Therapists in Agoura, CA

As a parent/caregiver, a certain level of stress is normal, however when your stress level becomes unmanageable, it is time to seek professional support. I help infants and their parents; individuals and their families repair the effects of trauma and stress in their lives. I believe the earlier we address emotional, developmental, relational, social and individual (behavior) functioning, the better we can assist the family or individual to make life-long changes.

I am a licensed clinical and Forensic Psychologist for the past 9 years. I currently work at Family Psychological Services providing psychological evaluations and testing in children, adolscents and adults for attention, learning and memory problems. I specialize in individual, family, and couples’ therapy for all ages and utilizes cognitive -behavioral as well as solution focused, psychodynamic, and object relations interventions. I also have many years of experience with risk assessment and psychological testing for children, adolescents, and adults and is a skilled diagnostician and treatment planner.

When it comes to mental illness, treatment and outlook can feel daunting. My therapeutic approach is developed on an individual basis with an emphasis on reshaping personality organization in order to create long-lasting change. I truly enjoy assisting my patients in defeating their symptoms and regaining control of their lives. I have experience working with an array of individuals, ranging from young children to adults suffering from a multitude of mental health issues. Aside from my private practice, I work as a group therapist in an intensive outpatient program with individuals just released from emergency psychiatric care.

Neuro-Psychotherapy: This unique therapeutic modality combines psychotherapy with a brain and behavior perspective. The integrative format helps you better understand your brain patterns in relationship to your behavior and emotional output. This information will help you to permanently correct the negative feeling or behavior, allowing you to establish positive patterns instead. We offer individual, family and couples therapy to children, adolescents and adults with the following problems or difficulties: sadness/depression, mood swings, anxiety (panic attacks), social phobia, poor social skills, OCD, substance abuse (relapse prevention), video game/internet/pornography addiction, gambling, eating disorders, sleep difficulties, impulsivity, anger problems, relationship issues, trauma/abuse, PTSD.

A commitment to excellence has been the guiding principle in my career. I received my training and education from prestigious programs including USC, Univ. of Michigan Medical School, UCLA Medical School, and the Ann Arbor VAMC. I have a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and a Masters in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. I was taught and trained by some of the best in the field. I am regarded as an expert in different areas by authoring numerous peer-reviewed publications and giving dozens of presentations. I am committed to and passionate about helping people grow, change, and live fuller, happier, more productive lives.

Life can be unpredictable and feel out of our control. The day-to-day stress, exhaustion, and relationship difficulties can be overwhelming and hold us back without us even realizing it. Our therapeutic collaboration will help you learn how to react, cope, and move forward, no matter what the circumstance! Every person is different and deserves to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their potential, and their personal desires. My eclectic approach combines psychodynamic, CBT, and DBT skill techniques with an individualized approach for each client.

As a counselor, I work with clients to restore trust, joy, purpose and meaningful connections in life. If you have been through a trauma or loss, if you are overcoming abuse & victimization, job loss, or divorce, if you are feeling disappointment with the direction your life has taken, or if you feel you are simply "going through the motions" ... I will come alongside you to provide a safe and gentle environment for healing. You may be surprised by how much healing and joy is possible. Take your first step today!

My ideal client is you. My goal of therapy is to meet the client exactly where they are at and collaborate on the clients’ needs and goals. I work with clients to look at their patterns and behaviors by making the unconscious conscious. So much of what a person is struggling with has to do with blind spots and unconsciously learning to live out of habitual maladaptive patterns. Addiction has been a huge part of my career in the addiction field. I look at addiction as an unhealthy and a lot of time detrimental coping mechanisms. I work with clients, no matter what their addiction or lack of addiction, to live a full and happy life.

It is of the utmost importance to me that you feel comfortable and safe in our work together. We can talk on the phone and setup the initial session. If we are a good fit then we will continue to see each other. Life is difficult and we all go through ups and downs, suffering from depression and anxiety does not make this any easier. I will do my best to give you the tools you need to help you get through the tough times.

