Relationship Issues Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

Hi there! My name's Sylvie and my pronouns are she/her and they/them. As a therapist, I am tender with people, tough on systems, and committed to our collective liberation. I've been a mental health worker for over eight years in schools, at a crisis center, and as a family therapist. I'm particularly experienced in and passionate about working with trauma in its many forms, and partnering with you to transform harm into what serves you, your beloved relationships, and the world you want to see. I offer individual counseling with youth and adults and relationship counseling with loved ones of all kinds.

I try to individually tailor treatment to each patient by providing a balance of symptom relief to alleviate current discomfort and analysis of primary causal factors for long-term resolution.

As I see it, the primary role of a counselor is to serve as a mirror to help reveal what the client hasn't yet been able to see-especially those patterns of relating to self, others, and the environment that might be causing suffering. At the same time, the counselor is there to reflect, affirm, and strengthen the client's unique gifts and talents.One of the biggest impediments to healing, growth, and creativity is shame. To help clients move through this debilitating emotion, I use a combination of mindfulness, body awareness, and other healing modalities.

Would you like to feel empowered and at ease with life and yourself? Whether you're going through life transition, having relationship problems, dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma or looking for a deeper purpose in life, I would be honored to support you in your process of growth and healing. When the deepest parts of you get to be seen, held and accepted, it transforms into your light and strength. In this process you'll learn how to listen and trust your innate wisdom and guidance, you'll become resourceful, empowered and free to consciously create the life you want.

Perhaps you've come to believe that your whole self isn't welcome. Experiences of disconnect and conditionality might leave you feeling isolated and unseen. Maybe anxiety and shame have convinced you of an "other-ness" when these differences are, instead, essential clues into your own creativity and liberation. The right therapeutic relationship can allow for the retrieval of self and soul. I support individuals in developing meaningful insight into what may have been lost or left behind, honoring the fragmented pieces asking for reclamation. In the words of poet Paul Éluard, "there is another world, and it is in this one."

Feeling STUCK? I'd like to help. Maybe you're struggling with an important relationship, tired of feeling stressed or depressed all the time, wondering why a past trauma keeps haunting you or why you continue to do those things that keep you from being the person you want to be. My clients are teens and adults who are seeking greater satisfaction and meaning in their lives. People see me for different reasons--healing, growth, life transitions, clarity. Whatever the problem that brings you to therapy, you'll find my office to be a safe, supportive and accepting space, a sanctuary.

Are you stuck in emotional pain, numbed out, or in an unsatisfying relationship? We all learn patterns of relating to ourselves, others, and the world that may no longer work. This can show up as relationship conflict or distance, depression, anxiety, grief, emptiness, confusion, or a lack of direction and meaning. You want more joy, ease and satisfying relationships, with greater confidence and ability to ride the waves of life. Through courageous exploration, connection, healing and behavioral work, we nurture your powerful, true Self from which you are able to live your best life and contribute your unique gifts.

I believe in the power of healing through authentic connection with trusted community. However, rather than allowing ourselves to share vulnerably with people in our lives, we silence ourselves due to the fear of being judged. We close ourselves off to connection and in doing so silence our authentic truth. While this tendency has protected us from unsafe people, we can get stuck in this game of pretending to be okay when we truly need support. This can lead to disconnection within ourselves and in our interpersonal relationships. I help people learn how to trust their intuition and use their vulnerability as a tool for connection.

I work with individuals and couples to untangle from patterns of drama, criticism, and codependency. I teach clients how to turn arguments into proactive conversations with win-win solutions. Our work together can include healing past hurts and trauma, feeling more sexually connected, and creating positive life changes. I am most interested in supporting my clients in finding relief from suffering and being truly happy.

You are already whole, and I believe the process of psychotherapy is to shed the self limiting beliefs we hold of ourselves that keep us fractured and compartmentalized. The process of integrating our disavowed parts creates the space for our wholeness to emerge. We make meaning through our experiences, but shame and trauma can distort our way of relating to ourselves and the world. Through the therapeutic container of safety one can begin to deconstruct the strategies adopted along the way to keep one feeling “safe” and “in control”, while also in many ways, keeping one from meeting the world with an open and curious heart.

