Tammy Carson
I’m an experienced psychotherapist with a broad clinical background working with clients across the lifespan and a wide range of mental health concerns and life challenges. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults—from individuals facing significant mental health challenges and trauma to those simply needing support, clarity, or direction during a difficult season of life. I also support fellow therapists as they navigate personal and professional challenges. I bring that depth of experience to a practice that is warm, collaborative, and practical, helping clients better understand themselves, navigate challenges, and make meaningful changes in their lives.
First session
In our first session, I’ll focus on understanding what brings you to therapy, what’s happening in your life now, and what you hope to gain from our work together. We’ll explore relevant parts of your history and, when helpful, use brief assessments to establish a baseline and help us track your progress. You can expect me to listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and actively engage with you rather than simply sit back and take notes. Most importantly, I want you to leave our first session with greater clarity, a sense of hope, and practical strategies you can begin using right away.
Strengths
I bring a warm, relational, and actively engaged presence to therapy. I listen with empathy and compassion while also offering gentle, direct feedback and helping you put words to things that may be difficult to express or understand. I combine insight with practical strategies, often using humor, metaphors, and actionable steps to help you make connections and move forward. I’m also goal-oriented and collaborative. Together, we’ll identify what you want to accomplish so that therapy remains focused and meaningful, while still allowing space for those sessions when what you need most is simply a safe place to talk, process, and feel supported.
Ideal clients
I work with growth-oriented adults who are generally functioning well but may be navigating a life transition, relationship challenge, stress or anxiety, or simply a season when some additional support and perspective would be helpful. This includes young professionals adjusting to adulthood and older adults redefining their sense of purpose, as well as clients working through self-esteem, dating, communication, and interpersonal concerns. I especially enjoy working with creative individuals in the performing arts—such as actors, writers, producers, and other creatives—who are balancing passion, uncertainty, and the unique pressures of creative careers. I also support adults with ADHD, particularly those exploring a later-in-life diagnosis or recognition of ADHD or ADHD traits, wanting to better understand how their brain works. I work especially well with clients seeking practical, focused therapy that combines insight and skill-building with a supportive place to step away from daily pressures, process what’s happening, and gain perspective. I enjoy brief and solution-focused work, including EAP counseling, where we can identify a specific concern, establish meaningful goals, and focus our time together on practical steps toward change. You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy—sometimes a few focused sessions can provide the support, clarity, and tools you need to move forward. I particularly welcome clients who would like their Christian faith to have a place in therapy. When faith is important to you, we can draw upon your beliefs and values as part of our work while addressing the concerns that brought you to therapy.
Treatment methods
Attachment-based
Our earliest relationships can influence how we connect with others, respond to conflict, and experience closeness, trust, and vulnerability. Using an attachment-based approach, I can help you recognize patterns that may be showing up in your relationships today and understand where they come from. Together, we’ll explore what you need to feel more secure in yourself and in your relationships, while developing healthier ways of connecting, communicating, and responding to others.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Sometimes the harder we try to get rid of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, the more power they seem to have over us. Using ACT, I can help you learn to make room for difficult emotions without letting them dictate your choices or keep you stuck. Together, we’ll clarify what truly matters to you and develop practical ways to move toward the life you want, even when anxiety, self-doubt, or other difficult feelings show up.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
The way we think about ourselves and our experiences can strongly influence how we feel and respond. Using CBT, I can help you recognize unhelpful thought patterns—such as overthinking, expecting the worst, or being overly critical of yourself—and understand how they may be affecting your emotions and behavior. Together, we’ll challenge those patterns, develop more balanced ways of thinking, and build practical coping strategies you can use outside of therapy.
Christian Counseling
For many people, faith is an important part of how they understand themselves, their relationships, and the challenges they face. If your Christian faith is meaningful to you, I can integrate it into our work in a way that feels comfortable and relevant, drawing on your beliefs and values as sources of strength, guidance, and hope. When appropriate, our sessions may include prayer, reflection on Scripture, or conversations about how your faith intersects with what you’re experiencing, while remaining grounded in sound therapeutic practice.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
Sometimes you don’t need long-term therapy—you need help getting unstuck, identifying what’s working, and figuring out what to do next. Using a solution-focused approach, I’ll help you clarify what you want to change, recognize strengths and resources you already have, and develop practical steps toward your goals. This approach can be especially helpful if you’re looking for brief, goal-oriented therapy, EAP support, or focused, action-oriented approach to navigating a specific challenge, relationship issue, or life transition.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Serves
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 26906