Therapists in Laguna Niguel, CA

For the past 40 years, I worked in Australia & America as a therapist and educator. I was Director of the Family Therapy Program in Sydney and later worked with the Family Institute at Northwestern University. Since I am also a writer, I see you as the main character in your personal story called to face & transform adversity into personal happiness. I help individuals overcome anxiety & depression & help couples improve communication, resolve conflict, and increase love & intimacy. I am the co-author of "Power Tools for Men: A Blueprint for Healthy Masculinity" & co-author of "Fighting for Love: Turn Conflict into Intimacy."

My ideal clients are adult victims of the repercussions of childhood trauma, war veterans, work stress issues, end of life, relational problems. I work especially well with men in retirement and those caught in the fight/ flight/ freeze response that shuts down their limbic system resulting in physical illness, anger/ dispare, dysfunctional memories, insomnia, dissociation and gross negative thinking. I focus particularly on working with men of all ages. Those who get caught in male stereotypes hide their pain and hurt resulting in loneliness, addiction especially men experiencing allenation from families, work in later life.

I kept my office open during the COVID Crisis but when it ended people did not want to come to an office. I simi-retired & work through Zoom. I have lowered my fee to reflect the benefit of working online. While it is not my preferred way of working with clients, it allows me to continue to work. I left Saddleback Church where I was the Pastor of Pastoral Care for 17+years. I've been a licensed marriage & family counselor for 35+ years. I respect the fact that everyone needs to make a personal decision about their faith but I do approach therapy using Christian perspectives & values.

Learn to have more satisfying relationships with others by improving your relationship with yourself. Living a balanced life, mind, body and spirit, allows us the opportunity to grow and become the best that we can be and symptoms will be reduced. I work with couples, individuals and adolescents and enjoy watching people make positive changes in their lives and experiencing success in reaching their goals. Whatever your goal may be, if you believe you can achieve!

I love helping people get healthy and successful through coaching, counseling and interventions, and I truly care about my clients. I am well known for getting results, that's why many of my clients include therapists, physicians, CEO's, attorneys, and dentists. I will guide you or your loved one to achieve major breakthroughs in relationships, career, finances, spiritual life, emotional life and health and wellness. And, if you have a loved one affected by addiction or mental health issues, I would be honored to do an intervention to get them into treatment, and provide counseling services to help prevent relapse after treatment.

Feeling overly stressed, disconnected in relationships or just going through a down turn can be very uncomfortable. If you are struggling to figure your situation on your own, I can provide hope, connection and strategies to address current stressors as well as behavior patterns that may have started in childhood. Seeking a therapist thats a good fit for you can be stressful as well. Great things can happen when you do find the right fit. This is very important to me. I am down to earth, experienced in life and have a talent for bringing out the best in people.

I am looking for clients that are ready to get to work and make lasting change possible in their lives. My style is centered on creating a direct partnership with my clients in order to make change happen rather than continue to sit in the problem. I am very well versed in working with all aspects of addiction, anxiety, depression, life changes, sexual abuse, trauma & PTSD, and day to day living concerns, to name a few, for all individuals, couples & families.

Please click on the website button on this page to be directed to my preferred website for more information on my practice. I provide a safe and non-judgmental environment for my clients. I believe that my job as a therapist is to work in a partnership with clients in learning more about themselves, resolving past pain and then achieving personal happiness. Personal growth and happiness is a goal that is unique to each individual. I offer a solution-focused approach to therapy and I utilize cognitive-behavioral techniques to help my clients reach their goals.

Welcome! You might be here because you need some support in your life, some guidance, navigation, focus, or just someone to talk with. We face demands of work, family, marriage, and relationships daily. Add in financial, personal, and societal pressures to the mix, and life can definitely get overwhelming. Well, you took the first step to taking care of you by seeking help and support. It takes courage to take that first step, and I am so glad you did.

For the past 20 years, I have worked in Hospitals, Inpatient and Outpatient, Eating Disorder Clinics, a Women and Children's Domestic Violence Crisis Shelter, non-profit counseling centers for families and in an extremely challenging College setting with ages 17-65.In my private practice I see Individuals, couples, children and families. My experience working in numerous settings with people from diverse backgrounds with mild to severe mental health issues, has helped me develop a level of professional competence to help you and your family members with the highest level of care. Your well-being is my highest priority.

