Licensed to practice in California and accepts 37 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Self Esteem, Trauma and PTSD and 5 more.
(she/her)
Clients say this provider is
If you're the kind of person who overthinks everything and feels things deeply — and finds yourself people pleasing, having a hard time telling others no, and worries about whether your important relationships are okay — I get it, and I'd love to help. I'm Elizabeth, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker working with women who keep bumping into the same painful patterns: shrinking themselves, second-guessing their instincts, staying too long, leaving too fast, or feeling disconnected from who they actually are underneath it all. Usually those patterns trace back further than we think — to early relationships and family dynamics that taught us, long before we had words for it, how to survive and keep connections. My approach blends depth-oriented, relational, and attachment-based work with EMDR, which I've found to be one of the most powerful tools for actually shifting what's stuck — not just talking about it, but helping your nervous system finally let go of what it's been holding onto. I'll also draw on CBT and DBT when they're useful, but EMDR is a big part of how I like to work these days, especially for anything that feels more stored in the body than the mind. If most of these words are new for you, that's okay, I'd be happy to explain what they are. Therapy with me is warm, real, and collaborative. I'm not going to sit back neutrally and nod — I'll be present with you, ask good questions, and gently push when pushing is what's needed. My hope is that you leave our work together not just understanding your patterns, but actually feeling different in your body and your relationships. I particularly love working with moms and young women who have just graduated college.
Starting therapy — especially for the first time, or with someone new — can feel like a big deal. You might be nervous, unsure what to say, dreading the awkwardness, or wondering if you'll "do it right." I promise there's no wrong way to show up. Here's what our first session together will actually look like. Before we dive in: We'll start by getting the practical stuff out of the way — confirming consent forms, talking through confidentiality and its limits, and answering any questions you have about how therapy works, what insurance covers, or logistics like scheduling and cancellations. This part is quick, but it matters, because I want you to feel oriented and safe before we get into anything deeper. Getting to know you: From there, we'll shift into conversation, but at times it might feel a bit like an interview. I'll ask about what brought you to therapy right now — what's feeling hard, what you're hoping will shift, and what's been on your mind. If you have experience with therapy we will chat about that, and if not we will chat about what your expectations are of therapy. I'm also interested in the bigger picture: your history, your relationships, your family background, and the patterns you've noticed repeating in your life. You don't need to have it all figured out or arrive with a tidy narrative. Some people come in with a clear issue they want to work on; others just know something feels off and aren't sure how to name it yet. Both are completely fine. I'll ask questions, but this isn't an interrogation — it's more like the beginning of a conversation that we'll keep having, session after session, as I get to understand you more fully. I'm listening not just for the facts of what's going on, but for the deeper relational patterns underneath — the ways you learned, often a long time ago, to protect yourself, connect with others, or make sense of your own needs. A note on EMDR: If it seems like a fit, I may talk with you about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as part of how we might work together. EMDR is a research-backed approach that helps the brain and nervous system process experiences that feel "stuck" — moments or patterns that still carry a charge even though the events themselves are in the past. We won't jump into EMDR processing in the first session; if it feels relevant, we'll talk through what it involves, answer your questions, and build the readiness and safety needed before doing that kind of deeper work. Some clients want to start there right away, others prefer more traditional talk therapy first — we'll figure out together what pace and approach feels right for you. How I make you comfortable: I try to show up as a real, warm, present person — not a blank slate nodding along. I'll ask genuine questions, share observations, and as we get to know each other, I'll gently reflect back things I notice, even if they're not always the most comfortable things to hear. My goal isn't just for you to intellectually understand your patterns, but to actually start feeling different — more grounded, more like yourself — as we go. But for the first session you can expect me to mostly just ask questions and listen. What to expect emotionally: First sessions can bring up all kinds of feelings — relief at finally talking to someone, awkwardness at meeting someone new, or even a strange sense of "is this going to work?" All of that is normal. You don't need to have insights or an amazing breakthrough. Some sessions will feel light; others might stir something more tender. Either way, we'll go at a pace that feels manageable for you. By the end of our first session: You should leave with a sense of who I am, how I work, and whether this feels like a good fit. Therapy is a relationship, and like any relationship, it takes a little time to find your footing — so please don't feel pressure to know instantly if it's "right." I always welcome questions, feedback, or a check-in about how things are feeling, especially in these early sessions. If you're ready to get started, or still deciding, I'd love to hear from you.
