Somatic Therapists in 90740

There is no one approach to psychotherapy that is right for everyone.  As your therapist, I will take a highly individualized approach to the work that we do by starting with a comprehensive approach to understanding your unique circumstances and goals.  My work is always guided by the  principles of a psychodynamic approach, is informed by a wide range of psychoanalytic theories and is grounded in the wisdom of somatic experiencing.

My clients are often those who want to understand their ADHD or autism better, who have been dehumanized by treatment professionals in the past, who are frustrated by vague therapy answers, who fear they are "too much" or "too different". Overall, those who want to find the beauty in the darkness rather than denying the darkness, and who want to sit crooked and talk straight. I have particular passion for serving those with complex body relationships due to trauma, gender dysphoria, body image disturbance, disability, and systemic oppression.

I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, and hold a PhD in Somatic Psychology (body psychology). This unique combination of credentials facilitates a focus on clients' cognitive process as well as mind-body health. I work with a diverse client base including women, men, couples and gender-diverse individuals on relationship and sexuality issues. My treatment specialties include: recovery of sexual health after sexual trauma, sexless marriages/relationships, compulsive sexuality (often called "addiction") and non-traditional sexual expression including fetishes and redefining monogamy.

Healing cannot occur in isolation and as your therapist I will support and guide you on your path. I am a Holistic Psychotherapist in private practice for over 15 years. I was classically trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy but my style has evolved over the years to be more humanistic and includes various treatment modalities including Somatic Experiencing.I have a special affinity for working with adults who have survived childhood trauma including sexual abuse, physical abuse and developmental trauma. My practice also focuses on supporting women in their journey through motherhood, mood disorders, and relational therapy

Personal discovery and growth is one of life's greatest challenges but also provides one of life's greatest rewards. Through my own healing journey to address childhood trauma, I did many years traditional talk therapy. While I found this to be helpful, it wasn’t until I discovered somatic experiencing (SE) therapy that I began to experience a deep settling in my body and mind in a relatively short period of time. This settling of the nervous system can lead to a newfound sense of feeling present and engaged in life. One gains more capacity to experience positive emotions, tolerate negative emotions without becoming overwhelmed.

I enjoy working with adults and couples from the diverse background. I specialize in working with API clients struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, unresolved past trauma, marital/relationship challenges, navigating identity, life transitions, grief, and intergenerational trauma. I specialize in helping interracial couples to repair/improve their connection and communication. I'm bilingual with English and Japanese, and can offer sessions in either or both languages. I understand how the interplay between our cultural identity and family background can play an important role in our experience of the world.

I understand the importance of needing to feel understood and seen. When therapy is successful, we often will experience a greater sense of spaciousness inside ourselves, freedom from our own judgments, and are reminded that confronting our pain won’t destroy us. The goal is not a short-term fix but instead a long-term shift that brings forth feelings of empowerment, resiliency, and a confidence that our brains and our lives can change. As a consequence of shifting our relationship to ourselves and to our pain, the uncomfortable symptoms often associated with anxiety, trauma, and depression begin to dissolve and loosen their grip.

I specialize in supporting individuals through journeys of life transitions, family building (foster care, adoption, or reproductive medicine), aging, grief/loss, and trauma. I support you as you learn to navigate challenges brought on by significant life events, look for the lessons hiding in such challenges, and find your way back to your heart amidst them. It is always a privilege and honor to walk alongside you as you seek to live life consciously - growing, living, or aging with purpose.

Are you looking to find support for yourself or your child but don't know where to start? Struggling with overwhelm and shutting down instead of feeling productive and joyful? I specialize in working with anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-esteem. I'm here to provide effective and compassionate support that goes beyond listening and decreasing superficial symptoms. I tailor my approach to everyone's unique needs, using evidence-based modalities including EMDR, CBT, play therapy, and expressive arts.

