Therapists in Santa Maria, CA

Sometimes our challenges in life become so heavy or complex that we need help resolving them. You are not alone. Perhaps you or your partner are experiencing stress, feeling alone or disconnected, dealing with behavioral or emotional outbursts, or struggling to manage your child's behaviors. Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope? Have you or your children experienced emotional or physical trauma?

Reality check. Life really isn't one big happy party. Stuff happens. Bad stuff. Sometimes, really bad stuff that shakes you to the core, leaving a sense of loss and disconnection from the things you love. At the other end of the continuum are the little bumps along the way. The hiccups that take you out of the comfort zone temporarily and just need a little smoothing. Hopefully, that's where most of life happens. If not, therapy may help. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of life's challenges and whatever your age, let's work together to get you closer to a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.

To be human is to know trouble and beauty. Much of the time we deal effectively with life's ups and downs. Other times, our resources can be overwhelmed by a major event or loss. Even expected transitions can present a crisis, contributing to depression and anxiety. Lifelong concerns among family members, such as poor communication and/or conflicts, can be improved no matter your stage of life.

I believe that therapy can be a great environment to help you grow as an individual, to mend broken relationships, and to let go of the past that may be holding you back. I believe in creating a strong support system in order to help with the healing process and move forward with your life. In working with children, families and individuals I utilize an eclectic approach with an emphasis in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as I believe thinking, questioning and doing leads to changes needed for growth and recovery.

Hello there, I'm Brian Mitchell. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a client-centered approach to therapy, focusing on trauma and PTSD. I tailor my approach to each client's unique needs and experiences. I am trained in several evidence-based therapies, including CBT, EMDR, and TF-CBT, as well as mindfulness techniques and stress reduction strategies. I work to create a safe and supportive environment for clients to work towards healing and learning coping skills.

My name is Joel Gamache. I am an LMFT in California, working with teens, adults, and couples in a psychodynamic approach. I specialize in traumatic stress, resolving childhood experiences, panic/anxiety attacks, thoughts of death, marital conflict, and relational communication. I use a combination of body-based therapies, self-compassion, attachment theory, object relations theory. I typically ask about what is currently happening in people's lives and use that to explore unresolved experiences in the past.

Together we will work to create the life you want. I provide a safe environment, and you decide what we talk about. I am an active participant, offering a different perspective, and providing insight into the way you think and feel. I use various therapeutic orientations, including psychodynamic. We will work to discover how your past influences your life, to help increase self-awareness and reach your goals. If we find that you are unaware of certain thoughts and feelings, our discussions could help you make choices that lead to building the life you want. I also use strength-based therapy, to identify and develop your strengths.

Hello, I'm Natalia. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My areas of expertise are depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, trauma, grief and loss, LGBTQIA+ issues, life transitions, women’s issues, codependency, relational, and cultural issues.

Stressful, scary, and life-threatening events happen and can initiate strong emotions and physical reactions that can persist long after the event. Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, problems with alcohol and or drugs? Are you having difficulty at school, your job, your relationships? Are you overwhelmed and stressed out? Are you feeling responsible for solving others’ problems, worried about a loved one, general sense of helplessness, anxiety, or depression? Therapy can help you reduce stress, anxiety, depression, decrease in unhelpful thoughts and self-harming behaviors. Therapy can help you find hope in darkness.

My name is Robert and I would be honored to be your Therapist. I have been a Social Worker for the past 20 years. The most important thing I need you to know about me and how I work is that I believe Social Work to be a calling and I truly believe in the power of Therapy to change lives. I believe that talking about the things that hurt us provides us with the power to overcome them. I am more interested in your strengths than your diagnoses. I am more interested in empowering you to make your own decisions than I am in you doing what is “right.”

My name is Herbert Wright, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in Humanistic / Existential, CBT, Object Relations, Solution Focused, and Structural Family Therapy. I have worked with various clients who have had issues with Substance abuse, Sexual Abuse, Schizophrenia, Grief and Loss, Abandonment, Isolation, Borderline Personality Disorder, Nightmares, Insomnia, Suicide, At-risk youth, open Department of Children and Family Services, Probation, Court Ordered, Family Reunification, Career Planning, Coaching, Spiritual, Trauma, and Religious issues

My name is Melissa Morales, LCSW, CADC. My goal is to provide a safe and appropriate environment that fosters both acceptance and change utilizing an insight-oriented approach. My clinical expertise includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and substance use disorders (SUD) and have worked in various treatment settings. My areas of focus are in treating adults with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, grief, substance use disorders, and trauma, including abusive/toxic relationships. I also have experience in working with first responders.

My name is Dorothy Frazier and I’m an LCSW in California. I currently work with pregnant and parenting women but have also worked with incarcerated men and women, people with HIV/AIDS. I’m most comfortable working with anxiety and depression and racial disparities. I love listening to clients! My theoretical approach I use is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy providing active listening and unconditional positive regard. I use a soft compassionate tone. It feels like working with an older wise woman who provides a safe space to express self.

Is your child struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, or difficulty expressing emotions safely? Are they having a difficult time coping with a trauma or loss? Maybe you want to strengthen your relationship with your child. Play is the natural way that children express themselves, and they need a special environment filled with toys and games to help them with the hard work of learning new skills and addressing unpleasant memories. Play and art therapy can be used to resolve trauma, teach and practice coping skills, increase emotional regulation, decrease anxiety and enhance attachments.

My therapy approach is to build a relationship with my clients. My clients can trust me to share difficult emotions, feel safe enough to talk about things they are struggling with and feel comfortable enough to know that I will not judge anything they do bring to therapy. While earning my education granted me the opportunity to become “book smart,” I have also found that my life experiences have played a significant role in why I enjoy my life and career to the extent to which I do. In addition to my current position at a local mental health facility, I have been in the social services/mental health field for quite some time.

Welcome! I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California. Therapy is my passion! I find joy in assisting individuals and couples through different journeys and challenges of life to help them become the best versions of themselves. I have experience working with different levels of concerns that range from Dissociation to Depression. While Trauma and Abuse are a couple of my main areas of focus, Anxiety and Self-Esteem are also within my scope.

Hi there! My name is Chelsey Colburn and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I have been practicing in the field for over five years, the last three of which were exclusively private practice. I like to consider an eclectic approach. I use CBT often but believe that therapy is not cookie-cutter and that different clients need different approaches. I have been fortunate enough in my career to have worked with people from all walks of life. I have experience treating various ages and find that I enjoy all, it particularly young adults to mid-life.

Hello! My name is Abigail Hermanus, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in the Southern California region who offers services statewide via telehealth. As a therapist, my hope and passion is to foster a practice that brings hope to the community by maintaining compassion and upholding a multi-cultural posture in elevating each person's strength and narrative. Throughout my clinical experience, I have found that the modalities in which I incorporate in my sessions are applicable to children and teens (between 6-18 years of age), young adults, and individuals undergoing life transitions and relational issues.

One of the bravest things you can do is start the journey of understanding your own story. If you have made the decision that you want seek therapy, but you don’t know where to begin, who to trust, or whether it is worth it to open up to a complete stranger, you are not alone, and I would love to help. Facing anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, strained relationships, or unexpected change alone can feel debilitating, so let’s face it together. Therapy doesn’t have to be a negative experience and I hope you'll give it a try.