Welcome! My name is Cynthia Guz and I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 25 years of experience working in the mental health field. I have been licensed with the state of California since 2014 and use evidence-based interventions in the therapy setting to assist individuals in reaching their unique goals. Along with providing individual therapy, I have also developed and facilitated clinical training and provided clinical supervision to unlicensed therapists in a county mental health system. I believe each individual has the innate ability to manage life stressors and heal from past emotional wounds, when given a safe space to reflect and learn adaptive skills. My approach is collaborative and non-judgmental as we work at your own pace and tailor treatment to meet your unique needs.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Our first session will consist of getting to know one another as you tell your story and reason for seeking therapy. We will also review expectations of the therapy process and determine if you and I will be a good fit for the therapy relationship. You can expect empathy, compassion, understanding and a safe space to discuss even the most difficult topics which are causing you distress . It's very important for me to understand your experience from your unique viewpoint so I will provide a good amount of active listening both at the start of and throughout the therapy process. Once goals are established, we will determine the best evidence-based model to assist you in accomplishing your goals, discuss, practice, and rehearse new coping skills in session, and ultimately have you practice newly learned skills outside of session to make positive change in your life.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Having worked in the mental health field for over 25 years has provided me with the opportunity of being trained in various evidence-based models and has given me great experience engaging with individuals. I use the skills and knowledge obtained throughout the years to build strong working relationships with each individual to enhance the effectiveness of treatment.
About Cynthia Guz
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Much of life is spent rushing through the days in autopilot in constant survival mode which can result in numerous emotional and physical ailments. In therapy, you will learn mindfulness activities that can be easily incorporated into your daily life. The goals are to reset your nervous system to feel calmer, increase problem solving abilities, and experience more presence in interactions with loved ones.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have over 15 years of experience both implementing and providing clinical training on CBT interventions. In therapy, you will learn to identify how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are linked and how some forms of thinking can increase emotional distress. We will then practice identifying and testing out your thoughts with the goal of becoming more flexible in thinking to increase effective problem solving and decrease high levels of distress.
Interpersonal
I have been trained in Interpersonal Psychotherapy and am currently in the process of becoming a certified IPT therapist. Using this model will assist you in decreasing distressful symptoms resulting from interpersonal disputes, difficult role transitions (unemployment, break-up, new parent), and/or grief and loss. We will also work together to increase your support network to address your unmet needs.
Motivational Interviewing
I have over 4 years of experience using Motivational Interviewing techniques. Using this model, we will work collaboratively while working at your own speed and honoring your specific readiness for change. Together, we will explore your goals for treatment and strengthen motivation while addressing ambivalence. You can expect acceptance, empathy, and compassion in each therapy session.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have been trained in the formal DBT training (10-day training) and incorporate this model in therapy for individuals who experience high levels of distress and intense interpersonal difficulties. Through the use of this highly structured model, you can learn to tolerate distress in a more skillful manner, improve interpersonal relationships, decrease self-harm behaviors and urges, and use coping skills to regulate emotions.
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