I am a client-centered professional with 15 years of experience providing broad mental health services to diverse populations of children, adolescents, adults, and families. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified art therapist with specialization in utilizing multiple evidence-based modalities to address substance abuse, dual diagnoses, depression, anxiety, trauma, and domestic violence.

I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). I’m licensed in two states, California, and Georgia. I am also currently pursuing my license in a third state, Florida. I have been a social worker for 20 years, 16 of which have been in the mental health field. I was in the military for 10 years and discharged as an Army Captain. I also have a second master’s degree in educational counseling and a pupil personnel services (PPS) credential. I have many years of experience in the areas of social work, counseling/therapy, career development, and upper management. I have had the opportunity to work for government, educational, non-profit, and profit/private organizations. I have expertise working in the areas of sexual assault, domestic violence, military sexual trauma, childhood trauma, general anxiety, sports performance anxiety, and depression. I feel my many years of experience affords me the professional knowledge and skill set needed to assist my clients in their therapeutic journey.

Hello, I was born and raised in Stockton, California. I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17 and in 1997, after 25 yeas of service, I retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Sergeant. After retiring from the Marine Corps, I worked as a Farrier (Horseshoer), as well as a structural welder (Ironworker), as those were the most marketable skill that I had. I came to a point where old injuries came back to haunt me and I could no longer walk (several years later, thanks to a surgery through the VA, I can walk again; thankful for that). At this point, I changed professions and out of a desire to work with veterans, I returned to school, accomplishing all that was necessary to become a licensed counselor. I spent another career working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, specifically as a counselor in the Readjustment Counseling Service (Vet Center). I recently retired from the Vet Center and now I work part-time here with Grow Therapy. As a retired Marine senior staff Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO) and disabled combat veteran myself, the Vet Center was the perfect job. Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling to combat veterans and provide counseling to survivors of military sexual trauma (MST). Vet Centers also provide group counseling, bereavement counseling and couples counseling when this is determined to be of support to the veteran. Readjustment counseling many times consists of treating/addressing symptoms related to post-traumatic stress (PTSD), I.e., anxiety, depression, exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, etc. Many veterans go on to work as first responders and working with many first responders as well as medical personal, has provided me with a great deal of additional experience.

Therapy is a very personal and intimate journey to self discovery, understanding & acceptance. It can also be a journey with an intimate partner in discovering connectedness & being present for the needs of your partner Clients seeking to explore the emotional depths within themselves & remove the barriers to achieving their desired life, will find a working partner in my practice. Whether it's feeling more connected in your relationships, reframing a negative thought process, or moving through your trauma, I am ready to help. I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR & Imago Relationship Therapy using it successfully in my 20 years of practice helping clients dealing with depression, anxiety & relationship challenges. I have extensive experience in working with addictions & the relationship between your patterns of use & unresolved trauma, depression, or anxiety. I am a skilled trauma therapist, trained in EMDR. I have experience working with a diverse client population to include: issues related to sexual orientation, couples therapy, and the challenges created by overuse of social media and internet pornography. I recently acquired a program that will support bilateral stimulation in EMDR sessions while on video

Hi! My name is Carly Stern, LCSW. I am excited to have the opportunity to support you on your journey. Currently, I am serving the wonderful populations in California. I am a full-time therapist and doctoral student. I enjoy hanging with my dog "Ygor," being outdoors, running, sci-fi and fantasy ANYTHING, video games, Comicon, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Since I was a young kid, I have been passionate about human behavior and relationships. Everyone has their journey in this field. Mine looks a little like a personal experience growing up with a parent who had a severe mental illness that no one knew much about. It never felt fair to me or my family. To put it plainly, we didn't understand how to provide support because no one else knew enough about mental illnesses either. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I've learned as much as I can to best support individuals and families. In my work and through my doctoral studies, it is my purpose to learn to bridge the gap in understanding how mental illness and addiction intersect and impact those suffering, including their families. I've worked in multiple prisons, VA programs, adolescent inpatient rehabs, adult inpatient rehabs, methadone clinics, and the foster system.

