My name is Kevin Wurtz, and I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) who's been doing therapy for 21 years. I earned by B.S. in Psychology and my M.S. in Counseling from Long Beach State. During my undergraduate studies, I was also a Division I student-athlete as a member of the Men's Golf team, where I competed for 4 years. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Personally, I have always hated that saying because I felt like it left me, the therapist, helpless in being able to help facilitate change in the lives of my clients. So, I decided to change it..."Yes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. HOWEVER, if I make the horse THIRSTY enough, he'll drink ON HIS OWN!" I believe that as a therapist, it is my job to help my clients "see their strengths and potential, SO WELL, that they come to believe it themselves."

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

The psychotherapist-client relationship is one of the most unique and potentially life-changing connections available to us and are generally effective at addressing most psychological conditions. Psychotherapy is not like a doctor visit. The therapy process is designed to help the individual(s) engage in an interactive process that is structured to help facilitate greater awareness and understanding of how one’s life experiences, both current and past, have directly or indirectly shaped who you are today. Therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life. You may experience negative feelings such as sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness. On the other hand, benefits may include improved relationships, solutions to problems, growth in personal feelings of happiness, and reduction in levels of stress, anxiety, or distress. Your therapist will provide you with unconditional positive regard (no judgments), emotional support, encouragement, motivation & respectful confrontation at times. Therapy will not include a list of directions telling you what decisions to make for your life. Of course, in therapy there are no guarantees about treatment outcomes or what you will experience, but sharing your feelings in a safe space has been shown to aid most individuals.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

My theoretical orientation or the therapy approach I utilize is an integrative model that pulls from multiple treatment modalities including, but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic, and motivational interviewing. Treatment is tailored to each individual with the primary focus of building positive coping skills leading to resiliency, empowerment, and self-reliance. I strongly believe in utilizing “SMART” goals (i.e. specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound). "Do we Act our way into a new way of Thinking, OR Do we Think our way into a new way of Acting?”

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

I am licensed in California with over 21 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, relationship issues, & family conflicts. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process. My ideal client is someone who is insight oriented, introspective and able to respond to open-ended questions as we try to build self-awareness.

About Kevin Wurtz