the same struggle, over and over again? The same marriage problems...the same anxious feeling when you wake up and go to sleep...the same stress that never leaves you in peace...the same sense of hopelessness and loneliness. You've tried to feel better - to improve things - but nothing ever changes and you're right back where you started. I can help. I specialize in helping people to leave behind the struggles, patterns and habits that keep their lives stuck on repeat, opening the door to a life of connection, wholeness and peace.

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!

Often life presents us with difficulties and painful challenges. I can help whether your intention is to heal from past or current emotional struggles or to improve relationships. Together we can explore your strengths as well as your difficulties to find solutions. I work with individuals, couples, and families to strengthen relationships and improve communication. I have a strong appreciation for diversity and believe each individual has unique gifts. I am skilled in responding to your individual needs with compassion and respect.

I have a passion for working with people who are hurting and trying to figure out how to cope with life's struggles. I do not believe we are meant to barely survive, just getting by, day to day. I believe we are meant to thrive and find ways to enjoy life, even when going through hard times. I also believe mental illness such as depression is a healing emotion alerting us something must change in order to nurture our self. I would love to meet you and see if we make a good fit.

I love helping people realize how good they really are rather than staying stuck in their low self-esteem. To be blunt, I’m a smart, deeply experienced, super kind, caregiving Coach. What I really love to do is help women and men solve their anxieties and recover their joy. My goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. If you're looking for extra support and help through a challenging situation or you are just ready to move in a new direction in your life, I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

I am a strength-based psychotherapist committed to the unique process of each client and each therapeutic moment. I work with a balanced approach between a solution-focused, positive psychology and the deeper work of existential, psychodynamic or mindfulness-based interventions. I specialize in life and developmental transitions where symptoms such as anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, or triggered trauma increase in intensity and frequency and threaten that which we cherish. But I view the nagging presence and awareness of our problems as proof that we are ready and capable of dealing with them.

Sometimes we need extra help when facing particularly painful, overwhelming, or puzzling situations. By setting aside a dedicated time and place in which to bring your full attention (and mine) to the task of sorting out what pains or blocks you, you give yourself the best opportunity to craft the life you wish to live. In the company of a skilled practitioner, the process of therapy can help you work through old patterns and address the challenges at hand. You can experience a greater sense of meaning, purpose, and peace in your life and in your relationships.

I help people through difficult times and growth periods in their lives and have been counseling professionally since 2002. My education includes Sonoma State University, University of Southern California and John F. Kennedy University. Through over three decades of work in various businesses and counseling situations I understand a diverse range of viewpoints, needs and desires. When someone is in a challenging time in their life, they need a compassionate and non-judgmental, yet direct and experienced professional to illuminate the path and bring clarity to a situation.

Without mincing words, I'm a very good therapist and I love my job. With 28 years experience at 3 youth and adult clinics, including 10 years now in private practice, I've met with such a variety of people in about 34,224 sessions over this time! Educated at Harvard, Penn and CA State Chico, I have remarkable ability to see through a person's upset to your wonderful spirit and strengths. I'm a great detective at identifying the core issues. I'm romantic at heart, so I love getting people through difficult periods to come out shining! I congratulate you for your courage in seeking help. Call Me!

My commitment to all my clients is to provide empathy, compassion, and curiosity in order to support authentic expression of feelings and needs. The path towards authentic expression is unique to the individual depending on their background, their experience with therapy and their specific therapeutic goals and so I offer various therapeutic interventions, to support authentic self expression and healing. I value both the exploration of one's past as well as here and now functioning through mindfulness practice. Using a holistic approach and focusing on the client's strengths and insights, the journey towards wholeness begins.

Hello, thank you for taking the time to see if I am a good fit for you as a therapist. Helping people discover their own solutions to improve their lives is truly rewarding for me. I will help you find your path to these solutions. I offer a safe and accepting space in which we explore the issues that challenge you in the present and how that may relate to emotional burdens of the past. Together we work to heal old wounds so that they no longer negatively impact decisions, relationships, or patterns of behaviors in your present life.

Are you ready to transform your life and your relationships? To pick up the pieces and reassemble them in a more beautiful way? To explore issues related to sexuality, partnership, and family? By reclaiming the forgotten parts of the self, we move towards wholeness. It is time to make peace with the past, learn to live in the present, and gain clarity of vision for a future worth living. By turning towards our suffering in a safe environment, we can transform our wounds into a source of beauty and strength. It is possible to live a life deeply connected to ourselves, our families, our loved ones, and the Earth.

Are you suffering from the effects of trauma in your life? Are you finding that talk therapy alone is not shifting patterns of mood and behavior? I am a holistic psychotherapist with specialized training in Somatic Experiencing and the Neuro-Affective Relational Model. You may feel as though you don't know who you are any more, that life has become burdensome, or maybe you have the sense that you were never really your authentic self to begin with. Perhaps you experience physiological and behavioral symptoms such as addiction, overwhelm, and isolation. This loss of connection to self/other is indicative of trauma. I can help you.

I believe the purpose of counseling is to give you a place to honor and express all of your feelings especially when events don't occur in your life as planned. I look forward to talking with you about how you are feeling, and as equally important, how you would like to feel. I counsel adults and couples.

Thank you for viewing my profile. We live in tense and uncertain times and it's easy to get charged up and react in ways that maybe we shouldn't have. Part of my work is to help individuals and couples reduce emotional reactivity that may be causing problems. I often help people examine thoughts and misperceptions that color the way that we see the world and that effect our relationships. Did you grow up during the Cold War era? Are today's occurances in Europe triggering anxieties that you thought were long past and gone for good? You are not alone.

In a fast-paced world full of distractions, it's easy to become overwhelmed, run-down, and to feel disconnected from yourself and others. When this happens, it's important to slow down to reassess and recalibrate before moving forward. Emotional health is just as important as physical, and therapy can be a way to not only learn tools to regain stability and overcome obstacles but to discover and resolve the root causes of these difficulties. People sometimes find themselves uncertain about starting therapy. My goal is to create a safe space where you feel supported and heard as we work together to nurture your growth.

All of us struggle at times in our lives and need extra suppport. I offer a warm and nurturing enviornment to support healing and growth. I work with a variety of modalities including Cognative Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, along with depth work modalities such as Object Relations Therapy. I help people deal with issues in relationships, addictions, self esteem, depression, anxiety, grief/loss, anger and adjustment, along with a variety of other issues. I work with families, couples and individuals, including adolesents and children. Please feel free to call me to discuss your specific needs.

I am passionate about supporting couples, families, adolescents, and adults to nurture their strengths and to discover areas where growth and healing is possible. My holistic approach to therapy aims to empower you to make peace with past traumas, to clear obstacles in the pursuit of happiness, and to become more fulfilled in life!