Having been a therapist for over thirty years, I love being able to make a difference in people's lives. My mission is to get my patients better as quickly as possible. Although I do long term therapy,the majority of my patients significantly improve in less than ten visits. Treating adults and children, I work with relationships,families,and individuals. As the clinical supervisor of THE HOPE INSTITUTE,I am experienced in treating teens and their families. Typical problems of teens include chemical dependency,Attention Deficit Disorder, Bipolar Disorder,Oppositional Defiant Disorders, Conduct Disorders,Academic Problems,behavior problems.

I work collaboratively with individuals, couples and families to create a path toward specific goals for therapy. Throughout the years I have worked with people from all different walks of life, and I believe in the importance of individualizing treatment to each person and their experiences. I have extensive knowledge of eating disorders and have assisted people of all ages in better understanding and overcoming their disordered eating behaviors. I understand how alcohol and drug addiction, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and trauma can leave you feeling disconnected from parts of yourself and others.

I am a firm believer in thorough evaluation early on in the therapy process. I frequently use my expertise in psychological testing to assist in this diagnostic process to ensure the most effective and appropriate treatments are used. While the human condition allows for great challenges and pain, it also allows for miraculous opportunities for healing and growth. Therapy is a collaborative relationship. I focus treatment on a combination of providing information, skill building, and evidence based treatments. Being tech-interested also helps me connect with younger clients, and bridge the gap of resistance to change or getting help.

You may have bouts of depression, panic attacks, anxiety, or PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). You may have difficulties in your relationships or want a relationship but have challenges attaching. Or maybe you struggle with addictive behaviors. And you struggle with understanding why you have these symptoms and what to do with them. Together, we can explore this and decrease your symptoms. Through therapy with me, you can get to healing. I have had the privilege of working with many clients since I started practicing in 1996. And you can get to healing or a better place in your life, as so many of my clients have.

Are you experiencing some challenges in your life, my goal as your therapist is to help you work through these obstacles. I enjoy and have 15 years of clinical experience helping individuals and families achieve their goals. I work with a variety of issues and accept most insurance plans. I am a results oriented therapist, and the majority of my clients significantly improve in less than 8 visits.

As a seasoned therapist, I specialize in helping couples find a deeper connection, repair rupture, and define meaningful and realistic goals for their relationship. I also specialize in collaborating with individuals to achieve desired outcomes. I am an expert in my field and not an expert in your life. Therefore, I will work hard to help you understand your intuitive self and guide you to a path of healing on your own journey.

SAVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP!!! I am a Marriage and Family therapist since 1997, specializing in couples therapy and marriage counseling, relationship counseling and conflict resolution strategies, individual therapy, depression symptoms, PTSD, anxiety, and moving beyond trauma issues resulting from abuse or an accident. I will help you to find the joy in your relationship and your personal life. I mix traditional therapy with a heart-full approach and teach couples and individuals how to trust their intuition and know themselves. I am supportive of alternative lifestyles/gay/lesbian. Marriage & Family Therapist, Couples Counseling, Marriage Counselor, Individual Therapy, Conflict Resolution, PTSD Symptoms, Laguna Hills, Orange County,CA.

Helping you find your path, your reasons, and desires are the focus of my treatment approach. I believe treatment is a path and together we can walk along your discoveries to recover from addiction, that is my commitment to you. I have extensive experience in addiction counseling/co-occurring disorders. I believe in the disease model of addiction and the family model, and recognize that by strengthening the family structure, families live healthier lives. I also recognize that addictions can be a learned behavior which can be controlled. For that, I view the 12 step model as support for treatment.

In our work together we will maintain a comfortable, respectful atmosphere while exploring your concerns and tailoring an approach that fits your specific needs. In a world that can divide us, I work with people to focus on the positive attributes in their relationships and to explore forgiveness for the mistakes that are made along the relational journey. I have over 25 years of clinical experience working with couples, individuals and families. I am an educator of Marriage, Family Therapy at Pepperdine University where I have worked for 30 years as their Manager of MA Clinical Training and Professional Development. Call Today