I'm Jay Varela, a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in TEAM-CBT — a structured, evidence-based method developed by Dr. David Burns at Stanford. I hold Level 3 Advanced certification from the Feeling Good Institute and train regularly with the Beck Institute. Most therapy is open-ended. Mine isn't. I track your symptoms with the Burns Brief Mood Survey before and after every session, so you always know whether therapy is working — and so do I. The data tells us when to keep going, when to change course, and when you're done. Most clients see significant improvement in 4-6 sessions. OCD typically takes 8-12. I treat anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, and relationship problems.
We'll spend the first session getting clear on what you want to work on, what's been keeping you stuck, and what success looks like. I'll administer the Burns Brief Mood Survey to establish a baseline. By the end, you'll have a clear plan and we'll start the work.
I bring structure, data, and 100+ proven TEAM-CBT techniques to every session. I'm not here to listen sympathetically for an hour — I'm here to help you make measurable progress. I'll train you to be your own therapist so you don't need me forever.
Adults who want to make real, measurable change and are willing to do the homework between sessions — about 15 minutes a day. I treat therapy like physical therapy: the work you do between sessions is what produces results. If you show up, do the assignments, and stay engaged, you'll make significant progress. If you don't, you won't. I work best with people who are open to self-directed growth, who want to feel better quickly rather than process indefinitely, and who appreciate structure and clear goals over open-ended exploration. If that's you, we'll get along.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
TEAM-CBT — a structured, evidence-based extension of CBT developed by Dr. David Burns at Stanford. I hold Level 3 Advanced certification from the Feeling Good Institute and combine 100+ proven techniques with session-by-session symptom tracking using the Burns Brief Mood Survey