Family Therapy in Santa Barbara, CA

Being a parent can activate so much in us. There are moments of incredible joy, wonder and connection. There is so much exhaustion. There are times that can feel like they are draining your spirit. In these times you can feel like a hollow, empty shell going through the motions of life and parenthood. It can feel like there is a fog of stress and anxiety hanging over even the sunniest of days. It can feel so far away from what you imagined. This soul draining feeling has a powerful message for you. Somewhere along the way you lost your connection to yourself.

I work with adolescents (12-17), young adults (18-25), and families facing anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and relationship challenges. We can feel motivated to take those first steps toward healing but struggle to maintain progress. Trauma and challenging life events can leave our inner resources and authenticity untouched, discouraging our growth. 'I'm aware of my patterns and habits, what's next? Are there actual skills that can help me with this?'. Together, we'll answer this question and build a treatment plan that matches your unique vision for change.

You don't have to go it alone, I'm here to help and am currently accepting new couples and individuals as patients. I specialize in working with couples who are facing transitions and/or conflict in their relationship and individuals who struggle with relationships, eating disorders, and issues with their sense of self. Together, we will work towards deeper understanding and freedom from negative and/or destructive repetitions that impact your life and relationships.

100% Online telehealth. Are you longing for clarity and ease? Most of our psychological pain and suffering, our inhibitions and limitations in achieving a satisfying life, are the result of primitive anxieties that we have carried within ourselves since the very time we were, indeed, really helpless. Through our work together, you'll learn the tools to understand the meaning underneath your emotions and move beyond feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Using both talk therapy and somatic (body-based) tools, our time together will be a place for you to heal, grow, and explore your inner world in a compassionate and non-judgmental space.

Navigating the profound pain of losing a loved one is one of life's greatest challenges. You might be feeling misunderstood because no one seems to understand the profound depth of your pain. You might worry about overwhelming others if you were honest about how you're really feeling. You might feel constantly irritable and on-edge or numb and just exhausted. You might worry about not honoring your loved one properly, or what it means if you were to seek out joy again.

I'm glad you're here! My work is firmly rooted in existential humanism, meaning the search for meaning and self-realization is central to our work together. I believe you are the expert on you and your experience and it is my great honor to walk with you on your path. The relationship we will build collaboratively in session will aid you on your healing journey. I am skilled at creating a non-judgmental environment and accepting you where you are, no matter where that is, as we work to shine a light on what once seemed too dark to face.

I have been a psychotherapist in Santa Barbara, CA since 1974. My style is varied, incorporating Gestalt therapy, active listening, inner child work, assertiveness training, and guided imagery. Licensed since 1980 as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I enjoy working with couples, regarding issues of healthy sexuality, intimacy, and communication. Individual women and men,working on their sexual self esteem, are some of my favorite clients. For over fifteen years, I have also been leading groups for Adults Molested as Children, as well as their partners. Focus on breath and body is integral to my way of working in session.

Being human can be wild, messy, beautiful, and painful. Whatever has brought you to therapy, it has taken courage and belief in yourself to arrive here. I honor your commitment to your own healing and growth. Suffering is part of the human condition, but there is no reason to suffer alone. Whether you're dealing with anxiety or depression, loss or overwhelming change, or stress due to work, family, or intimate relationships, therapy can help shift your perspective, clarify your deepest values and life goals, identify unhelpful thought patterns, and transform your experience of life.

Openings for new clients with private pay, Lyra, Aetna, Oxford, United, and Oscar insurances. With a deep commitment to helping individuals, couples and families navigate life's challenges, I specialize in treating anxiety, panic attacks, depression, relationship conflicts, complicated family and sibling dynamics, narcissism, life transitions, body image, substance use/addiction, chronic pain, and grief. We have all faced difficulties in our lives and unfortunately, many of us don't have the healthiest ways to deal with uncomfortable feelings or experiences. That's understandable because we weren't necessarily taught these skills.