There are a lot of therapists out there, and finding the right one can feel overwhelming. Here's what I think sets my approach apart — and what I bring to the room that I hope makes our work together genuinely effective. I don't just help you understand your patterns — I help you feel them shift. A lot of therapy stops at insight. You leave session understanding why you do the thing you do, but the pattern keeps happening anyway, because insight alone doesn't always reach the parts of us where these patterns actually live — in the body, in the nervous system, in reactions that happen faster than conscious thought. This is where EMDR comes in. It's one of the most well-researched tools available for helping "stuck" experiences actually process and release, rather than just being understood from a distance. I integrate EMDR into my work because I've seen it help clients move past patterns that talk therapy alone couldn't quite touch. I work at the root, not just the surface. If you find yourself repeating the same painful relational dynamics — losing yourself in relationships, staying too long, leaving too fast, feeling chronically unseen or overextended — those patterns almost always trace back further than the current situation. They're often rooted in early relationships and family dynamics that shaped how you learned to connect, protect yourself, and understand your own worth. I don't just address the symptom in front of us; I help you trace it back to where it started, so the present moment finally makes sense, and so real, lasting change becomes possible — not just a temporary fix for whatever's happening this week. I bring real relational presence, not clinical distance. I don't believe in sitting back neutrally and nodding along. I show up as a genuine, warm, present person in the room with you. That means I'll share observations, ask real questions, and sometimes gently point out something that might be hard to hear — always with care, but without pretending I don't notice it. Many of my clients tell me this directness, paired with warmth, is what finally makes therapy feel different from past experiences — less performative, more real. I also think the relationship between therapist and client is itself part of the work: if you learned certain relational patterns in earlier relationships, our relationship becomes a place where you can notice those patterns as they happen and practice something different in real time. I hold complexity without rushing you toward resolution. You don't need to arrive with a tidy narrative or a clear five-step plan for what you want to work on. Some weeks will feel like clarity and forward motion; others will feel messier or more tender, and that's okay. I'm comfortable sitting with ambiguity and complexity rather than rushing you toward premature answers, because real change usually isn't linear, and I'd rather help you actually feel different than help you perform progress. I specialize in a specific kind of struggle — and I know it well. My focus is on women who tend to overthink, feel deeply, and lose themselves in relationships — whether that's staying in dynamics that don't serve them, abandoning their own needs to keep others comfortable, or feeling disconnected from who they are underneath everyone else's expectations of them. Because this is where I concentrate my clinical attention, I've developed real depth in recognizing these patterns quickly and understanding the many different ways they show up. You're not just getting general therapy — you're getting someone who has spent real time thinking specifically about the kind of struggle you're bringing in. I blend structure with flexibility. While my core lens is relational and depth-oriented, I also draw on CBT and DBT tools when they're useful — because sometimes you need concrete coping strategies alongside deeper relational work, not one or the other. I tailor the blend to what you actually need, rather than applying the same framework to every person who walks through the door. I take the therapeutic relationship seriously. Therapy only works if it feels safe enough to be honest — with yourself and with me. I put real care into building that safety, checking in about how things are feeling, and welcoming feedback, even when that feedback is about our work together. I'd rather know something isn't landing than have you quietly disengage. If you're looking for a therapist who will help you go beneath the surface, bring real presence to the room, and use approaches like EMDR to help you not just understand your patterns but actually feel them change — I'd love to talk with you about whether we're a good fit.
My ideal client is a woman who feels like she's constantly overthinking, feeling everything a little too deeply, and somehow still ending up in the same painful relational patterns — no matter how much she's tried to think her way out of them. I especially love working with moms and with young women who have recently graduated college and are figuring out who they are outside of the structure they just left. Maybe you're the one who keeps losing yourself in relationships: shrinking your needs to keep the peace, staying long after something stopped feeling right, or leaving too fast before things get too real. There's often an underlying anxiety running through it all — a constant worry about whether this relationship will actually stick, whether you're too much or not enough, whether the other person is really going to stay. And when things go wrong, it's easy to land on yourself first: a nagging sense that you're always the one doing something wrong, that it's somehow your fault, even when the evidence doesn't fully support that story. You don't need to know exactly what's "wrong" or have it all figured out before we start. You might just know something feels off, or that you keep bumping into the same wall in different relationships — romantic, family, friendships — and you're ready to understand why. You're open to going beneath the surface rather than staying in quick-fix mode, and you're willing to be honest — with yourself and with me — even when that's uncomfortable. You might be open to EMDR, or curious about it, especially if you've noticed that understanding a pattern intellectually hasn't been enough to actually change it. You are ready for change and for life to feel different.
Cash - $200 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
AvMed
Blue Shield
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
Central California Alliance for Health (Medi-Cal)
Gold Coast Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan – Medi-Cal
IHSS Healthy Workers
L.A. Care Covered
L.A. Care Covered Direct
L.A. Care Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
L.A. Care PASC-SEIU
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Partnership HealthPlan of California (Medi-Cal)
San Francisco Health Plan (Medi-Cal)
Santa Clara Family Health Plan - Medi-Cal
Sharp Health Plan
Surest (formerly Bind)
Sutter Health Plan
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
I primarily draw from attachment-based therapy in my work, as many of my clients are deeply impacted by their unmet needs and family dynamics from early childhood. I help my clients build trust in relationships and learn how to express emotions, which builds self esteem, confidence, and a sense of self worth.
I heavily rely on CBT to help my clients see how negative beliefs and thoughts may be impacting their moods and decision making, and guide them to instead focus on thoughts that feel good and are still true. Changing these thoughts often helps us feel better and show up in a healthier way with ourselves and in our relationships.
I am trained in EMDR, which helps clients resolve trauma without having share in full detail what we have been through, like some of the more classic trauma therapy approaches require. This treatment helps clients resolve traumatic memories in a more physical approach where they have previously been stuck with traditional talk therapy.