Sometimes our life experiences lead us astray from our true nature which may cause unwanted struggles and allow false beliefs to dictate how we show up in the world. If you are experiencing difficulties in your life or problems with your relationships and want to create a healthier life that brings you peace, joy, purpose, and fulfillment, I welcome the opportunity to support you. I have great admiration for those who choose transformation. I know the strength, courage, and vulnerability it takes to live and express as your authentic self. It is not easy, but with the proper support and guidance, positive growth is possible.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and stuck? Everyday life is hard to manage? You know something has to change but you're not sure where to begin? Have you experienced trauma or painful moments that seem hard to control and let go? At this point you've probably noticed challenges in your relationships and work or school. It may be hard to see but there is a life in which you wake up feeling good and excited about what you can do compared to dreading what you have to do. Working through these challenging times can be the key to creating the life you want. I'm here to help you find calm, focus, and control in your life again.

You’ve been putting everything into your job and relationships since you can remember and you are TIRED. Tired of saying yes when you already have too much on your plate, tired of the exhausting task of managing other people’s lives, and just plain tired of not having enough room for YOU in your life. It’s been so long since you prioritized your own needs that you aren’t even sure what having time for yourself would look like or how to get it. Part of you is terrified that people won't like you if you start saying no to their requests and part of you even feels guilty delegating some of these tasks.

Are you are a parent struggling with a child? Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed or lost? Maybe you are in a relationship that feels broken and you want to find healing, but don't know where to begin? Is your past keeping you burdened? It might feel like you have tried everything and have not made progress. Together, we will guide you back towards rediscovering a purposeful existence. My goal is to help you feel calm and a sense of relief by reducing your symptoms as quickly as possible. I will tailor your treatment so we can achieve your goals and meet your specific needs.

Being human is hard. Sometimes, it can feel like we’re running in circles or sleepwalking through life on auto-pilot with racing thoughts that clutter the mind and paralyze the spirit. Overwhelmed by the weight of emptiness in the heart, but possibly already skipping or spiraling ahead to the next step to carry on with the performance of this existence because “everything is fine.” The show must go on, right? There may be limitations and even detrimental consequences to filling the void with excessive distractions. How did too much become never enough?

I have provided mental health services for a wide variety of disorders and diverse populations of children and adults for over 20 years. I am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in multiple states. I use a holistic approaches to facilitate therapeutic change. I infuse my work with elements from evidenced-based interventions, behavioral, cognitive, experiential and psychodynamic therapies, and art therapy. My therapeutic work facilitates the individuals' desired changes using traditional and non-traditional methods, such as art therapy, EMDR, neurofeedback, mindfulness, and interpersonal process therapy.

If you're reading this it is because you have the courage to seek guidance and support to deal with the current challenges in your life. Therapy creates an opportunity to find healthy ways to cope, to empower and to heal. I work with individuals experiencing depression and or anxiety. Life presents problems that we see as obstacles but they can also be opportunities for growth and change. Therapy helps see solutions and options and to learn how to make better choices for yourself and your loved ones. In addition, because animals are an important part of my life and maybe yours, I offer consultations and letters for support animals.

I have experience in inpatient and outpatient settings working with eating disorders, addictions, depression and anxiety, and trauma. I understand and respect the mind-body connection and how it can be an avenue for healing and change.I see the therapeutic relationship as a partnership and I provide a safe, comfortable and compassionate space. This space allows individuals to openly explore thoughts, emotions and behavior patterns, while learning to express emotions and relieve distress in a healthy way. I balance this with an authentic and direct approach which guides and challenges clients to move forward in their growth process.

Palm Desert individual, couples and family counseling offered in a warm and comfortable environment! We help individuals and couples work through difficult life processes in a nurturing and loving way. We assist your process offering effective communication practices and tools to work through even the most difficult situations. We specialize with mental health counseling in Palm Desert and Long Beach dealing with infidelity, blended family difficulties, life transition, anger management, substance abuse and dependence, and healthy communication practices. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sometimes life can get complicated.We can get overwhelmed by people, work, and life events, and it seems this bombardment of people, places and things, never lets up. We do our best to manage it all, but in the end we are still emotionally distressed, and sometimes severely.The old ways of coping with it all no longer work. It's time to STOP FOCUSING ON THE PROBLEM AND START FOCUSING ON THE CHANGE. It's time to take your life back and be in control of your well-being. TIME TO BEGIN CRAFTING AND ACTUALIZING LIFE'S MEANING (C.A.L.M. THERAPY)