Do you want to create practical solutions for solving problems in you or your family's life? Ambivalent about which therapist to choose? I help struggling teens, children, frustrated parents, and individuals, feel comfortable and at ease using innovative methods and a straightforward style of therapy. My interventions are drawn from evidenced based theories like Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Interested in alternatives to talk therapy? I also offer "walk and talk sessions" outside of the office, play/art therapy, and distance counseling via Zoom or phone.

Hi. I am Joe Sousa, a licensed psychotherapist in the State of CA. I've been providing counseling services in the Santa Cruz area in one form or another since 1993. Here's the issues I work with in therapy: Relationship enhancement, improve communication, sexual intimacy; handling difficulties, such as breakups and divorce; discovering life purpose and build self-esteem; issues relating to school, careers, money, a child or an elderly parent; dealing with powerful emotions, like anger, anxiety, depression, fear, grief, loss, and panic; addictive or compulsive behavior, with regard to alcohol, drugs, food, sex and/or porn.

As a holistic-somatic therapist, I hold a non-pathologizing perspective, emphasizing your innate wholeness and capacity for healing. I relate directly and spontaneously, focusing on mind-body-presence. Rooted in a compassionate and mindful eco-psycho-social context, I focus on supporting adult individuals and couples. Most of my clients are processing trauma, anxiety, shame, grief, co-dependence, and ADHD patterns with the aim of achieving a sense of secure connection both internally and externally. As a path to gain insight into the intricate dynamics of your process and behaviors sessions may emphasize felt-sense resources.

Hi and welcome! A key component to successful therapy and personal change starts with a strong connection between therapist and client. I work with adults in ALL areas of relationships, including your relationship with yourself. I walk with people on the journey to their natural, authentic self with a professional and individual tx plan. I use an integrative model; including humanistic, holistic, CBT, ACT, somatic work and supportive psychotherapy-meeting a person where they are on any specific day. I am a mother, was a single mother, now a step mother, a grandmother, a lover of nature and a survivor of this 'human condition.'

I specialize in individual, couples and family therapy. With over 20 years experience, I work with a broad spectrum of clients. I have presented at international trainings on how the body stores emotions and trauma, the transforming work of inner identities and living from one's Essential Self. I am an interactive and dynamic therapist. I provide support and practical feedback to help address life's challenges. I integrate complimentary modalities and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach. With compassion and understanding I work with each individual to help build and attain the personal growth they're striving for.

Megan leads with hope and curiosity to empower her clients to grow into their best selves. She works collaboratively with clients in order to understand them as a whole person, not just their problems. Megan believes patience, authenticity, and transparency are essential to build trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship. Megan specializes in working with adults and youth who identify as neurodivergent and/or on the autism spectrum, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals. Megan works with clients who are coping with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and relationship struggles.

Maybe NOW is the right time. Maybe I am the person. Do you need support and strategies to help you through a difficult time or address a particular problem? Let me help. It is an honor to connect with you and work together to help you overcome obstacles, adjust to transitions, and help you become the person, couple, or family that you want to become. Benefit from my 18+ years of experience, as well as my lifelong active and vital pursuit of knowledge and well-being. Compassionate, effective, intelligent and holistic. Let me help and support you in moving forward.

We all go through difficult times and it takes courage to reach out for support. You may be wondering how therapy can help you. Perhaps you want support with a challenging issue, to relieve anxiety, recover from trauma or to change patterns that no longer work for you. You may want to improve a relationship or get support with parenting or working through loss. You can make changes, break patterns, and heal. Therapy is a place to get support, to explore new strategies for coping better with life, and to view things from an expanded perspective. Our challenges present us with opportunities to heal as well as grow.

Crises and painful emotions can be the beginning of a journey toward transformation and wisdom. If you are looking for a deeper and more connected sense of yourself, and fulfillment in life, then you may be ready for a commitment to the therapeutic process. I believe my empathic presence - the capacity to hear, see and feel a situation from the other person's vantage point- is central to the healing process. Within such a safe relationship the patient can develop an open attitude toward the unconscious; exploration of the meaning and purpose of one's life can unfold.