I am passionate about providing the highest quality assessment services for children and adults. My expertise has been cultivated through my assessment research studies, training, and treatment of disabilities and psychological conditions. My assessment services include neuropsychological, psycho-educational, and psychological testing. I also conduct med-legal, immigration, adoption, and forensic examinations. Treatment includes parenting support and ADHD/LD treatment. I guide individuals in building functional skills to cope with challenges that interfere with effective functioning. ADHD therapy provides support, structure, feedback, and the development of skills to increase self-awareness, independence, improve concentration, time-management, planning and organization skills.

Whether you are looking for a therapist because of recent difficulties or challenges that started years ago, you will find that I offer a rare combination of rigorous training with a down-to-earth style to help you achieve your goals. As an established professor and author in the field, I am well-versed in the latest research to ensure your problems are resolved as efficiently as possible using the most effective methods available. If you have had difficulty connecting with past therapists or are concerned that I might act like therapists in the movies, I believe you will find my style refreshingly more relatable.

In my practice, I strive to give you the best opportunity at self-reflection and growth. I specialize in working with children, adolescents and young adults who are struggling with mood disorders and cognitive disabilities. I work with my clients to understand their stressors that come from living day to day life, fearing the unknown and not knowing the tools to curb emotional distress. I additionally specialize in working with trauma victims through EMDR therapy. With my experience in residential and lower levels of care, as well as group therapy settings, I strive to meet you where you are at therapeutically.

You spend your days endlessly and painfully obsessing over what you did or didn't eat, how much you did or didn't exercise, or how uncomfortable you feel in your body. Thoughts of food and body have completely taken over your life and you are at a place where you feel powerless and completely out of control. You have tried time and time again to "get it under control," but you are lost. You are anxious, depressed, and truly do not know what to do. This place you are in is so painful, chaotic, and confusing. I get it - I have been there, and I can help.

You've known that some issues have been always holding you back from reaching your full potential in life, career, and relationships. You realize that these unresolved and unattended issues do not serve your life, and keep sabotaging your happiness on different levels... Perhaps, you even tried working through some of them on your own, but deep down you know you need some external help and guidance to heal from them. You would like to reach some peace, let go of pain, learn how to accept and love yourself better, learn some real tools and skills to be more resilient, feel strong and confident, and be able to enjoy life.

The current unprecedented state of our world has presented many challenges and taken a toll on mental health and wellness, triggering the body's stress response, de-activating the immune system, and putting our mind/body in survival mode. This has the propensity to escalate anxiety, depression, addiction, and disease and reactivates outdated coping skills and keeps our body in fight or flight. Let's work together to create a strong support system to manage and navigate the stress and uncertainty and minimize the toll on our mental health, physical health, and relationships, and empower ourselves for the future.

My practice is devoted to working with adults, adolescents and couples to help them deal with difficulties in their relationships and in their personal lives. I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist, and I am continually honored and intrigued by being able to help people in their lives. I received my degrees (Summa Cum Laude) from Washington University, and my doctorate in Psychology is from CSPP. In addition to my years of work in private practice, my experience includes years of intensive supervised client counseling, and now I am a supervisor at a well established clinic, in addition to my practice.

I specialize in treating treating high achieving individuals & couples, with perfectionist tendencies. My priority is your emotional safety. Non judgmental support allows for your sharing openly and honestly. The need to "be right" can be unconscious, & you may be hurting those you love. My skilled intuition, and 25+ yrs. of clinical success, knows hope is available for the motivated and committed recovering anxious, obsessive, & over analyzing adult. Our trusting relationship inspires you to reflect upon your life/relationship goals; together we explore, & honestly challenge: "Do I want to be right?" Or, do I want to be loved?"

We all reach emotional crossroads in our lives and often need guidance from a professional. I am warm and caring and provide a non-judgmental atmosphere while assertively providing feedback. I help families and couples resolve conflicts and teach the art of appreciation and gratitude. I utilize a variety of treatment approaches. Do you "feel lost in the world." Do you have a tendency to take out your frustrations with the ones you love the most? My name is Nicole McCarthy, LCSW and I have over 20 years of experience working with adolescents, families, couples and adults across the life span.

At Canyon Creek Counseling, we have extensive experience in working with individuals that are struggling with depression, anxiety, attachment trauma, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, substance abuse, physical and emotional abuse, anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, orthorexia, body dysmorphia, self-esteem and body image issues, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.