Therapists Providing Strength-Based Therapy in San Diego

Clients typically reach out to me when they're looking to find personal growth and make changes in how they think and feel. My goal is to have each client explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to help build insight to create the changes they want to see to design a life worth living. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, registered art therapist, and certified clinical trauma professional, I combine my specialties by taking a creative approach to tailor treatment to address each individual's unique needs. I am known by my clients for loving a good worksheet and a sense of humor. I always strive to create a safe place where you can feel comfortable being yourself and express anything without feeling judged. Whether you're experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, or just want someone to vent to, feel free to reach out to me and we can get started!

As your therapist, I am committed to helping you discover your inner power and cultivate lasting change. I help people whose emotions or thoughts take over at the worst possible moments, and those who wrestle with day-to-day life confusion, pain or loss. This period of time can feel overwhelming and debilitating. It may even affect your relationships with family, friends or career.

As Shannon Alder puts it, “courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.” How do you to face the difficult questions, show courage, and claim your Shakti (strength) in order to heal?

Healing begins with love. Let’s work on being in love with the person in the mirror. You have been through so much and are still showing resilience. As your psychotherapist, I help you navigate the challenges of adulthood & manage your feelings through interventions such as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Walking Therapy and other holistic methods like Crystal Healing.

If you are ready to feel empowered, effortlessly achieve your goals, and feel more happiness in your life, contact me today for a complimentary telephone consultation. I am in this with you & TOGETHER we can navigate any conflict you are trying to manage.

We don’t heal in isolation. We heal in the context of healthy and safe relationships. Together, we can lighten load that you’ve been carrying and make sense of the messiness of life. In sessions with me, you can expect to be empowered with practical tools, observations, insights and nurturing containment. I offer a safe, authentic space to unpack issues, repair emotional wounds, develop practical skills, engage in exploratory processing of patterns, and be connected with resources and information. Our work together will build on and activate your inner strength and resiliency.

Connecting with a professional therapist can shed light on patterns that may need to shift in order to align with the healthiest version of you. Weekly sessions can offer you a restorative sanctuary from which to heal, grow and break cycles of dysfunction. The therapeutic process is enlightening, transformative, and can surprisingly even be fun! The process puts you in the driver seat of your life rather than continuing to repeat unconscious patterns which are no longer serving you.

I would be honored to be a partner in your path to wellness. If you feel drawn to my approach, let's connect for a free consult.

I know it can feel vulnerable to reach out to a psychologist. I am so glad you took this step towards caring for yourself. At some point in our lives, we all need support to get through a challenging time. My goal is to learn what matters to you and help you move towards it.

Therapy is a bit like rafting. I will get in the boat with you, but I need you to paddle too. Therapy is most effective when we are equally invested in moving towards your goal (and we can find some grace and humor along the way!) I focus on helping you find effective tools to address obstacles and gain clarity when you get stuck. My hope is to help you navigate challenges, change unhelpful patterns and move towards peace in your life. You don't have to do this alone.

Please contact me to learn if we might be a good fit. I look forward to connecting with you!

Life is weird. It is stressful, complicated, confusing, and painful, there’s no denying that. There is something beautiful about being human and having a human experience with emotions in this weird world. There is beauty in feeling emotions such as love and joy, but also beauty in the depths of sadness and despair. It is part of our human experience, and being human is something we have to embrace with all its beauty, ugliness, vulnerability and discomfort that comes with it. Sometimes we need help in embracing who we are, and that’s where other people come in; Asking for help can be scary, I see that, and I am here for you. As human beings, it is natural to reflect on where we are in our lives and the journey we have traveled. I believe therapy is the journey of the self through the self, and it is my passion to help you enter this journey and hold light in room full of difficult emotions and painful experiences. I commit to make your healing journey as comfortable and authentic as possible, and help support and encourage you along the way.

I look forward to connecting with you!

I want you to know that I love my work and look forward to collaborating with you. Psychotherapy is a hopeful endeavor. We will work together to understand your challenges and struggles and develop a path towards greater happiness and contentment in your life. You will have the opportunity to speak openly and honestly and be heard with empathy and respect.

