Therapists in Ventura, Palo Alto, CA

Griselda Garcilazo BA from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and an MS in Counseling with a dual specialization in Clinical Counseling and School Counseling from Loma Linda University. Griselda has worked with complex care patients including ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s, Headache, and Bariatric surgery patients. Griselda specializes in end-of-life, terminal, and progressive diagnoses, chronic health conditions, grief, PTSD, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders, crisis intervention, veteran, school counseling, and life transitions for individuals, couples, and families.

Are you striving to appear confident, professional, and composed on the outside while feeling overwhelmed on the inside? Do anxiety, ADHD, learning differences, or relationship challenges often hinder your progress? Many skilled professionals envision the life they desire but struggle to achieve it. If you're encountering setbacks and frustrations, remember you don't have to face them alone. Sometimes, an external perspective can help clear the internal obstacles preventing you from reaching your potential.

Therapy is about exploring, experimenting, discovering, and being vulnerable. In our therapy together you will learn to increase self-compassion and mindfulness, and your ability to sit with uncertainty and bear witness to uncomfortable feelings and body sensations. You will gain awareness of the role negative core beliefs and thoughts have upon mood and learn how to challenge those negative thought patterns. You will learn to set appropriate boundaries by asserting feelings, recognizing wants and needs, and identifying the role shame and guilt might play in causing unhealthy, harmful, stale, and inauthentic behaviors.

Are you feeling distanced, lack of connection with your partner? Feeling always being rejected, unloved, not important in your relationship, or perhaps feeling being criticized, never enough for your loved one? You want to feel valued, important, loved again, and restore or strengthen the relational bond with your significant one. If that resonates with your current situation in your couple relationship, I am here to support you with that as a couple. Or you are struggling with personal isssues related to culture, sexual identity, sexuality or some interpersonal trauma, which impacted your relationship and mood.

For many years, I worked as a software engineer at finance and tech companies, uniquely enabling me to understand the work challenges that can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues.

Are you seeking therapy for a life change, a listening ear, and some clarity in relationships? I have had over 20 years of experience working with adults and youth, addressing stressors such as depression, anxiety, loss, substance use, and trauma. With this experience, I have found that using an eclectic and individualized approach, pulling from various modalities to help clients move toward positive change, has had the best results. Depending on your specific symptoms and goals for therapy, we will explore together to see what approach is right for you.

Anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, difficulties in school/work/family and relationships, feeling "not enough"....being a human is really hard. People aren’t weak, damaged, or broken for struggling with life and seeking therapy. You are brave, strong, courageous, curious, insightful, inspirational, proactive and worthy of support. Therapy gives you a chance to explore who you are and learn to identify what you feel really proud of. We can identify what things aren’t working well for you and what you can do about those to improve how you feel on a daily basis and about life overall.

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” ― Brené Brown ― I have nearly 20 years of clinical experience counseling teens and adults in a variety of settings including schools, non-profit agencies, the public sector, and the justice system. I can be your ally to undertake relationship issues, workplace challenges, or pressures at school. Navigating the “’real world” can be daunting, especially with the influence of social media. We can find ourselves feeling depressed or in anxiety-provoking situations.

It’s tough when you or your relationship feel broken. I’m here to collaborate with you and figure out how to connect those pieces back together so that you feel stronger. It is natural to start questioning yourself and not feel accepted. You may start getting stressed, feeling frustrated, unhappy, and blame yourself/others because there are needs that do not feel met. There can be nagging worries you may have that are preventing you from living your full life. And if we allow ourselves to dig deeper, you may feel invisible, a burden or that maybe you don't deserve better...

Navigating life's twists and turns can feel like a whirlwind, but you're not alone. Whether it's the bumpy road of life transitions, the frustration of being misunderstood by your parents, or the heartache of feeling alone in your relationship. We'll dive into the complexities of adulthood, unravel the mysteries of your parent-child dynamics and add a dash of excitement to rewrite your love story. Let's navigate the adventure of life transitions and build meaningful connections.

