LPC, 15 years of experience
Are you having trouble sleeping? Have you had a challenging time processing stressful life event after stressful life event? Are you finding it hard to communicate your needs or set boundaries in your relationships? Do you suffer from anxiety? Are you a person of color and/or a part of the LGBTQ community who struggles with shame or fitting in to a society that can be disaffirming and intolerant? You've come to the right place, as these are areas that I commonly help empower my clients to overcome. Hi, most of my clients call me Dr. Justin. I am a Licensed Psychologist in the State of California. I received my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). I have worked for over 15 years in student counseling, community mental health, behavioral health, and neuropsychological rehabilitation settings. I use an integrative counseling approach tailoring my style to the unique and specific needs of the individual, commonly incorporating humanistic, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal neurobiology and multicultural perspectives. I am collaborative, trauma-informed, strength-based, compassion & emotion-focused, evidence based and serve as a guide to countless individuals on their path towards healing. My goal is to support my clients in their mental health, their emotional well-being, and their life goals. Contact me if you're interested in working with me.
The first few sessions are about getting to know each other and creating a solid foundation for the work we do together. It's important for me to know your journey towards healing thus far, the accomplishments you have made, the strengths and talents you draw from and some of challenges or barriers you have faced. I ask about history; I ask about the present and I ask about expectations for therapy. Goals are not always necessary in therapy, but it can be helpful in the beginning stages of therapy to ensure we're on the right track. These goals can also change over time so it's my role to continue to assess progress collaboratively with each person I work with.
My foundation is trauma-informed, culturally attuned, and evidence based. My training was primarily rooted in humanistic and cognitive behavioral theories, which I pull heavily from in my work. I have specialized training in behavioral sleep medicine and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, but my integrative approach and my various trainings allow me the opportunity to pull from the evidence base on what's most effective in working with your concerns. What works varies from person to person, just like each person is unique unto themselves.
Countless clients have told me my biggest strength is my compassion, my empathy, and my kindness. I can be direct because I want to ensure that we are focusing on your goals for healing. I am also an active listener, joining with my clients to create a space for healing and exploration.
Primary work has been with college and graduate school age (18-34) and various degreed professionals.