Couples Counseling Therapists in Santa Rosa, CA

I believe we all carry within us everything we need to heal. There are also times in our lives when we need extra support to access inner resources, healing and growth. As your therapist, we will explore together ways that old habits, patterns and history limit the life you want to be living. Whether you are stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, facing big life transitions, worried about your teen, or longing for more meaning and connection in your relationships, you are not alone in your struggle. It is a courageous act to get support and I honor your unique life journey.

Tired of talk therapy? Are you looking for a dynamic, empowering approach to counseling? Maybe you are noticing that the natural felt sense of joy, aliveness and peace is eluding you. There are times in life when we all need support. As a seasoned Transpersonal Therapist with over forty years of contemplative practice, I bring an intuitive sensitivity, trained attention and wisdom to our work together and support you in awakening to a deeper awareness of Self, that will radically transform your experience of daily life. This naturally results in greater creativity, aliveness, inner strength and courage.

We all experience difficulties or challenges during different periods of our lives. Therapy can be a very useful resource to help you successfully navigate these times. My goal as a therapist is to work collaboratively with you to identify and solve problems that are negatively impacting your life, relationships, or that are getting in the way of achieving your goals.

You have taken the step to look for help and now you want relief. But how do you choose the "right" therapist? Let me start the conversation...Over the past 35 years of professional practice, my clients have come to rely on my ability to be objective, direct and safe. But you want to know how long all this will take...right? My goal is to help you move toward solutions within the shortest time span possible while relieving unnecessary tension.

When we meet you will enjoy a private and safe environment to discuss and explore the hopes and challenges you are facing. I care about your wishes, needs and/or goals in the therapy. I work with adults, couples and families. Forty years as a psychotherapist has taught me to emphasize your strengths and hopes. I will support you in a reassuring and respectful way in identifying your needs. I work with most issues, but specialize in areas of: life transitions, couples communication and relationship issues, conflict resolution, harm reduction, fulfillment, eating and shifting areas of unhappiness towards a more alive and vital life.

I provide integrative psychotherapy for adults, couples, teens and families. I incorporate empirically validated methods, including EMDR, CBT, DBT, and the Gottman method for couples and families. Your concerns are my focus as we work together to develop solutions. I offer parenting support, divorce support, and grief support for families. I am also uniquely experienced in working with families and individuals with special needs, especially youth and adults with ADHD and those on the Autism Spectrum.

I specialize in high conflict divorce and anything divorce related. Whether you are needing co-parent counseling or therapy for your children, I can help. I also provide reunification counseling for children and parents that have been estranged for on reason or another. Parent Coordination (Special Master) is another specialty of mine.

Sometimes its challenging to interact with others, enjoy gatherings, or accept compliments without feeling anxious, suspicious, or attacked. Do you leave events finding that you have some resentment due to something that occurred? These experiences can affect the way you function daily, causing feelings of dissatisfaction with life and others. When you lack satisfaction in your life it can impact your relationships at home and with friends; and can interfere with your job or other responsibilities. I would like to help you with understanding, addressing, and repairing damage to relationships and help you to enjoy your life.

Perhaps you have some symptom that's bothering you: writer's cramp, an embarrassing blushing problem, relationship or sexual difficulties, an eating disorder, a problem with anger, or perhaps you have debilitating anxiety attacks. Or you simply are unhappy, depressed and dissatisfied with your life, even though you are relatively successful. The list of possible symptoms is endless. As a psychoanalyst, I can assist you on the classic and still the most adventurous road to relief: the search for self-understanding. Also, should you need it, I offer short-term counseling and couples therapy.

I specialize in helping people transform life challenges into opportunities for growth and healing. Examples include losses (death, illness, divorce, relocation, job loss), relationship problems (parenting, spousal, peer, work-related); persistent troubling moods and states (depression, anxiety, stress). My special interest in helping individuals and families comes from a deep appreciation of the enduring influence of close relationships on all aspects of health throughout the lifespan.

