Psychoanalytic Therapists in Brea, CA

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.

I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in California with over 9 years experience. I am passionate about and enjoy working with adults, to help them with the challenges they face, including unresolved trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship issues or whatever is holding you back. I have vast therapeutic and life experiences that help me better understand what you are going through and how to help you. Life is difficult, complicated and at times even traumatic, but it can also be filled with great joy and fulfillment.

I provide psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, families, and teens. Through a collaborative process, I am committed to providing a safe place for you to explore your thoughts and feelings so you can achieve the change you desire. I can help you reach your goals by developing a genuine connection with you.

As an experienced licensed professional, I believe that in order to experience growth and development one must commit to the process by being open minded and consistent. I specialize in working with individuals (adolescents and adults) who are experiencing anger, depression, anxiety, family issues, and conflicts at home and at the workplace. We will work together through the process and rest assured, you will be doing this in a non-judgmental environment with ample support. While none of us can change the past, we can learn from it and make thoughtful, positive decisions that will shape our future.

It has been a while since you felt stuck, terrified, hopeless, or worthless. Yet, you have always been smiling to pretend you are okay. Or you are very used to distancing yourself because “nobody cares about me”. Life can be very challenging when you can hardly recognize the person next to you, more importantly, when you can’t even recognize yourself. Whether it has been years over the same issues and difficulties, or there has been a sudden tragic change to your life, believe it! You are already doing the best you can at any given moment!

I am a psychological associate who is currently accepting new clients via telehealth services. I enjoy working with adults and women who are looking to be healthier mentally and develop skills to manage cognitive and emotional stresses and responses. An intention that I have is to aid clients in healing the relationship with themselves, whether because of experiences in childhood, unhealthy relationships or other significant life events that clients have encountered. All of these experiences can complicate the relationship with ourselves, but with a safe and supportive space like therapy, we can learn to grow, heal and repair.

Taking the first step to find a therapist requires bravery, initiative, and the desire to receive the support that you need and deserve. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of anxiety, depression, identity formation, trauma, grief & loss, relationship or marital issues, parenting, or spiritual issues, I would love to walk alongside you on the journey. If you find yourself feeling fatigued, isolated, or hopeless, I want you to know that hope could be just one call away. You don't have to struggle alone.

Life can come at you pretty hard sometimes. Even when it’s not, sometimes things just aren’t working the way you want them to. Taking that first step and reaching out to ask for help is one of the strongest things you can do. Therapy has been transformative in my own life and I’m hoping it can help you too. My therapeutic approach starts with you. I believe you are your own best counselor, sometimes you just need help getting started or with where you might be stuck.

I am a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with a PhD in Counseling Education and a California School Counseling credential. In the past 25 years, I have the privilege to work with numerous families and individuals in different capacities at various settings including schools, faith based organizations, private clinics, community mental health clinics, and national health care networks. Along side with me, I work with a group of therapists who are passionate on achieving goals and resolving challenges with their clients.

Therapy will put you back in touch with powerful emotions and help you find balance. You have a range of emotions and can feel love, joy, and elation but also equally experience deep grief or rage filled jealousy. Therapy can help establish solid foundations that will support you. We will use your inner power to advance you to the next highest version of yourself. You are filled with the power to heal and transform yourself. Claim your power and stand in the shoes of your most positive self, your whole self, who you are deep down.

It's common to feel uncomfortable in the face of change. Most people experience stress when negotiating demands of college or a career, managing relationships, adapting to adulthood, transitioning during mid- and late-life, or losing a loved one, for example. Sometimes, though, stressors like these can throw you off balance and summon your worst demons. Discomfort can morph into self-doubt, disappointment, crippling feelings of inferiority, anxiety, or compulsive behavior. As a result, you might feel hopeless, alienated, misunderstood, and as if life were meaningless.

Everyone experiences times in their life when they feel at the end of their rope. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to seek support, whether it be for yourself or for your child. You are experiencing anxiety, depression, isolation, feeling stuck, or struggling to find a different path. Your child is struggling with emotional outbursts, aggression, defiance, or behavioral challenges. These difficulties have caused relational problems, impairment at home or at work, and seem like a never ending battle. Our goal at Safe to Heal is to help you find a way to a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Dr. Juan C. Perez is a with over 25 years of professional experience. He started working with individuals with developmental disabilities, teaching them basic work and life skills. Over time, he became an expert vocational counselor, and this led to his transition into helping adults with neurological and physical injuries. For the past 15 years, he has focused on the needs of the community.

I specialize in helping people overcome depression and anxiety, especially those who have had traumatic, judgmental, and neglectful childhoods. I employ cutting-edge, evidence-based practices that have consistently proven to uncover the root cause of your distress so that you experience healing at the roots. Symptoms of anxiety and depression will dissolve. It's more than talk therapy; it’s a healing therapy that empowers you to live an authentic and free life filled with peace joy and purpose. You see, your past (particularly your childhood and teen years) has the greatest influence on who you believe yourself to be.

As emotional healing takes place, we awaken to ourselves, to others, to our lives. My work initially involves setting up an environment of safety and trust. In this surround, challenges from the past and present can be unearthed, explored and used to our advantage. Growth is born of struggle, not comfort. Building a story of your experiences, helps one find continuity and purpose in life. I am present, listening and feeling as our work unfolds. I challenge and confront but also validate one's experiences and emotional responses to those experiences. Being seen, heard and understood begets healing.

You are in search of healing for your soul. Perhaps life is far from what you imagined it would be, and you need help finding yourself again. Heartbreaking life events have left you questioning who you are and what you value. You've tried numbing or distracting yourself from your pain, avoiding thinking about it, and outright denying it exists- yet none of it has worked. You feel ready to try something different. My clients often value self-growth, truth, insight, and are deep thinkers. They are looking for someone to walk with them and help them reckon with the fearful, unknown parts of themselves and desire to become whole.

Life can be very difficult and is often accompanied by many challenges. The feelings accompanied by these challenging times can be felt very intensely often hindering us in other aspects of our life. By exploring the challenges together, I want to help you find ways to tackle them and guide you towards a path of enjoying life and experiencing joy. I want to help you explore difficult times and find meaning in life, to empower you, and feel a sense of control that you might be yearning for. I want to help you move in a positive direction to feel worthy of the life you deserve.