Couples Counseling Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

Are you experiencing challenges that make life hard and impact your achieving your goals? Are you wanting to improve: life experiences (career, academic, partner, identity, etc.); anxiety, depression, organization, attention, learning; social, relationship, communication with your partners, friends, children, animals (see book: Dogs Can Sign, Too)? Are you in a minority or diverse group and dealing with personal or social issues? If you are open to face, overcome, grow from these challenges, and ready to start your growth journey where you will gain information, skill, and support, contact me today for a free intro session.

I am truly grateful that you have chosen to embark on this inspiring journey of self-discovery and personal growth. As a therapist, my purpose and passion lie in supporting individuals like you to become the person they aspire to become. I firmly believe that each individual possesses the innate ability to grow and evolve. I am here to guide, empower, and facilitate your journey as you navigate the path towards self-actualization.

I believe we have the ability to resolve anything and to do so we must consider looking inward first. I believe that our natural state of being is blissful and free of suffering and I am here to support you in remembering that state. I work well with those looking to expand their awareness through self inquiry and curiosity with the ultimate goal of living their most empowered, authentic, and peaceful life.

I believe the therapeutic relationship creates healing through the power of connection. Whether you're navigating life transitions, facing challenges in relationships, or seeking personal growth, I honor the relationship with each of my clients and tailor each session to each individual’s unique needs.

Greetings. I provide a safe space for the allowance of your emotions to be compassionately witnessed. My focus is in helping individuals, families & couples move from the murky place of uncertainty into a deeper state of self-knowing, wholeness and empowerment. Through holistic therapy practices I help clients move from the sympathetic nervous system of fight or flight into the calmer parasympathetic state where you are able to access your own inner wisdom to guide you into clarity and healing. I blend mindful, somatic body oriented therapy, Internal Family Systems & Gestalt therapy with a playful, humanistic approach.

Together we will explore the impact of your past history and beliefs. I bring an open-minded and introspective approach to exploring thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Many of our struggles internally and externally are due to unmet needs for empathy and understanding.

I feel strongly that we have the capacity to heal and thrive within the context of safe relationships. For this reason, I am passionate about offering therapeutic services to assist in exploring strengths, gifts, and complex challenges. At this time I work with adults and adolescents seeking therapy for a range of issues including relationship challenges, depression, anxiety, trauma, and parenting.

Welcome! I commend your strength in taking this step. As a therapist, I believe my role is to serve as a mirror that reflects all of your strengths and humanity. As relational beings, we hurt, heal, and grow through relationships; the therapeutic relationship is no different. I foster a safe space to explore and understand your patterns and experiences. We look towards the present to find what you would like to change to step further into your authenticity and fullness. Together we cultivate the tools and skills that will help you find healing and ease.

I work primarily with couples and individuals toward creating better communication and developing coping strategies to help with stress.

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.

As a holistic somatic therapist, I hold a non-pathologizing perspective, emphasizing your innate wholeness and capacity for healing. My approach to therapy is direct, spontaneous and playful, focusing on experiential healing. Rooted in an eco-psycho-social context threaded with compassion and mindfulness, I focus on supporting adult individuals and couples in working through trauma, anxiety, shame, grief, co-dependence, and ADHD patterns to achieve a sense of secure connection both internally/externally. Through emphasizing felt sense resources, I can help you gain insight into the intricate dynamics of your process and behaviors.

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.

I believe that every individual possesses the strength and resilience to overcome life's challenges. My passion and commitment lies in helping you discover your inner resources and guiding you on a path towards healing and personal growth. I have experience working with diverse individuals facing various issues including anxiety, depression, personality disorders, grief and both acute and cumulative trauma. My approach is rooted in empathy, respect, and a deep understanding of the unique journey each person undertakes. Therapy is a collaborative process, and I am here to provide a safe and nonjudgmental space where you can explore.

I work with adolescents, adults and families in individual, couples, family and group therapy settings. I have over 16 years of experience and work primarily from a relational, compassionate, client-centered, transpersonal and somatic centered approaches. This holistic therapeutic approach allows my clients to heal, integrate and transform their negative/traumatic experiences by using empathy and mindfulness skills to improve their functioning within their daily, social, work and relational domains.

Pandemic. War. Existential shock; we can feel lack in our joy and our vitality; we feel overwhelm in body, mind and spirit. We can’t sleep, our relationships don’t feel right and we feel lost in the huge and scary waves of fear and worry about the past, the future and our survival...there is hope! we partner in practices to find compassion and radical acceptance; we dedicate space to cultivate and nourish the growth mindset and ourselves deeply— I hold sacred and safe spaces for womxn who feel stuck in fear and overwhelm so they can reboot and reconnect with their body wisdom and become the best version of themselves. regardless.

Life can be hard but I'm guessing you already knew that.  All the hard stuff can leave us feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or sad. Sometimes life's challenges become too difficult to overcome alone. Finding a safe and collaborative place to explore and address what is troubling you is the first step toward healing.  Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, or challenges within a relationship. While there are no guarantees of what you will experience in therapy, research shows that therapy helps people. It works. Psychotherapy can elevate feelings of self worth, purpose, and improve your overall quality of life.

You are uncomfortable - Something is bothering you. You need resolution about an issue, event, experience or relationship. I work in a collaborative/relational model with people who have had experiences that they have not fully integrated yet. I use talk therapy, imagery, metaphor, hypnosis, EMDR, Positive Psychology, and Sensorimotor. Often clients report being disinterested in a formerly distressing topic after treatment. I'm comfortable working many types of issues including trauma, PTSD, ACA, sexual abuse, panic attacks or phobias, anxiety or depression, losses or relationship breakups, people with mysterious physical ailments.

Welcome! May I walk beside you as you continue to uncover, untangle, embody and enliven your life's purpose? I seek to be witness and ally to your own personal life's journey. C.G. Jung states, "Every advance; even the smallest, along the path of conscious realization adds that much to the world".

Feeling anxious or worried? Too busy for therapy during the work week? I'm available for Friday afternoon and Sunday appointments. I provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges, reduce stress levels, and lead richer, fuller lives. I am an interactive, solution-focused, cognitive behavioral therapist. In a comfortable and supportive atmosphere I work with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues.