Depression Therapists in Montrose, CA

I like to think of therapy as a journey and I feel honored and privileged every time I get the opportunity to take a journey with a client. I work from a wide variety of psychological orientations but I am especially fond of family systems, cognitive behavioral therapy and positive psychology. I provide therapy in a warm, nurturing, non-judgmental environment. I work with all realtionship issues and have a special interest in chronic illness, grief and loss and adolescent issues.

My goal is always to help you achieve your goals and to support you in your efforts to live the life you want to live. My basic orientation is psychodynamic, but I'm flexible in my approach. I honor the individuality of each person with whom I work. I believe in the strength of the human spirit and the possibilities of change for anyone who desires it.

My specific areas of training and practice have included: adults, adolescents, and couples. I also have experience with crisis intervention in L.A. County ERs and critical incident stress debriefing for EAP employees. I have worked for Inpatient/Outpatient hospitals; Community-based Mental Health clinics; Ventura County Jail; Residential substance abuse treatment facilities; high schools; as well as my private practice, counseling a diverse population. I have been on Medical Staff at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, and Aurora Charter Oaks Hospital.

Sometimes life's challenges can be overwhelming to the point where we feel like we just can't cope anymore. Tensions mount until the smallest catalyst acts as a tipping point and we break down, shut down or lash out. Art therapy can provide a safe outlet to manage thoughts and emotions that threaten to overwhelm you. Creative self expression in a therapeutic environment with a trained and credentialed Art Therapist can help you explore your triggers and subsequent thoughts and emotions in a safe and healing space.

I know that you’re looking for someone supportive and accepting, so I approach therapy from a place of understanding and kindness. Starting therapy and exploring the most important parts of your life is a difficult process and it matters to me to create a safe and personal connection with people so that you look forward to coming to sessions. My approach is non-judgmental and insightful, and I’m also very active in sessions by being curious and exploring causes and sources of patterns in your life. Our work together will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and your relationships.

I am a psychotherapist specializing in depth-oriented therapy, helping clients who experience symptoms and behaviors with unconscious roots. By exploring the symbolic nature of these issues, we can uncover their deeper meaning and find solutions beyond surface-level interventions. I believe in the power of self-actualization and help clients overcome inner conflicts that hinder their potential. We work collaboratively to identify the underlying needs and develop a personalized treatment plan that may utilize various approaches, including solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral, and depth-psychological techniques.

Are you struggling with low self esteem, needing to be perfect, feeling you're a burden, or people pleasing? When we grow up in situations that did not feel safe and loving, we come up with these beliefs/ways of being as a way to help us feel a little more safe (I know, hard to believe!). These beliefs help us feel we have control, but as we grow up, these beliefs can create difficulties within us and in our adult relationships.

I love working with new Moms and Dads on their journey in parenthood. It is my passion to support new parents make sense of this major life transition and all that comes with bringing baby home. Perhaps you had a difficult pregnancy or traumatic birth. Or, your experience of having a baby brings anxiety, sadness, irritability, obsessive thoughts or loneliness. Becoming a parent also comes with an incredible identity shift. You are not failing, you are not alone, you are doing your best, and with help you will feel better. Relief is possible with the right support.

Whether it's ADHD, anxiety, or "old stuff" from the past, you just want to know how to stop it from hijacking your life. Often, it's our ability to see things from a different perspective that allows us to start healing, re-connecting, and making the changes we want, to enjoy greater academic and professional success, freedom from painful memories, and stronger emotional health.

Are you tired of being unable to do the things you want to do, but repeatedly do the things you do not want to do? Are your best intentions producing the kind of relational fruit you desire in your relationships? The invisible pain from the emotional, relational, and spiritual realm activates the same region of your brain that is under physical pain. The need for proper attention and treatment for this invisible pain is as urgent and necessary as physical pain. Your pain will be properly metabolized through validation and comfort and ready to be resurrected as wisdom, strength, and compassion

Not feeling like your "usual self" but can't figure out why? Are you irritable, uninterested in your previously enjoyable activities, or disengaged from daily life? Is your mind replaying old scenarios or repeating "What if" questions and worrisome thoughts? Perhaps your current coping skills just aren't hitting the mark this time... Involved in a relationship where either you or your partner seem plagued by "trust issues", insecurity, and revolving arguments? Are you seeing changes in expressions of love and sexual interest or thinking "my significant other doesn't understand me?"

The judgments come from all sides – your family, peers, your community. For such a long time, you’ve heard their toxic words: “You’re not good enough.” “You’re broken.” “You’re worthless.” And the worst part is, you've started to believe it yourself. The external chorus of criticism has become indistinguishable from your own inner voice. You've carried the weight of these unfair judgments admirably – constantly pushing forward and doing what you need to survive. But you can feel yourself slowly crumbling under the pressure. You can’t go on like this. But your shame has become so familiar that you’re unsure how to live without it.

Often times the greatest barrier to our healing is feeling like we are alone and have to fix things ourselves. We were never meant to walk this life alone. This is why it is my commitment as a therapist to create a safe and nonjudgmental environment where you can receive hope in the healing process.

Are you struggling with figuring out what you want to do in life? Do you find yourself feeling the weight of negative thoughts and unable to shake them off? Has it become increasingly harder to do daily tasks? Or do you just need a little push in the right direction?

To an outsider, your life might look pretty good, but deep down inside you feel dissatisfied, disconnected, and unlovable. You give your all to others, and yet your own tank feels empty. You stay really busy (too busy!) to avoid feeling anything unpleasant and to distract from the self-doubting voices in your head. It's so difficult to get what you need when you feel like you don't even deserve it.

I believe that every person has the capacity to change from within. I see my role as a therapist to walk alongside and hold space for you to connect with yourself - to your body, your inner resources, and your wisdom. Together, we can make meaning of your past while increasing safety and joy in the present so that you can step into your chosen future. Many of my clients experience doubts about their worthiness and their ability to change engrained patterns or heal from past wounds. They struggle with people-pleasing, codependency, perfectionism, chronic shame, unexpressed grief, and connecting to their intuition.