Licensed to practice in California. Specializes in Anxiety, Self Esteem, Trauma and PTSD and 7 more.
Clients say this provider is
Hi, I’m Alessandra. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ with nearly 11 years of experience supporting teens and adults throughout California. Many of the people I work with are used to holding everything together. You may be the person others rely on, the one who notices what everyone needs, keeps the peace, and pushes through even when you’re anxious, exhausted, or unsure of yourself. Asking for help, setting limits, or figuring out what you need may feel less familiar. I primarily use EMDR to help you work through experiences that continue to affect how you feel about yourself, relate to others, or respond to situations today. EMDR combines working with memories and emotions with guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping. I also draw from CBT, mindfulness, and parts work to help you find tools you can use in daily life. My style is warm, collaborative, and flexible. I take time to listen and understand you, and I welcome honest feedback about what is and isn’t helping. Therapy with me can include deeper work as well as space for what has been difficult that week. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable and work toward releasing some of the pressure you’ve been carrying, trusting yourself more, and making room for your own needs. Private-pay information: I am currently accepting new clients through Grow on a private-pay basis only. If you add active insurance to your Grow account after booking, Grow cannot switch your account back to private pay. Because I am not accepting new insurance-based clients through Grow, we may be unable to begin or continue working together, and I can help you explore referrals to providers who accept your plan.
Our first session is a chance for us to begin getting to know each other and understand what has been feeling difficult. We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, what you would like to feel different, and any experiences or patterns that may be important to your care. You won’t be expected to tell your whole story or share painful details before you feel ready. I’ll ask questions to help me understand you, explain how I work, and give you space to ask questions or tell me what would help you feel more comfortable. We’ll also begin discussing possible goals and whether approaches such as EMDR might fit your needs. Deeper EMDR processing typically does not begin during the first appointment; we first take time to understand your history and build a foundation for our work. By the end of the session, we should have a clearer sense of what you’re looking for, what our work could focus on, and whether continuing together feels like a good fit.
I bring warmth, curiosity, and flexibility to my sessions. I take time to understand not only what you’re struggling with, but also the experiences, relationships, and patterns that may have shaped how you respond today. Clients often appreciate that they can bring both the deeper concerns they want to work through and whatever feels most pressing that week. I don’t assume that one approach works for everyone. I primarily use EMDR while also drawing from CBT, mindfulness, and parts work based on your needs and preferences. I pay attention to your pace, explain what we’re doing, and welcome honest feedback. If something doesn’t feel helpful or connected, we can talk about it and adjust together. I also recognize that people can appear capable and put together while carrying a great deal privately. You don’t need to have the perfect words, know exactly where to begin, or prove that things are difficult enough to deserve support. I’ll meet you with compassion rather than judgment and help you make sense of what you’ve been carrying.
You may be used to holding everything together, even while feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unsure of yourself underneath it all. Perhaps you’re the person others rely on—the one who anticipates what everyone needs, keeps the peace, and continues pushing through even when you’re exhausted. You might struggle to say no without guilt, ask for support, trust your decisions, or recognize what you need. You may understand where these patterns come from but still find yourself repeating them. Past experiences might continue to affect your confidence, relationships, or reactions in ways that have been difficult to change through insight alone. You don’t need to arrive with a perfectly defined goal or feel ready to discuss everything immediately. We can begin with what has been hardest lately and move at a pace that feels manageable. Together, we may work toward feeling less controlled by anxiety or the past, becoming less critical of yourself, building healthier boundaries, and creating relationships where support goes both ways. I also welcome neurodivergent clients and have extensive experience supporting people with ADHD and autistic traits while continuing to deepen my learning. We can adapt therapy to how you process information, communicate, and engage most comfortably.
I primarily use EMDR to help clients work through experiences that continue to affect how they feel about themselves, relate to others, or respond to situations today. EMDR combines focusing on a memory, emotion, belief, or physical response with guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping. Before beginning deeper processing, we’ll take time to understand what you want to work on and build resources to help you feel supported. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable, and you remain in control of what you share and whether we continue, pause, or adjust. EMDR does not erase memories or require you to describe every detail aloud. The goal is to help experiences feel less overwhelming or present, while creating more room for confidence, flexibility, and new ways of responding.
I use CBT to help you notice how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors may be reinforcing anxiety, self-doubt, avoidance, or feeling overwhelmed. Together, we can identify patterns such as expecting the worst, being overly hard on yourself, or feeling responsible for keeping everything under control. CBT is not about forcing yourself to “think positively” or treating every difficult thought as irrational. We’ll look at whether a thought is helpful and accurate, consider other perspectives, and experiment with ways of responding that feel more balanced. I may also help you develop practical tools for managing anxiety, approaching situations you have been avoiding, solving problems, and responding to yourself with greater flexibility. These tools can be used between sessions and may support the deeper work we do through EMDR.
I incorporate mindfulness to help you notice your thoughts, emotions, and physical responses with more curiosity and less judgment. This can be especially helpful when anxiety, self-criticism, or overwhelm makes it difficult to slow down or recognize what you need. Mindfulness in our sessions may include grounding, noticing sensations in your body, observing thoughts without immediately reacting to them, or practicing ways to return your attention to the present. It does not have to mean sitting still, clearing your mind, or following a formal meditation practice. We’ll find approaches that feel comfortable and realistic for you. Mindfulness can support emotional regulation, strengthen awareness of patterns, and help you feel more prepared for deeper work through EMDR.
1 rating with written reviews
June 6, 2025
great first session and excited for my next one