Teletherapy for Kearny Mesa - San Diego, CA

I help people, especially entrepreneurs, have better relationships, resolve painful memories (I'm certified & train in EMDR), embrace who they are, and decrease anxiety. I adjust my approach to fit your needs and preferences. Expert in transgender, immigration, and trauma evaluations. Advanced in trauma, addiction, relationships, and mindfulness (I write about them on Psychology Today). You can usually expect change in 2-8 sessions. As a psychology doctor and professor, I’m updated on the latest research, and am dedicated, caring, and collaborative. You should feel understood, hopeful, and safe in your confidential therapy.

I am interested in wellness and holistic approaches to therapy. My work focuses on helping my clients achieve growth. Growth can take many forms in one's life such as: improved relationships, improved sense of self, transition across barriers, achievement of goals, career success, reduction of painful/unwanted symptoms, etc. My approach focuses on understanding the core of suffering and stagnation while uncovering what stands in the way of growth. I now provide Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy as a optional compliment to therapy.

Anxiety leaving you feeling worry, overwhelmed, fear, or nervousness? Fighting an uphill battle with depression? Have you found yourself isolating due to fear of judgment by others? Struggling with the unrealistic expectations from work leaving you stress and burnout? Feeling disconnected from yourself, questioning your worth? You are deserving of support and healing, and I'm here to be a support on your journey to a brighter, more connected self. Whether your goals are to learn new skills, navigate life changes, or heal; I'm here to serve as a guide to support you in attaining your goals confidently and with resilience.

My approach is based on neuro-developmental, psychodynamic and attachment theories, with a strong focus on creativity and self-empowerment.

I believe that each person has a unique purpose. Life presents with situations where depression, addiction, anxiety, eating too much, eating too little, low self-esteem, and no self-identity can distract a person from finding this unique purpose. I like to explore a variety of issues that keep you from experiencing your purpose in life and help you find your meaning and make sense of that meaning.

Do you sometimes feel like you can never be your true self? Do you desire to simply be who you are and not who everyone else expects you to be? Do you frequently feel lost in the complex social expectations often held toward gender and sexuality? For many people, these expectations can feel limiting and incompatible with their felt sense of who they are as a person. Whether you're dealing with assumptions or societal pressure to conform, I can help you navigate these hurdles and develop the tools and skills you need to live a more fulfilling and joyful life.

Are you seeking a warm, friendly and safe environment where you can be your authentic self? As the founder and owner of Affirming Therapy Center (ATC), my goal is to cultivate and provide this place. Even though my clinical caseload is full and I am no longer accepting new clients, I’m happy to help you with finding a good match for a therapist. There are several clinicians at ATC who are all under my clinical supervision and/or consultation and available right away to get started.

It is possible to create lasting change and build the life you want for yourself. In today’s on-the-go culture, it’s easy to feel swept up in the current of productivity and success, leaving little room to slow down, replenish, and heal. This often results in overwhelming stress, anxiety, or depression that interferes with holistic wellness, happiness, and experience of being. With compassion, curiosity, and a non-judgmental approach, I can help you develop skills to ride the tides of your emotional waves instead of being swept into the storm that brews when attempting to numb, avoid, repress, or deny feelings.

Do you want to live a more pleasure-positive life? Don’t allow stigma, guilt, or judgment to hold you back from the life you crave and the love you deserve. Sexual pleasure is a birthright. If you’re looking to create more intimacy in your life and relationships, I offer affirming care for you as a whole person. As a member of the LGBTQ community and a kink identified therapist with over 15 years of study and work in sexual health, I am familiar with the thriving spectrums of Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) and the many ways in which love can be both offered and received in relationships.

Is your relationship in trouble? Does your relationship feel dull and lifeless? Are you at the beginning of a new relationship and want to make sure this one works out? We all need to learn how to make relationships work. There are a few things you need to know. 1. All relationships go through a cycle, and one of those cycles includes conflict. Yes, conflict is supposed to happen because it helps us grow and heal. 2. All those great feelings you had at the beginning were because of hormones, and they don't last. 3. You are in this relationship because you hold the key to each other's healing. I can help create a safe environment.

