Therapists in Balboa, CA

I believe we are all wired for connection, and, whether extraverted or introverted, rejection and isolation are incredibly painful experiences. Our brains and bodies are built in such a way that protects us from threat and harm. While these protection instincts are necessary and helpful in the midst of threat, sometimes they can keep us from the connection we truly crave and need. If you're finding that your protectors are keeping you from relating with yourself, others, and the world around you, the counseling setting can be a safe place for practicing transformational skills to break free from the unhealthy, unhelpful habits.

Welcome! We are a team of psychotherapist who are united in our commitment to providing the highest-quality mental health care available to adults, adolescents, couples & families. We help high-functioning professionals, anxious overachievers, survivors of abuse, complex trauma and PTSD. Anger, numbness, relationship issues, anxiety, depression, phobias and addictions are usually the result of unresolved trauma. Even the slightest incidents can be traumatizing, impacting us from the inside out and hijacking our ability to cope. The good news is, you can’t change your past, but you don’t have to live there.

As a Therapy practice we love to help everyone! no matter what the situation is, our purpose is to help anyone struggling during these times!

Being a therapist not only involves the training we are provided nor the previous clients with whom we have worked with. In my opinion, it involves the humility to allow one's client to feel safe enough to share the most vulnerable parts of their experiences in order for both of us to feel connected and moving in the same direction. My style of treatment follows my beliefs above. While we take our time bonding, I will be working to put the pieces together that you may be unable to see. Once we have a pattern established, we will go at your speed, perhaps with a light nudge from me, in order to discover the origins of your issues.

For over 30 years I have been helping my clients to discover new ways to deal with their problems and to begin thriving rather than merely surviving in their lives. My greatest strength is moving people from crisis to change. My openness and forthright style with clients provide them the opportunity for understanding, personal growth, and change. I view therapy as an educational as well as therapeutic experience. My style is primarily interactive. I am supportive, caring and process oriented. I have extensive experience with mental health, hospitals and schools. I love working with people in all stages and ages of their lives!

we specialize in working with mental health and addiction clients and address addictions ranging from benzodiazepine use to opioid withdrawals, we have an outpatient clinic that focuses on what our clients needs are and working on underlying traumas that caused there use or mental health disorder.

At The Retreat Counseling Center, we provide therapy, counseling, and coaching services to Orange County's busy professionals and their families. Chances are, since you've landed on this webpage, some things in your life may not be working well. Maybe you're on the edge of a divorce? Or maybe your job is in jeopardy. Or maybe you just feel a bit lost with what you feel you're supposed to do next in life. And maybe because of reasons such as this and more, you're feeling more anxious and less happy than before. This is tough stuff, but we're glad you've landed here. We want to help.

On a daily basis I am given the distinct opportunity to work with people as a vehicle to help them to find their own truth and happiness. Based on our life's path we attach ourselves to people, places and things as a way to connect to the most basic part of ourselves, deserving and capable human beings. Sometimes these attachments result in being pushed further from our genuine selves and create patterns that leave us feeling lost and searching. I believe in the basic premise that at birth people are purely lovable and worthy and have a natural right to be seen and heard. My work with you is formed from this basic belief.

I practice general psychology and works with clients who are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, prenatal and postpartum issues, anger, parenting challenges, and couples issues. I also have a concentrated interest in the family of origin trauma.

SUMMER 2024: Accepting New Patients if also seeing a medication management provider in our practice or are in our TMS/ Ketamine program.

Hi, my name is Wendy Thomas. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My therapeutic approach is holistic employing Evidence Base intervention. Respecting your voice as the poet of your life experiences and the expert in sharing your story. Client centered therapy focuses on individual, family, and couples’ unique needs. I too seek support at times. Asking for professional help is a direct statement of self-awareness. Assisting clients in discovering interpersonal strengths to mitigate and work through life challenges one engagement at a time. As your therapist, guiding and assisting you in forming balance in work, family and life.

All too often struggles deplete our energy and leave us feeling down on ourselves. Through rigorous conversation and a highly supportive relationship, I help people gain the clarity and confidence needed to produce desired change. I have extensive training in postmodern therapies, which examine how dominant cultural discourses can have oppressive effects on our lives, identities, and relationships. Prior to working in private practice, I was part of UCLA's network, where I brought social justice aims to integrative models of mental health. I have many years of experience working with couples, families, youth, and adults.

You are an adult, teen or couple dealing with trauma, life transition, grief, anxiety, relationship strain or emotional pain from your past or present. Old coping strategies no longer work and you feel stuck, indecisive, scared, or angry. An uplifting, experienced therapist, I have brain science expertise and am trauma-informed. I will help you find hope and new perspectives, face your fears, overcome self-limiting beliefs, stop avoiding and be proactive. I seek to help you move from shame to self-compassion, from self-doubt to clarity, from insecurity to empowered self-expression, from over-reactivity to clarity & mindful wisdom.

I specialize in relationship issues, marital and premartial couples therapy, infidelity and anxiety. Chronic disconnection with your partner or close relationships or struggles in managing anxious feelings can really upset the peace in your world. When struggling and worried about your future, change can feel overwhelming and confusing. I can help you sort out how to better manage your relationships and mood. If you're longing to learn how to love or cope with anxiety, going inward with skilled guidance can really help. I'm here to support you to heal and change. Let's schedule a call and talk about what you need.

I specialize in helping clients pursue healthy relationships, including: couples work, resolving effects of early trauma, especially CPTS (complex post-traumatic stress), setting boundaries and communicating needs, repairing or deepening partner connection, finding a partner, workplace conflict / career or creative blocks, recognizing & grappling with systemic oppression & intergenerational trauma, increasing social skills/coping with social anxiety.

As a therapist who welcomes and affirms the LGBTQIA+ community, my specialization lies in working with the transgender, gender non-conforming, gender queer individuals, as well as those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or questioning. Starting therapy might evoke apprehension, but rest assured, I am warm, empathetic, and fully engaged to support you during life's most challenging moments. Together, we will explore the obstacles and patterns that might be hindering your desired life, pushing beyond limits to attain a more enriching and fulfilling life.

As a mental healthcare professional, educator, and advocate, I am always looking for new ways to provide care for anyone seeking help. Many factors contribute to your life story including trauma, family history, relationship problems, health, and societal issues. My approach is based on understanding each person as a whole, not just the trials or diagnosis they’re facing. I firmly believe in delivering treatment that is both empathetic and uplifting for everyone I have the honor to work with.

I believe deeply in the transformative potential and enduring nature of psychotherapy. When we're feeling stuck, confused or alone, therapy can help us to untangle our emotions, clarify our struggles, and better understand ourselves and others - ultimately forming inroads to real and lasting change. I am a compassionate and collaborative therapist: I establish a safe, non-judgmental space where our mutual exploration of your relationships, family history, career, sexuality, or whatever is troubling you currently - as well as aspects of our therapeutic relationship - will open pathways to new awareness and opportunities for welcome change, growth and healing.

Working through difficult experiences and emotions can be challenging. It can be even harder to make desired changes in ones life when certain patterns have been established for so long. I work hard to ensure that my clients feel safe and supported throughout this process. By creating a comfortable and lighthearted environment, individuals, families, and couples are able to gain some reprieve from the difficulties they are experiencing. This allows change to begin to occur in the lives of my clients.