Relationship Issues Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

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.

Are you seeking a therapist who is attuned, invested, present and committed to supporting you on your journey toward growth, discovery, and healing? Having been a client myself, I understand how important it is to find a therapist who you feel really "gets you" and with whom you feel safe and comfortable being vulnerable and open. I focus on creating a foundation of presence, safety, and trust in the therapeutic relationship. I am here to see you, hear you, understand you, and support you & will meet you with a non-judgmental, compassionate, and supportive presence as we work together.

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.

Are you struggling or feeling dissatisfied with your current relationships, career or social life? Wondering if these situations (or you?) can possibly feel better ? Do feel that you have made a lot of efforts but they either aren't working or people don't deem to recognize your efforts? Or maybe it's even worse and something bad has happened or you simply and you no longer feel like trying anymore and or not sure if you know what you want anymore....

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.

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.

"Stuck." At some point in our lives, we all feel it. I help people link their desire for things to be different to the places they feel stuck, healthfully and effectively. You don't need to know how to change, we start with where you are. I like the Chinese proverb, "Acceptance and change are brothers, but acceptance is the older brother." By helping you learn to first accept where you are (even if now it seems impossible), suffering is naturally reduced and there is more energy and room for growth. You get to like yourself now AND change.

With a passion for inspiring individuals to claim their own personal excellence, my expertise is in understanding interpersonal dynamics, and successfully coaching individuals, couples, families and groups into reaching their highest self. My background includes a degree in Organizational Communication, a ten year career as a Technical/Corporate Instructor, and fifteen years of coaching/Therapy with a Master of Arts in MFT. Along with my private practice, I teach Zumba (dance inspired group fitness). I look forward to our meeting and becoming part of your journey.

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."

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 have thirty years experience helping people who are suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, relationship conflict, stress, and many other issues that take away from quality of life. My approach goes beyond plain talk therapy. My goal is to help you release old wounds, connect with your true inner self, and find your power. Whether you are completely new to therapy or have had many therapists and are discouraged with a lack of results, I am dedicated to listening and finding the right approach for you, the unique human that you are. I want to empower you to achieve your goals and live the fulfilling life that you deserve.

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.

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 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.

VIDEO SESSIONS AVAILABLE FOR ALL CLIENTS . . . . . Initiating therapy can be a daunting and challenging process, and that begins with selecting a therapist around whom you will feel comfortable, safe and respected. To help you with that process, I'll start by sharing a few things about myself. I became a therapist because I discovered that it was a large part of who I am. Even at an early age, I found that I was often the person others felt safe to let their guard down with - to share what was happening below the surface, and to seek out my advice.

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.

How do we regain balance after losing our footing? Whether through anxiety, anger, depression, fear, guilt or shame, it is normal for our lives to present challenges that throw us seemingly off course. At the same time, life’s greatest challenges can also present opportunities for growth, deep healing and the reintegration of lost parts of ourselves. In my work with clients, I provide a safe and supportive environment to express and explore challenging emotions, thoughts and beliefs and help them discover new vistas and vantage points from which to enjoy and appreciate themselves, their lives, and their relationships again.

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.

Each of us has a deep, loving intelligence that seeks expression in the world. We also have survival strategies formed early in life that often limit and inhibit our later lives and relationships. In my work with individuals, couples, and families, we unmask these strategies, and access the loving wisdom that is the deepest, essential nature of all human beings. This shift arises naturally and radically re-orients our world view and behavior toward others and toward ourselves. It unleashes our capacity for joy and creativity, and offers the only place from which to have a true relationship with the world and with others.