During these difficult times, how would your life be different if you had someone to speak with about the issues that you are struggling with NOW? What if you could have an intimate, stimulating and long-lasting love affair with your partner? Could you imagine yourself, your partner or a family member learning how to take responsibility for thinking, feeling and behaviors so that life was satisfying and successful rather than stressful and disorganized? Well...that is possible.

Every person is unique, and what one needs to heal and feel whole is also unique. I see each of my clients as the individuals that they are, and work with them using the method and process best for their healing and personal growth. Therapy is a process where alchemy can occur; together we can allow for this process, and the healing begins here. I use a Client Centered approach and integrate Family Systems, Dreamwork, EMDR, play therapy, and some astrology if the client requests this.

Are you feeling defeated in your life? Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, family and relationship issues? With over 22 years of experience, I offer a blend of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mind-body modalities to help you feel more empowered in your life. Together, we unwind the beliefs you hold onto that keep you stuck and limited. This allows you to make new choices in all areas of your life, enabling a state of peace, calm, and fulfillment. When you are no longer held back by a limited point of view, you are more flexible, open, and able to make positive changes.

To be happy and free of suffering ... this is the experience of effective therapy. When we're witnessed, deeply understood and guided to our true self, the challenges of being human can become magical. Blending multiple clinical orientations I work with the client's whole being - mind, body & spirit - to discover his/her own unique truths and capacities. Because so much of who we are is a function of our relationships, I gravitate toward couples, families and groups, teaching people how to relate to themselves and each other with refreshing honesty and authenticity.

Many of our clients are professionals in their community and prefer the privacy and convenience of an in home Detox plan. Personalized Recovery offers an affordable alternative to inpatient treatment with upscale amenities. Our treatment team always maintains your confidentiality while keeping you as safe and comfortable as possible. We want to help you heal from addiction and find your passion for Life again.

Life is challenging. We are expected to manage relationships, work, sickness, finances, and other stresses. Many of us come to experience significant anxiety, shame, anger, or depression in coping with the world. Whether you are facing an immediate crisis or longstanding concern, psychotherapy can help. With over 25 years of experience, I have assisted people in developing more effective ways of living. My therapeutic approach is informed by current neuroscience research, contemporary relational psychoanalytic thinking, phenomenology, and child development research.

I focus on three dimensions in my psychotherapeutic work. The first is awareness and insight into our development as individuals and how this development has shaped our current functioning. There are no perfect parents nor perfect family experience without unmet needs and injuries (purposeful or unintentional). In understanding what we had to do to maintain critical attachments and equally critical separation and autonomy growing up, we discover that who we are is not fixed and irrevocable. We begin to see that we now have a choice to see ourselves and the world in new healthier ways and function differently in our current life.

Welcome! As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I am committed to supporting individuals and couples on their journey towards healing, growth, and fulfillment. My practice is dedicated to the idea that the human spirit prevails in the midst of our deepest sufferings. As human beings, we all possess the innate capacity, courage, and wisdom to overcome adversities in life. With a compassionate and nonjudgmental approach, I provide a safe space for clients to realize their own potentials and empower them to prevail over obstacles, cultivate resilience, and live authentically.

If you are facing a difficult transition in your relationship, depression, addiction, trauma, or simply wanting to increase your life's potential, contact me with questions concerning psychotherapy. Addressing the presenting problem, we will identify past memories, present behavior and emotions, and their impact on living a creative life. By engaging your imagination, we gain access to your hidden potential, hindered by negative belief patterns. Together we will transform your life's most difficult challenges and develop the courage to create opportunities to live more passionately.

Life can be incredibly painful, and at times we can find ourselves confused, lost, anxious, and seemingly alone. We cannot have a pain-free life, but there are ways of managing the issues in our lives that help us be more present, connected to our values, and fulfilled in that which we do. Whether it is anxiety, depression, relationship issues, or trauma, there are ways to respond to these so that we can move back toward the lives that we want to lead.