9 therapists in California matching your needs

I am a seasoned and dedicated therapist, holding a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and I am based in California. With 13 years of experience in this field, my practice is driven by a profound commitment to assisting individuals in their journey toward self-discovery and personal growth. My therapeutic approach centers around meeting my clients right where they are in their lives, offering them a safe and non-judgmental space to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I am deeply passionate about nurturing self-understanding, self-compassion, and self-love, guiding individuals to embrace these qualities as they navigate life's challenges. In my practice, I emphasize the importance of moving away from self-criticism and self-blame, recognizing these patterns as hindrances to personal well-being. Instead, I work collaboratively with my clients to foster self-acceptance and self-compassion, empowering them to build healthier relationships with themselves and others. My ultimate goal as a therapist is to help individuals discover their inner strengths, enhance their self-awareness, and develop the tools they need to lead more fulfilling and contented lives. It's a privilege and a passion of mine to assist others on their journey towards greater self-acceptance and emotional well-being.

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!

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.

Why me? I provide a safe space to unload your struggles, desires, failures, losses and be supported in your future goals. Don't know yet, we can take the journey and discover these together. I use my years of experience to educate about the functioning of the brain, body and spirit to lead toward a more fulfilling life. We will work to integrate all aspects of the self, achieve balance and harmony by learning to manage life's stress. I often give tools to practice outside of our meetings to accelerate progress.

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.

Welcome! I am a licensed clinician with a masters in marriage and family therapy and a background in pastoral ministry and counseling. I have been a therapist for 15 years and specialize in helping people move through loss, change, relational stress, career stress, and life transition through a holistic, humanistic, eclectic, and straight forward approach. Working with me, you will be challenged to move past the obstacles you face as you move towards your self-defined goals. *Please note I do not have evening appointments and will not be opening evening slots anytime soon. Most appointments available will be in the morning to early afternoon. *

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.

*Specializes in working with Adults ONLY* Do you have counterproductive behaviors that create more issues than they solve? Do you recognize maladaptive thought patterns that disrupt and hinder you from reaching your goals? Only by taking the time to explore your inner-workings, can you begin to identify and eradicate what doesn’t work by developing strategies & moving towards what does, allowing a healthy authentic adult version of you to emerge. I personally believe it's the struggles we endure and the obstacles we overcome that build our character. It was my own personal traumas and difficulties experienced earlier in life & adolescence which initially started me on this path of whole person wellness and recovery. As a result, I've spent decades not just improving myself, but helping others reach their full potential as well. I've been a personal trainer, competitive kickboxer, consider myself a Christian Buddhist Wiccan (which I can explain- I swear), sound healer, breath work instructor, among others. As a therapist, I utilize a cumulation of MI, CBT/REBT, DBT, ACT, Schema Therapy, and EMDR, depending on client's needs and goals. Congratulations on taking the first step (or continuing) on your wellness journey!

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.