Do you feel stuck in your patterns of thought and behavior? Do you feel like there must be a better way to live as an individual and in relationships? Do you struggle to live with the impacts of depression, anxiety, or ADHD? You are not alone and I'm here to help. So much of how you experience yourself, others, and the world can be understood through experiences you had within your family, school, and culture. Understanding these influences and the ideas that they made reality, can free up space for you to choose your own experiences and relationships.

You have learned early on that you had to keep it together. You are used to being the strong one, putting on a brave face, and pushing your emotions aside so you won't be seen as someone who can't handle it. Often, you find yourself prioritizing others' needs over your own, and it's been quite a while since you truly prioritized self-care. You find yourself in a state of constant exhaustion, both physically and emotionally. The weight of the world seems to rest heavily on your shoulders. Deep down, there's a part of you that yearns to rediscover yourself, to speak your truth, and to break free from self-doubt.

The core value of Affirming Therapy Center (ATC) is in our name. “Affirming” is both the nature and the goal of ATC’s work as a dedicated resource supporting Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) in California. This core value is embodied by providing you with professional, open-minded care in a space that acknowledges and celebrates your unique personhood and distinct challenges. You are welcome and valued here.

Dr. Max Doshay believes it is of utmost importance to treat all patients holistically and examine all levels of their functioning. Incorporating a variety of evidence-based assessment methods such as the WAIS IV, MMPI 3, WRAML 3, TAT, Vineland Adaptive Scales, and Bender Visual Spatial Gestalt Test (and more!), Dr. Max and his team can help tailor an individualized treatment plan through Neuropsychological Evaluations that meets the patient’s specific wants and needs instead of applying a “one size fits all” therapeutic technique used by many in the mental health industry.

Reaching out for help can be challenging for many. As psychotherapy aims at positive changes you desire, I am honored to provide a safe place for your self-exploration and reflection in which you can gain your inner peace and change you long for. Being specialized in trauma, PTSD, sexual abuse and domestic violence, I can offer some resolution in your trauma work. Trauma can penetrate not only your emotional well-being but also almost every facet of your life. My warm and peaceful presence would guide you through an effective treatment you deserve. My other specialties include performance anxiety, and psychological impotence (ED).

Hello! My name is Cody Elder. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 7 years of experience in primary substance use, dual diagnosis, and primary mental health treatment. I feel the best tool in the therapeutic experience is the relationship and a strong teamwork element to therapy. I typically work with clients who are struggling with life transitions, grief, loss of sense of purpose, and needing help in building tools to allow them to discover their own capabilities.

It is so courageous to be human, especially for QTBIPOC folx. The freedom to be or express ourselves can feel impossible. The big emotions with life transitions and internal crises can be overwhelming. The pressures of family and cultural expectations can make you feel lost or inadequate. The confusion of answering existential questions: “Who am I?” or “Why am I like this?” can be a never ending spiral. We are not meant to navigate our humanness alone. Together, we can hold the tenderness and expansion of life. I am a queer Khmer Filipinx gender fluid person with roots from the Central Valley of CA.

I enjoy working with clients from all backgrounds. I believe therapy is a collaborative process with the overall goal to achieve healthier balance and desired goals. Life has many challenges and we can all benefit from some support and guidance during difficult times in our lives. In my practice, I have worked extensively with individuals, couples, and adolescents. I work with the insights gained in therapy so clients feel validated and accepted, in their journey to achieve the lives they want to lead.

You have found a safe, judgment-free space for kinksters, non-monogamists, swingers, and people with otherwise “alternative” relationship structures, dynamics, and roles to discuss issues of sexuality and identity. As a gay, kinky, queer therapist, I understand the complexities and importance of relationships - both with each other and with ourselves. If you experience disordered eating, we will work together, utilizing the Healthy at Every Size (HAES) approach, to holistically heal and restructure your overall mindset toward food and your physical body. Because bodies of all sizes deserve to be loved and respected.