Couples Counseling Therapists in San Luis Obispo, CA

Thank you for exploring my profile. I am accepting new clients. I see clients both in person and virtually. With over 20 years of experience, my training and experience is specialized towards working with couples and families, as well as adolescent and adult men. I utilize a direct, no-nonsense approach with notable success in treating addictions, family issues, anxiety (generalized, social, panic, etc), depression, trauma, and relationship problems. I am one of the only practitioners in San Luis Obispo County who specializes in working with men and who does family therapy. Please visit my website benrealcsw.com to learn more!

My clients seek a safe, non-judgmental, space where they can show up authentically, receive support navigating painful experiences, find ways to cope and manage distress, and to have an objective "sounding board." Often clients hope to process the impact that their experiences have had on them while identifying ways they can create changes that will allow them to live their lives in ways that are fulfilling, meaningful, and values-driven.

Offering teIe-therapy & In Person Sessions for Individuals & Couples in San Luis Obispo. Both individuals and couples experience issues and challenges that prevent them from reaching their full potential. It is my goal to explore these with you and find ways to help cope, accept or overcome these. With couples we work on better communication skills, and strengthening the bond that you have together. I work with individuals that are experiencing anxiety and depression and other issues related to mental health. Ultimately I want you to succeed, I have additional training and experience working with the LGBTQIA+ community.

I became a therapist to help individuals and couples successfully navigate the difficulties of life and relationships. I provide a safe, compassionate, and confidential environment for each of my clients so that they might move towards healing and growth in their lives. My passion is to help individuals and couples find the intimacy they desire by uncovering specific patterns and obstacles to intimacy and building on their strengths so that they have the relationships they truly desire.

Currently, I'm mostly using Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy with my clients. When, as a child, we find ourselves traumatizing or trapped in negative circumstances, parts of our self system compensate by locking away that which at that time was too much for us to handle. Later, if we do not go back to this locked away material, the pain, confusion and injustice of what happened to us long ago, can get triggered, or, awakened, when similar such challenges arise in the present. IFS provides a safe way for that locked away material to be approached and reprocessed, allowing our core self to take back control of our lives.

Do you ever find yourself wondering, "Is this the life I want to live?" Are you out of synch and balance, where did you go off track? Let's work together to explore the story of your life, after all, you are the author. Together we will explore your strengths and goals then create a unique path filled with congruence and hope.

For the 22 last years I have worked successfully with adult clients dealing with a wide range of issues including marital and relationship problems, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, abuse issues, personality issues and mental health concerns. I believe a trusting relationship between the therapist and client is the foundation for all growth and change. However, the relationship itself is typically not sufficient. I will help you set goals for your therapy based upon what you would like to have different in your life, and together we will explore and change the blocks which have prevented you from achieving your goals.

As a therapist at Mindful Heart Counseling Center, I work with couples and individuals who are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and life-transitions. Coping with what’s happening in your life can be overwhelming and I’m here to help you find relief and learn skills to build resilience. I strive to help my clients live mindfully and find peace in the present moment. I approach therapy from a mindfulness-based perspective, from which we focus on gathering a better understanding of our thoughts and behaviors by exploring our emotions without judgement.

What brings you here? If you are scrolling through these pages, you are likely looking for support, either for yourself or someone you care about. While it is easier now to find psychological support, finding the right person to work with is as important as ever. While working with me you will be received in a warm, non-judgmental, and curiosity filled environment. While considering what brought you into therapy, we will reflect on the circumstances contributing to where you are today. Our focus will be on integrating what has been in order to develop into what can be.

Are you at a crossroads in your life, or in your relationship? Failing to meet your goals, or possibly just struggling to make your relationships with friends and family work? Do you wake up in the morning feeling depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed? Or maybe it just feels like there is more to life than how you are currently living yours. If you answered yes to any of these questions, please know you are not the only one experiencing these types of challenges, and I would be happy to support you, as an individual or couple, in your efforts to remove whatever barriers may be standing in the way of reaching your goals.

Our team offers a safe, supportive environment and a warm, compassionate, open-minded approach. We work with anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, life transitions, college life, young adulthood, relationships, men’s issues, parenting struggles, grief and loss, work/career and exploring existential and spiritual concerns. The heart of our work is to help you develop deeper self-understanding, self-compassion and coping skills while working through issues of the present and the past. We offer a variety of approaches including mindfulness, art therapy, IFS informed and somatic work. We also offer 2-3 day couples intensives.

As a therapist, I am passionate about walking alongside folks as they reveal their truths and vulnerabilities to themselves. I believe, and have witnessed that people are capable of long standing change with knowledge, support, and connection, and that therapy is a great place for that. You can learn new ways to manage life stressors, feel safe, gain confidence, and live a more joyful and purposeful life. I use cognitive behavioral, solution-focused, and strength-based techniques, while never ignoring the human element and connection where the real change happens.

My name is Julia Richardson. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California since January 1999. My License number is MFT35516. I work with children from age 10 and up. I also work with adolescents, adults, couples and families. My framework in working with individuals, couples and families is through a relational lens that incorporates brain science, attachment theory and mindsight. I see each (individual, couple dyad and family) as a magnificent portrait that comes to therapy when their life patterns are stuck in rigidity or chaos.

Welcome to wellness. You have taken the first step toward exploring your full potential. Embarking on a path of self discovery enables you to unearth your hopes for yourself, your relationships, and your future. Authenticity, communication, forgiveness, love and humor are essential to living a healthy life. Knowing yourself allows you to have healthier relationships with your family, friends and colleagues. I have experience helping people who are encountering grief, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, marital difficulties, life transitions, family conflict, relationship conflict, stress, self harm, and substance abuse.

Now is the time to remove the barriers to the life you desire. Using a supportive, strength-based, and straightforward approach, I will guide you to the more richly experienced life you deserve. I offer solution-focused sessions that achieve results quickly. From our first meetings, you will be less stuck and more prepared to move forward. After more than twenty-five years, I continue to find immense joy in helping clients to live healthy lives filled with meaning and contentment.

Are you afraid, confused, or struggling with your relationships? I work with client(s) dealing with interpersonal issues and communication challenges. It may be a husband and wife re-defining their roles with life changes, or an individual considering a career change. The problem often reveals itself at the surface when arguing and verbal conflict ensue, but the source of the problem needs a deeper adjustment, such as adjusting roles or providing more support for a family member. Regardless, clear communication usually allows the individual, couple, or family to achieve the goal of collaboration and compromise.

Seeking therapy is a brave choice and a valuable step in the healing process. If you are pursing therapy for support through a difficult time or transition, for healing childhood wounds, if you are feeling emotional pain or hurt, having trouble navigating a difficult relationship, and/or seeking deeper self-exploration, betterment and growth, I commend you. This is a courageous first step.

Navigating life is exhausting and complex, it makes total sense that you are seeking support in managing life's stressors and how to cope with the changing world and society's expectations. You may be finding yourself living a life with extensive pressure, guilt, shame and difficulty living the life you want to live. I work with individuals who are often exhausted by their current situations in unhealthy relationships with themselves and others. However, we will work together in smashing societies expectations and creating your own, setting boundaries, learning to love yourself, and exploring and living within your value system.

Life is stressful and it can feel like it’s too much. Sometimes, we feel stuck, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious or we are having life transitions that seem really difficult. Maybe you are in a couplehood that feels tense, argumentative and disconnected. I work in a partnership with my clients both individuals and couples to improve their lives and mental health. What I offer is a non judgmental space where clients can express concerns, set healthy boundaries, increase coping skills and find realistic solutions to stress, anxiety and depression through gentle guidance.