Please just call. I will help you feel comfortable, having done this work for over 40 years. I attend closely to my client's own described experience. Through my understanding of you, I help you understand /deal with your own core (existential) issues which cause suffering. My role is as facilitator/ spiritual midwife. The true catalysts for change arise from daily life. Ultimately a client learns to: know self more deeply, feel obstacles energetically, face conflicts consciously, and release any internal resistance blocking movement. Real growth must occur in integrated ways throughout body and mind.

Therapy is not the mystery it once was. Blending SCIENCE with COMPASSION, EMPATHY, SKILL, HUMOR, WARMTH, INTUITION, AND CONFIDENCE I will help you create the future you want and changes that last. How does change occur? How do I find the right therapist? These are both questions one asks whether embarking on this journey for the first time, or re-entering therapy for deeper connection. Therapy is also an art. Drawing from the palette of NEUROSCIENCE, THEORY, LIFE EXPERIENCE, TEACHING, PASSION, INTUITION, and SKILL, I will help you effect real change. Learn more by clicking "WEBSITE", above or go to www.jbarlastherapy.com

When you repeatedly find yourself in the same type of negative relationship, counseling can offer insight and support. If your relationships are causing you stress or impacting your daily life, it's a sign you may need some help. Even though relationships involve more than one person, ultimately, the only person you can change is you. With the tools and support of a trusted therapist, you can learn to set healthy boundaries and release unrealistic expectations. Oftentimes, simply gaining a new perspective on your own behavior can open the door to healthier and more satisfying relationships.

A wise man once said that all life is relationship. Indeed, we all want to be seen, valued and supported. Connection with ourselves and others is also the most challenging aspect of being human. Often we do not receive the skills to create safe connections or have had experiences that leaves us reluctant to reach out. We can be left feeling alone, anxious, and depressed. We may struggle with communication skills and habits that undermine us and leave us feeling dissatisfied with ourself and our relationships.

You’re considered to be quite successful in many areas of your life. Even though you know this is true, you don’t feel like you’re doing well at the moment. You’re smart, capable, and usually able to solve your problems, but trying to “fix” your emotional struggles just hasn’t worked. The demands of your work and personal life feel like they're just too much for you to handle right now. Your relationship with your partner might be a struggle. You may feel burned out.

I provide a safe, caring place to help you develop more satisfying ways of being in relationship with your partner, teen, yourself or your life. I believe we all have the capacity to be healthy and whole. Often, our upbringing or harmful experiences leave us with habits that no longer serve our growth and well-being. I bring a warm, compassionate presence to help you locate and heal the sources of suffering. I have worked with adults, couples, parents and teens over 40 years, assisting people to become more able to honor their heart's desires.

Video Sessions are available. Have you ever felt stuck in old patterns of thoughts, feelings, moods, relationships? Are you a person who knows your true potential and longs to spread your wings? I invite you to imagine what it would be like to be free from the clutches of anxiety, depression, trauma and chronic distress within relationships. Recent breakthroughs in the field of psychotherapy can help you gain lasting relief from core struggles that hold us back from a life of greater meaning and fulfillment.

We all come with baggage. It makes us who we are and yet it can be so heavy. My idea of therapy's purpose is to help clients lighten their load. Everybody wants to make healthier choices, to find joy in life. How that is done is individual and to be discovered. I have interest in and respect for the differences in people's experience. I also have faith in each person's ability to find a path to wholeness. If you have experienced trauma, suffer from anxiety, depression, or other disturbances we can find the way to access your own inner healing power.

I am dedicated to helping people identify and work through symptoms, problems, and obstacles to true health and vitality in personal and professional relationships. I have over thirty years experience working as a therapist, teacher, consultant, coach. I am Certified as an EFT Therapist for couple's and individuals (ICEEFT.com). I am also a Certified EFT Supervisor. Currently I am helping several therapists become certified in EFT for Couples via Zoom or in person. I am Certified in Coherence Therapy (CoherenceTherapy.com). I am Certified and a trainer in Emotional Brain Training. (EBTconnect.net) www.LoveandMarriageWorks.com