It might help you to know that I have been a caretaker and understand the challenges. I also have three wonderful stepdaughters and can help you navigate the sometimes rocky road and eventually the joy of step parenting.

My clinical approach is flexible and will be based on what you need and feel comfortable with. Once we establish trust we will develop a plan to work together. Therapy can be brief or longer term depending upon your specific situation and needs. I enjoy using humor in our work as it can provide a fresh perspective on entrenched issues.

Are you someone who finds themselves feeling overwhelmed, confused, or frustrated about their life? Do you sense you have little support from family and friends? Perhaps you're on edge and aren't able to relax? Or maybe that you can't remember a time when your world didn't run on chronic stress?

So you’ve noticed these feelings and have tried ways to challenge them. Start yoga, didn’t work. Read a self-help book suggested by a friend, didn’t work. Sought solace from your peers. They didn’t understand. Even Googled your symptoms. Yeah, that last one was a bad idea.

Maybe you even know what is causing you so much turmoil. Grief and loss, discrimination, infidelity, or trauma.

If you find yourself saying yes to any of the above, then you're on the right Zencare profile.

Our clinicians are equipped with the clinical tools to assist you with achieving your goals, overcoming your struggles, and finding the most authentic ways for you to live your life. They will teach you skills to manage your feelings, thoughts, and actions. They will work with you to find your footing in a world that always feels off-kilter.

We're honored that you would consider letting our clinicians be your guide to a balanced life.

Do you find yourself turning to drinking or smoking for relief? Or feeling chaotic and struggling with relationships or difficult memories? By working one on one in therapy, we can identify sustainable ways that you can find peace in your inner world. Our thinking patterns can lead us into states of anxiety, depression or anger which make us want to engage in unhealthy behaviors. I will teach you how to reframe your thoughts in order to achieve a more balanced mood state and how to challenge and become less attached to your thoughts and emotions using cognitive and mindfulness techniques. Recovery isn't easy, but it's definitely worth it. Having an experienced therapist will support you in addressing underlying issues that have been keeping you stuck. I want you to heal quickly, but I also want to make sure we are thorough because I want your recovery to last.

Congratulations for taking the first step towards change! I utilize many methods with clients during sessions (art therapy, narrative therapy, trauma focused therapy, positive psychology, videos, worksheets, etc.) Change does take work but it can happen! I sometimes give homework to help my clients achieve their goals. I mainly work with adults and adolescents (13+) as individuals and as couples (couples counseling includes a guardian/parent and adolescent minor, adolescent or adult siblings, or intimate partnerships). Whether it's depression, anxiety, trauma, stress, or a mixture of things, I look forward to working with you!

I specialize in trauma, depression, and anxiety with adults and adolescents. If you are seeking couples counseling, I can assist you and your partner with intimacy and communication during whatever stage of your relationship (pre-marital/unmarried, newly weds, married for years).

Change and healing happens when we are honest and express our authentic selves. We all carry the power and strength inside of us to revolutionize our lives. Let's discover your genuine self together to help you live a fulfilling life! You hold the keys to a better you. I look forward to helping you find those keys and unlocking your purposeful future.

If you are looking for a personable but also practical therapist with unique insights about the world of work, you found him. If you are challenged with conflict, stress, anxiety, low confidence, lack of motivation, or a need to raise performance, then you came to the right place.

Fun facts about me:

* I am non-judgmental and empathic by nature, so people feel safe and comfortable with me

* I have a near-eidetic memory for people's stories, so my clients feel seen, understood, and accepted

* People often feel their energy raised whenever I'm around; I honestly don't plan this, it just happens

* I absolutely love what I do and look forward to every single session, every single day

* I'm a dog person, but cats like me too

My therapeutic approach draws from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness practices including HeartMath biofeedback training. I also help people discover and build on their natural strengths, and to make shifts in their thinking that decrease negative feelings and improve confidence. Essentially, I help people expand and enhance their thinking, and then design actions to improve their lives. I'm not very directive. My strength is facilitating, not advising. I view my clients as whole, with all the strengths and intelligence required to improve their lives, and only needing a thought partner/ stimulator and maybe a few tools--not another parent or boss--to succeed.