**ACCEPTING ADULTS (18+) ONLY** Hi, I'm Yang. And I'm here to help you heal from self-abandonment and emotional dysregulation. Self-abandonment occurs when we struggle to stand up for our needs and live by our authentic values; often, we don't even know what they are. Those who struggle with self-abandonment don't feel like they know who they really are, and what they want, and often feel directionless and ungrounded. We feel small, afraid, anxious, aggressive and dependent on others. Emotional dysregulation occurs when we don't understand our emotions and how to manage them. They control us, instead of the other way around. We behave in ways we wish we didn't, and we build up shame around those behaviors as if they are who we are. We cannot separate our emotions from who we are. These issues often lie at the heart of different mental health struggles, such as depression, anxiety, as well as many relationship challenges. The good news is that resolving these, therefore, can potentially lead to ripple effects of change in your life.

I'm Elizabeth, a bilingual licensed clinical social worker with a master's degree from Indiana University. My goal is to touch, move and inspire all those I come in contact with. I am passionate about empowering people in all aspects of life. I help people embrace their authentic self, develop compassion towards self and others, and live a meaningful life through transformation and healing.

Areas of Expertise: PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Psychosomatic Disorders, Addiction, Relational Issues, Stress Management, Family Issues, Couple's Issues, Personal Growth, East/West Psychotherapy, Eating Disorders, Bipolar Disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. 7 years ago I created Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, a novel and highly effective treatment that integrates mind, body and emotion. This method targets blocked emotion and inflammation. Most Western therapies are essentially mind-oriented, but we are so much more than our thoughts. My approach includes elements of Emotion Focused Therapy, Short Term Psychodynamic Therapy, Somatic Therapy and Zen Buddhism. Psychosomatic Psychotherapy treats all mental health conditions, many chronic medical conditions and is quickly effective at helping people and their problems. We begin by telling our story. We go at a slower pace than usual and we pay special attention to the emotionally important parts of the story, e.g., talking to our mother, worrying about work, conflict in a relationship, etc. Here we pause and direct our attention to our abdomen and ask, “How do/did I feel about this or that or him or her?” Then we wait. We don’t rush to answer the question with our heads, we wait for an answer to slowly arise from our bodies. We are bypassing our intellectual defenses and asking our bodies what’s really going on. When discover our feelings we express them in a full-throated and wholehearted way! Then we just feel (not analyze!) that feeling in our bodies until the feeling dissolves or almost completely dissolves, usually within a few minutes. Last, we scan our bodies for any lingering areas of tightness or tension in places like the stomach, chest, throat, head, jaw, neck, or face. When we discover where we’re holding stress and somaticized emotions, we feel these areas until the tension/tightness/emotion dissolves, usually within a few minutes. Developing a greater capacity to feel also provides critical and deeper insight into our issues. The overall goal is to unblock emotions and reduce dangerous inflammation by metabolizing and processing emotions and somatic constrictions in the body. Along the way, we are also challenging old, disempowering stories and replacing them with more accurate, empowering narratives. When treatment integrates the cognitive, emotional, and somatic dimensions of our conditions, mental and physical symptoms are significantly reduced.

As your therapist, I strive to facilitate a connection with you built on trust, safety, and honesty. I utilize empathy and compassion to help my client reach their goals and support them. I have been a therapist for 4 years, working with people of all ages. I utilize all forms of therapy including individual and couples therapy to help you meet your needs as best as possible.

I am a licensed psychotherapist in California, and I specialize in the examination of the human experience, with an emphasis in trauma and abuse, anxiety, depression disorders, and couple's therapy. I always strive to embody cultural humility, and I am proud to serve diverse clients of all backgrounds and walks of life. As a clinical therapist and cultural arts practitioner, I employ a unique artfulness to my style of therapy. I utilize traditional therapeutic modalities paired with mindfulness and meditation. I believe clients gain insight and answers to their challenges by exploring their inner-genius, and I am happy to serve as your trusted guide. Through clearly expressed goals and a commitment, one can be on the journey to self discovery, empowerment, mental wellness, and contentment. Under my therapeutic guidance, clients are empowered to create and embrace their own inner light. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy takes determination and a kind of "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired" type attitude, and I am proud of you for getting started! In the words of the late Bruce Lee, "What we are not changing, we are choosing". Let's work together and get your life on the path you truly envision for yourself.