Therapists in Santa Rosa, CA

Everything is easier when you feel confident that your partner is in your corner. Sharing the weight of your struggles and amplifying life's joys in what makes relationships worth all the work. Our greatest emotional wounds come from our relationships, and our romantic relationships hold the most healing capacity for not only our collective healing but our individual healing as well. If you're looking for better communication, repairing trust, or throwing out the rulebook and creating your own new paradigm, I'm here to help.

It takes courage to reach out for assistance to deepen or strengthen your own path. I honor that courage & each unique being’s sacred journey. I offer a supportive space and strong container to respectfully attend to your inner world for healing, greater self-knowledge, growth and transformation. I offer presence based, Somatic Psychotherapy for couples, individuals, families, and adolescents. This is a holistic, mindful approach where I work collaboratively with clients of all unique expressions in attending to your sacred inner life for greater awareness, clarity, & empowerment.

If issues of anger, anxiety, depression or grief are barriers to achieving your personal goals or changing behaviors, I would be honored to provide guidance in addressing these issues. My many years of life experience and different careers working with diverse populations have assisted me in developing insight, sensitivity, and compassion toward the struggles along life's path. Allow me to help you process past/current traumas, losses, and resolve your relationship challenges as a couple or family system.

In the current times, with some much going on and so much to think about, we might need to unload and process. I would like to make myself available to individuals who are facing an overwhelm of emotions, thoughts, of feelings, with the hope of helping them find resources to cope and succeed. I like to work with individuals who recognize that their lives could be better if something were different. My approach allows for time-limited therapy. On session 1, I discuss with my clients the length of time that they might have available to offer to the therapeutic process, short and long term goals that they would like to achieve.

Yes! You’re here. You’ve made it this far in your journey of self-discovery and self healing. I would be honored to assist you further. I like to think of a therapist as a spotter during a difficult mountain climb; sometimes you are so in your experience that you can’t see the path right in front of you, and a therapist can shout out “there’s a good foothold to your right!” A therapist has the ability to help you gain or regain your footing, be stronger where you are, or take a different path. My goal is to help you get where you want to go by helping you climb the mountain, together.

In my work with couples, the areas of upset often are a map, pointing us to possibilities of potential growth. Your difficulties can become a catalyst for increased intimacy. It's easy for any couple to get off track in efforts to communicate - slipping into blaming or power struggles, rather than your true communications, which can bring you closer and into deeper intimacy and trust. My job is to work together with you to help you develop skills that help reclaim happiness - communication skills, skills in understanding yourself and your partner, skills for building and rebuilding the life you want .

Navigating life is often challenging for teens & young adults. It is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed by the demands and expectations that are placed on them. However, with the right support this can be an incredibly interesting and exciting time in their lives! I have helped many youth and families find their way and even thrive during this period. Many teens struggle with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, anger-management, family conflict, and traumatic experiences. I focus on improving emotional well-being, enhancing communication with peers and family, and making good decisions regarding relationships and personal safety.

Relationship is regulation dependent. Do you suffer from chronic dysregulation? Do you need support with healthy, connected relationship? I can help you find the peace that you long for. I can assist you in giving and receiving the love that gets pushed away, due to dysregulation and pain. I am adopted. I am an adoptive parent, as well as a step parent. I both live and work with intensive treatment special needs children and families. Childhood developmental complex trauma hits hard; relationships need regulated individuals to be safe and enjoyable. Learning to calm down, be mindful, and enjoy life takes practice and skill.

Welcome. If you are feeling lost, struggling, overwhelmed or currently facing a painfully difficult time, I can help. Experiencing emotional pain and struggling with life issues are part of the process of living. Yet, when we find ourselves stuck in patterns, situations, or relationships that continue to be painful, we ask “Why can’t things be better?” or “What is wrong with me?” and eventually “Can I ever feel happy?” Often these are the issues that propel us to seek therapy. Emotional pain can show up as anger, fear, grief, confusion, anxiety, exhaustion, procrastination, etc. I believe, for change to occur, safety, empathy and respect are essential. I have come to experience an increasing sense of sacredness about our work together. It often takes courage to walk through the therapist’s door for the first time. As healing begins, I am reminded of the resiliency and courage of the human spirit.

