7 therapists in California matching your needs

My approach is first to get to know you and your place in the world, to help you feel comfortable with me, and to learn about what has you seeking therapy. I deeply and intuitively listen. Use all my knowledge and life experience to help guide my clients out of suffering. My mission is to support my clients in becoming resilient in the face of this wild and crazy world so that we might all leave it a better place than we found it.

Over human history, people have mostly lived in close-knit communities. This has eroded with the advances in transportation and technology. Most people have lost much of the social support our forebearers enjoyed. Mental Health Professionals have taken on this role in their respective communities and are an excellent resource for you to realize your strengths and improve your well-being. When your car breaks down you take it to a mechanic. When your tooth hurts you see a dentist. When your mental health can use a “tune-up,” see a Mental Health Professional!

I am an older woman, who simply grew up confused within most of my own life. Things in my family were hard, and there seemed to be nobody who had any answers, so I grew up trying to figure things out, and I did not always do a great job. I now do a much better job in my own life, and here to help others with figuring out their own life paths, choices, anxieties/depressions/etc. My struggles eventually lead me to this role, as a therapist, a counselor, teacher, guide, support for the many others who are having a hard time figuring "it" out. I use a direct, honest, root-digging approach that seeks to heal at the core, allowing for release of attachments and agreements made long ago - many of these lead to feelings/thoughts/behaviors within shame, guilt, feelings of being a burden or just not good enough, codependency, anger, anxieties, depressions, people-pleasing - simply to just survive the day.

Hi! I'm Cristina Marra, LMFT. I have 15+ years of experience. I like to help adults and adolescents deal with life's challenges. I help mostly with depression and/or anxiety. My therapeutic approach depends upon the presenting problem and client. The approaches I rely on the most are client-centered, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and EMDR, as needed. I enjoy helping people by listening in a way that the client feels heard and understood. This then allows for better work to happen as strategies and coping tools are developed. I enjoy working with many different types of issues as we are all complex. My communication style I believe in, an open, caring, honest, and direct style of communication. I don't believe any subject is off the table.

Hi! I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) based in Berkeley California and serving clients statewide via telehealth. I received my Masters in Integral Counseling from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2019 and my Bachelors in Psychology from Reed College in 2010. I have over 15 years of experience in Community Mental Health and have been practicing as a therapist since 2018. I work eclectically, integrating a wide range of approaches including humanistic, relational, existential, somatic, gestalt, psychodynamic, transpersonal, motivational interviewing, ACT, feminist, IFS, polyvagal, somatic experiencing, narrative, NVC, and IFS. I support people to find greater connection, safety, agency, meaning, authenticity, stillness and joy in their relationships with themselves, others and the world.

I get it - you are busy, tired, and overwhelmed. Therapy may seem like just more on your To Do list. Sustainable change does require effort and time - I will not waste either of these precious resources of yours! Together, we will find a reasonable and compassionate way forward. Together, we determine the goals you want to work towards and develop an action-oriented plan to get there. Together, we identify barriers to progress as they occur and creative, realistic ways to move beyond. I bring 37 years of experience in healthcare to my work, first as a physical therapist, specializing in neurological disorders. Shifting focus from physical to mental health, I completed graduate studies at Naropa University, earning a Master's in Mindfulness-Based Counseling Psychology. On retreat, I have trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli formerly of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and studied Buddhism and meditation in sangha with Lloyd Burton, a Dharma teacher from Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Recognizing the impact of spirituality on health, I also studied pastoral care at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. I have worked with clients in hospital-based, private practice, and home-based family-directed care. I have taught mindfulness meditation, stress management, and health behavior change nationally to doctors, allied healthcare professionals, businesses, and government agencies, as well as an invited speaker at professional conferences and universities. I also have a long history as a corporate trainer, with a specialty in coaching nurses and health educators to deliver disease management and health behavior change services. When not working, I enjoy vintage car shows with my son who is on the Autism Spectrum and rock climbing.

If someone asked you not to think for 10 minutes how hard would that be? Is overthinking about the “What Ifs” driving you to relentlessly check things over and over again? Are you determined to find certainty in an uncertain world? Do you frequently ask others repeatedly if something or someone is going to be OK? No matter how much you do a task or say a particular thing does peace of mind elude you? Does the compulsion to handwash, re-read, double check, pray, or re-arrange items never provide lasting relief? Do you find yourself burdened by intrusive thoughts that strike against your will and preoccupy your mind for hours a day? OCD is characterized by unabating obsessions matched with intense mental or behavioral rituals to relieve the anxiety provoked. It is not treated by “talk therapy” but with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Through customized gradual exposures, ERP is an evidence-based method of intervention to reduce the severity of OCD symptoms. ERP is a collaborative and creative approach to learning new skills and strategies to become comfortable with uncertainty and more confident in your ability to handle life’s unexpected challenges. My style is compassionate, client centered, and culturally sensitive. What to do if you’re nervous about sharing your thoughts with me in therapy? If you're too embarrassed to share something, you can write it down, you can use visuals, you can type it. We can work around this to find other ways that you can deliver the communication. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Registered Out-of-State Telehealth Provider in Florida, South Carolina, and Vermont. My treatment focus is on neurodivergent issues, gifted learners, managing life transitions, women’s mental health issues around shifting roles in family and career, and immigration/re-entry adjustment stressors.