Therapists in Carmel Valley, San Diego, CA

We realize the importance of developing a supportive therapy relationship based in trust, mutual respect, and clear understanding of your unique background, values,and needs. At the Cognitive Therapy Institute, we work with you to identify goals and to develop a plan for reaching your goals in a sensible and effective way. Often our clients experience increased confidence and success in a relatively short time, largely because we offer clear guidance and techniques using the latest Cognitive Behavioral Treatments. You learn skills and strategies to resolve current difficulties and to enjoy a good quality of life in the years ahead.

Life has a way of covering up our true selves. We can become buried under discouragement or past mistakes. There are dreams hidden behind unfulfilling jobs or low self-esteem, we just need to tap into all the wonderful potential on the inside. Just because you might have given up at one point, doesn't mean that your dream is dead forever. The great news is that it's still alive, and it’s never too late for you to uncover it. If deep down you know you're not satisfied with your life, you have the ability to make changes. You can dream any dream and see it manifest. You can live your best life possible.

Do you have the same painful relationship, job, or family problems over and over? Have you been unable to figure out why, or how to do it differently? I can help you learn how and why, and help you change these patterns. If you are unhappy, insecure, stuck in self-defeating patterns, have repeated relationship conflicts, addiction issues, or have stopped progressing in life, I can help you gain insight, change negative patterns, modify personality issues, achieve consistent Recovery from addictions, and live a happier life. I also have expertise in helping people cope with, and recover from relationships with narcissistic people.

I am a good fit if you are looking for a highly-experienced, collaborative, pragmatic, straight-forward, and solution-oriented therapist. My early training in psychodynamic psychotherapy gives me a rich perspective to draw on. I am mostly a cognitive behavioral therapist, informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, with a heavy emphasis on acceptance, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Check out my book: "Just This Moment: A Guide for Moms who want to enjoy Parenting, Raise Great Kids, and THRIVE!" available on Amazon. I am currently training to provide psychedelic assisted/adjacent therapy and harm reduction.

The best approach to mental well-being is simple: consistent, incremental change coupled with healthy thoughts leads to a more satisfying life. Changing the way we act affects the way we feel and the way we view ourselves. When working with me, you are guided towards intentional living and healthy thought processes. You are given a blueprint to follow that takes the guesswork out of change. You’ll be given straightforward instruction that enables you to create a better life for yourself! By focusing on changing your behavior instead of analyzing emotions, you can more quickly find relief, and start living well.

Dr. Lazar facilitates individual, family and couples counseling. He works with adults who are coping with depression, loss, anxiety, and worry and those who have present or childhood stressors that have made it hard to feel good about themselves or enjoy life. He also works extensively with kids, teens and parents to help families get along better and cooperate for everyone's benefit. In addition to working with children who misbehave, he helps kids who get sad, angry or worry excessively. He treats his clients as teammates to brainstorm solutions to challenges, and help clients also see their blessings.

Hello! Our clinic specializes in depression, anxiety, disordered eating and eating disorders (EDs), trauma and PTSD, and difficulties with emotion regulation. We also have extensive experience in providing therapy to college students, athletes, and LGBTQ clients. We offer a DBT skills group, a body image group, and a perfectionism group. Whenever possible, we use treatments that have proven efficacy, but we customize treatment to the particular needs of our clients. We approach our clients with respect, warmth, and cultural humility and feel that having a strong therapeutic relationship is central to the success of therapy.

I completed my doctoral degree in clinical psychology (PsyD) at La Salle University in Philadelphia and am licensed in CA and WA. I have worked with children, teens, & adults with emotional & behavioral dysregulation, relationship issues, suicidal thinking, substance abuse issues, & difficulty with life transitions. I’m trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness acceptance-based approaches. Specializing further, using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Exposure for treating trauma. I have expertise in treating Eating Disorders, Body image issues, Trauma, Suicidal behaviors, & Borderline Personality disorder.

I understand relationships are complex and they need to be nurtured. Couples can learn positive interactions and repair past hurts. Therapy helps to improve friendship, deepen emotional connection and creates change which help couples enhance their shared goals.

Does your child say, “You don’t understand” or completely ignores your requests? Do you feel powerless and frustrated that consequences don’t seem to work anymore on your child? We help to empower your family with new ways of communicating and relating, so harmony is restored. Kids need to feel heard and that what they think matters. Children often feel like no adult is listening, at school or at home. We help to give both children and parents a voice, which often calms the chaos. Children and teenagers need help learning how to express their needs in a way that their parents can hear them.

Do you struggle with negative thoughts affecting your identity, mood or behaviors? Have you been diagnosed with a chronic mental illness? Do you feel stuck in your life due to emotional or physical pain from relationships, traumatic events or marginalization? Do you long for a safe person to process these events or unspoken secrets too unbearable to speak out-loud? Maybe you are having problems in your relationships, communication, or too many non-negotiable areas. Well, you are not alone.