About Me: I'm a psychologist in CA with almost 20 years of experience. I provide compassion-focused and cognitive behavioral therapy via telehealth to help empower clients to heal mind, body, and spirit. My background and specialized training includes working with clients who have had or are experiencing symptoms of ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression, trauma, codependency, intergenerational family dysfunction, marital and couples' communication challenges, and self-esteem issues. Working collaboratively with my clients, we will individualize their wellness plans and find coping skills that match their personal interests, style, accessibilities, and schedules. I provide therapy to individuals, couples, and families. Most ages are welcome as I work with children, pre-teens, teens, adults, and seniors. By taking small steps, you can feel better and find strength and hope to improve your outlook and gain skills to transform your mood, school-work-play balance & enhance the quality of your relationships. *I am not an MD and cannot prescribe medications. I am licensed in CA and DE but am only accepting CA patients at this time.

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

The first session, I try to instill hope for positive change and discuss the best or ideal therapeutic outcome. How will you know you met your goal and are better than when you started therapy? We can discuss ways to meet goals and improve some specific things and/or learn and practice measurable skills. That entails some rapport building and getting to know each other. In the first session, it is required and ethically responsible to discuss and review Informed Consent forms, therapeutic relationship boundaries and limits of confidentiality (in cases of crises such as suicide risks, harm-to-others, duty to protect.) self or other harm, crisis / safety concerns. Additionally, fees, insurance, co-pay, emergency contacts and other information will be reviewed for clarity and agreement.

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

About My Personal Style and Strengths: I'm an empathic listener offering you a safe sounding board and nurturing validation. This acceptance can help motivate you to prioritize goals, use healthy coping skills to self-soothe, balance mind-body connections, & guide personal change. This may increase your positive experiences, feelings of being heard and understood, find gratitude, hope, and resilience. This alone can translate into some improved mood and wellbeing. I believe many clients benefit from guidance to tap into their own strengths, talents, and inner wisdom. Often, clients do want to and can learn specific skills using worksheets, books, videos, art, music, movement to gain: mindfulness, reframing negative thoughts, setting healthy boundaries, changing unhelpful thinking patterns, assertive communications, self-care routines (sleep, exercise, 3 healthy meals, social connection, etc.), and practice ways to build family, partner, friend social connections and pleasurable interactions that can increase relationship satisfaction. About My Therapy Methods and Techniques: My therapy techniques involve flexibility, cooperation and collaboration to transform your outlook, moods, habits, and relationships. I offer CBT, DBT, ACT, walk and talk in nature, animal-assisted, behavioral, and art-music-somatic therapy depending on your preferences & needs. I also have experience in EMDR and EFT therapy modalities. I have taken Levels 1, 2, and 3 of Laurel Parnell's Attachment-focused EMDR and am a member of the Parnell Institute's directory of trained therapist members. I have more than 20 years of experience providing compassionate client-centered counseling and continue to enhance my learning and training. Taking small steps to change your thoughts & actions, you can transform your life & relationships. My clients can expect to gain hope, validation of feelings, strength to take steps forward to heal from unresolved childhood issues, trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. I help guide clients to change core negative beliefs, replace them with healthier beliefs, develop healthy coping skills and habits, learn & practice ways to improve overall well-being & functioning. *I am not an MD and cannot prescribe medications. I am licensed in CA and DE but am only accepting CA patients at this time.

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

I work with children, pre-teens, teens, adults, individuals, families, and couples. My main specialties include helping clients improve their moods, enhance emotional regulation skills, learn effective, assertive communication methods, build self-esteem, and relax to better manage stress. Often this can include finding ways to prioritize healthy habits and self-care routines. Many clients may come to therapy wanting those above goals and to relieve symptoms related to stress, loss, increased sadness, more worry, overthinking or anxiety, feelings they lack focus, but have restless energy, notice miscommunication patterns, missing social cues or feeling left out or awkward, or chronic health issues, inner child wounds, codependency, or recent grief issues. Others may come for guidance to adjust to a life change that has been difficult. Others want specific stress management, lifestyle and wellness enhancement. Others may come with request to manage symptoms that meet very specific medical-model psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD, Autism, PTSD, Depression, Panic or Anxiety.

About Dr. Patricia Higgins