As an associate therapist I believe that our wounds can be turned into wisdom. Some of our past experiences hold pain, but that pain can represent insight and growth. I understand that every human is different, treat each individual as a whole, and see every experience as nuanced with many layers. As an associate accruing my hours for licensure, I have found a passion for working with children, teenagers, and young adults. I work to help individuals understand their relationship with themselves and the people around them.

Relationship challenges, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms make daily life a challenge. I work with these common issues among all people, bodies and genders. I currently see individual, couples and non-monogamous partnerships. My orientations are relational, psychodynamic, and somatic. If you want a steady and strong presence, I'm your therapist. I will help you learn to express your needs in a way others can hear it, build self-trust and develop healthier coping mechanisms. We often find meaning in our lives through the process of unravelling struggle and reprocessing trauma. Therapy is a promising route.

I provide guidance towards building trust and balance, by forming a growing alliance with you. Together, we find a pathway to renew your mind/body/spirit connection. We access your inner resources, to create a unified sense of self. If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, fear, isolation, anger, trauma, we pay attention to these signals. We meet vulnerability with a gentle rhythm, so the heart can release these emotions. Our intent is to nurture a relationship to yourself, based on self acceptance, honor and respect. Our focus is to create a feeling of safety within yourself, security in the world, and an opening to wholeness.

We work together to develop awareness, response-ability and the making of more satisfying choices. We may focus on relationships, conflicts, effective communication, boundary handling and adequate expression. Issues such as validation, power and control, trust and intimacy, anxiety, abandonment and loss are met as needed. We shift more deeply from who we thought we had to be to the integrity of what we are. We become more capable of handling feelings & behaviors within ourselves & with others.

We maintain a telehealth Practice in both California and in Oregon. We believe we are all deeply impacted by "systems" in which we function: Family Systems, Community, work, neighborhood, weather, political and medical systems. For many of us economic and social justice systems also impact us in these times. How we function within those changing systems can impact us both emotionally and energetically. We may experience signs of depression, anxiety or suffer from mood changes. Your personal, individual counseling goals are key to this shared journey.

Welcome! If you are perusing this website, it is likely you are seeking meaningful change in your life. Perhaps you struggle with moods, relationship troubles, or traumas that negatively impact your life. As a psychologist, I have worked 16+ years serving many diverse clients, helping them to resolve problems, restore balance in their lives, feel whole again, and express themselves genuinely and skillfully in the world. My therapeutic approach is integrative in that I select from many treatment modalities to bring about positive change.

Are you getting the love and respect that you deserve? Are you suffering from low self esteem which is reflected in your inability to have a nurturing, loving relationship? Do you wish you could stop repeating the same patterns in spite of all the work you have done on yourself? Do you wish you were stronger and more resilient? Would you like to develop the capacity to experience more joy and wellbeing?

Psychotherapy can offer a process to better understand the relationship between our thoughts, feelings (emotions and physiology), and behaviors. I work with people from all walks of life and specialize in treating anxiety, depression, grief/loss, trauma, career/identity issues, and adjustment difficulties related to life transitions and illness. Some of my therapeutic goals include helping clients manage symptoms of distress with healthier coping, improving relationships (with self and others), and exploring the ways in which current problems may be linked to unresolved issues from the past.

My name is Christina Pesce. I specialize in working with Children and Families. I provide therapeutic support to children who struggle with ADHD, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, behavioral challenges, academic or social issues, and major life changes. I engage with clients mainly through Play Therapy, Mindfulness, Sand Tray interventions, and Art Therapy. I bring a playful, warm-hearted, grounded, open and accepting presence to the therapy room, while creating a safe and nurturing environment.

In life we often experience once beautiful relationships that have become strained or distant leaving us feeling depressed, anxious, ineffective or alone. Old anger, boundary issues, financial stress, or pain of loss can leave you at odds with friends, co-workers or the family members you love. As a parent you may feel guilty or overwhelmed as you watch your children struggle with academics, disadvantages, peer relationships or self-esteem. Perhaps you are that child or teen feeling pulled down by the expectations of teachers or parents,divorce, social isolation, the legal system or the complexities of an intimate relationship.