Feeling like you have to hide parts of yourself at work, or with your romantic partner or family? These pressures can make us lose touch with who we are and what makes us feel alive. Are you feeling lonely or not good enough, and longing to be fully accepted? Together, we can explore what matters most to you, so you can move towards the life you want. I can support you in transforming patterns that make you feel stuck or overwhelmed. I offer Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Hypnotherapy, and Brainspotting, which are all proven approaches for healing trauma and reducing anxiety and depression.

My passion centers on the ways in which early relationships, life experiences and cultural contexts shape our worldviews and impact our choices, coping and performance. I also focus on the interplay between the mind and the physical body, and the ways we can use this connection to increase well-being and overall functioning. Over the past 15 years I have worked in various academic medical institutions and hospitals (UCLA, CHLA), using research-based interventions to guide individuals (children, youth and adults), couples and families in working towards agency, personal growth, positive change, insight, and adaptation to life events.

Do you struggle with managing your anxiety around others? Do you always worry about doing something that you think is embarrassing or saying the wrong thing in front of others? Maybe you feel like you don’t belong or aren’t good enough. You might feel frustrated, down on yourself, or hopeless about why things aren’t getting better. Everyone is out enjoying their lives, but you’re stuck in the same place. You’re trying your best to connect with others, but something always just gets in the way. Is social anxiety or even past trauma keeping you isolated, disconnected, and stuck? Therapy can change things for you!

Have you ever felt like someone could help you lift up your life? Therapy is a shared process with you and me together to discuss your uncomfortable issues. I offer warmth and compassion to enhance your ability to make your own choices and take actions that are effective toward your goals. My approach is evidence-based and client-centered, and it is influenced by mindfulness, multicultural perspectives, and family systems. I carefully draw from the insights and techniques from psychological theories that I believe can effect change.

Change is uncertain and stressful as it is. Our bodies and emotions may respond in a way that is overwhelming and confusing. I can imagine how daunting, isolating, and stuck one may feel. I hope to help you understand what your emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and body are trying to communicate to you. You can learn more adaptive ways of understanding and cope with your circumstances. With practice, it is relieving to reclaim your bandwidth and time to rest and pursue meaningful goals. In addition to therapy, I also conduct immigration evaluations for Medical Disability Exception (N-648).

Life is a journey filled with ups and downs, success and failures. The emotional weight of these experiences can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling lost or stuck. I am here to help you navigate these difficult times and guide you toward healing and resilience. In my practice, I specialize in supporting individuals, couples, and families in healing from life's emotional experiences. Whether you're grappling with past traumas, struggling with anxiety or depression, or facing relationship conflicts, I provide a safe and nurturing space where you can explore your feelings, gain insight, and find inner strength.

As Audre Lord said, "Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation." Hello, I'm Mekdes! I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working out of Fresno, CA. Deciding to seek counseling services is a huge step. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, or parenting challenges, participating in therapy can give you the boost that you need to start living your best life again! As a therapist, I consider it a privilege to be allowed to walk alongside you on your journey of healing.

Sometimes the hardest thing in life is to forgive yourself, or forgive others for what has happened. It can really keep you stuck in the same cycle, over and over, depressed, and anxious. It is like Kryptonite; it keeps you from living the life you want to live, and from discovering the superpowers you have inside of you. What would happen if you could use those superpowers? What would happen if you were to feel your enthusiasm again? Where would you go, what would you do, what new skills would you like to learn? Where is your Kryptonite hidden.

Briana is extremely compassionate, attuned, non-judgmental, and deeply cares about her clients. She is an advanced practitioner in CBT, DBT, and EMDR Phase I-III. She most recently worked as a psychotherapist at Mental Health America Los Angeles Wellness Center (MHALA) and was widely loved by her clients. Briana has worked with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, family crisis, and relationship conflicts.