Find a Therapist in Watsonville, California.

My work as a psychotherapist is most fulfilling because I love seeing the changes toward greater happiness my clients achieve. As an MFT and a certified Hakomi Therapist, I use the principles and methods of loving kindness, mindfulness, and experiential therapies to guide me in my work. Our relating will build trust and safety, and help us proceed. I work very collaboratively, meaning that I understand your being to have an inner knowing that we can resource. Discovering developmental blocks and traumas is often the core of our work together. Ultimately, we can build for you a greater capacity for taking in the good the world offers, and soften old wounds and patterns, creating more choice.

I work with an entire person--the mind, emotions, body, spirit, relationships. I offer an alternative approach to traditional psychotherapy because sometimes we are stuck beyond our thoughts. I believe we are often stuck beyond how we think about something, but by how our body holds and remembers the experiences. After all, we feel the anxiety in our chest, shoulders or stomach. When we are depressed, we struggle to move, sleep, concentrate etc. I work to remove the block from wherever it is stuck. My clients come to me after years of ineffective therapy. They are looking for more than talking about their struggles or identifying how they think about them in favor of a change in living.

Free 30 minute zoom call - Psychotherapy can be an incredibly powerful tool for improving many different areas of ones life. My style is warm, compassionate and my approach is holistic, pulling from man different and highly effective modalities. Clients can overcome depression, anxiety, difficult relationships, work issues, lack of self-esteem, grief, anger & so much more in psychotherapy. Understanding how to get from these challenges to a better place is no easy task. Utilizing the education & experience of a therapist can help you understand what happened in your childhood that's affecting you now, how your brain got wired, how you can develop skills & tools to support growth and healing

Therapy is not a one size fits all experience. Though I extensively trained to understand specific theories of practice, I utilize a "prescriptive" approach. This means I will adapt to your needs in treatment. Therapy is co-created, it is relational, and it is in the therapeutic relationship where we seek personal growth to apply outside the therapy room. I work with adult individual clients who are grieving a significant loss, LGBTIQ+ adults, adults with creative blocks, neurodivergent adults, people pleasers, those recovering from trauma, and adults burnt out about their work.

My clients often find me easy to talk to and say they feel comfortable with me, trusting quickly. This can make the psychotherapeutic process easier and more effective for my clients, especially if they are nervous or don’t know what to expect. Therapy with me can range from just talking casually with each other, leading to insights, increased self awareness, and processing through emotional issues, or it could be more intensive deeper therapy like EMDR.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in a positive manner. Its aim is to help people understand the thoughts behind feeling anxious or depressed and addressing these thinking patterns. Psychotherapy will help you change behaviors and habits that are limiting you, to experiencing your fullest potential.

In psychotherapy, the therapist and the client build a unique relationship. Like most positive relationships, it is centered on caring and trust. Unlike other relationships, this one exists solely to meet the needs of the client. It can be very helpful to talk with friends and family when you’re struggling, but friends and family have a vested interest in the outcome of your struggles. They are familiar with who you are, so it is usually uncomfortable for them if you change, even when the change is positive and needed. As an unbiased professional, your therapist focuses on what is best for you, whether it is making big changes, small changes, or no changes.

I believe that we all are intrincly healthy and that we are able to overcome the most severe painful experiences if we allow ourselves to engage in the process of working through the obstacles that have kept us from being fully our selves. I am honored to facilitate and guide the steps to embark on the journey to a healthier and fuller life. I utilize sensorimotor psychotherapy, IFS and EMDR to help with deeper trauma that can not be healed through traditional talk therapy.

Many clients have reported that their past therapists have just "sat there and listened" without offering any advice of value. While we all need a sounding board and time to tell our story, many clients are interested in their therapists' feedback. When and where appropriate, I am willing to offer my thoughts and experience to my clients. It is through building a healthy, authentic relationship with our therapists that enables us to use this as a model for our other significant relationships. Psychotherapy is the perfect place to begin (or continue) this process.

By participating in therapy with me you agree to commit to at least five sessions. Immediately I ask for goalsetting. At the very basic level I'll request that you compare a behavior or condition that currently exists and where do you want it. For example if you have insomnia five days a week, then let's get it down to 3 times per week. Methodology for this is through homework. Homework includes activity tracking and writing down your beliefs. During our visits we will talk about what you wrote. If you don't bring in the homework we'll talk about that too. I am very action oriented and directive. When you agree to do a suggested experimental intervention, you'll always learn something!

Psychotherapy is known as 'talk' therapy, but in my practice it means a whole lot more than just talk. It is all about change. Whether you come to me as an individual, couple or family, I will help you with the changes you want in your life. Together, we will explore, talk about the ways to make these changes happen and actually put these changes into action.

Psychotherapy provides a safe place for you to learn about yourself with another person who isn't related to you and who you don't have to protect from your fears, secrets or uncertainties. Some people use this time to work out problems from their childhood and to see how that may be effecting their lives and relationships today. Others focus on what they want to create for life now and in the future. We can work together to help you learn better skills to cope with uncertainty, striving, change, and success, or failure. I can be a sounding board for you to practice your communication skills in session and a witness and coach as you create new direction and focus for your life.

My general approach to psychotherapy is by the use of EMDR therapy, of which I am a Certified EMDR Therapist through EMDRIA, Inc. This therapy is excellent with trauma and anxiety disorders, nightmares, flashbacks, panic, and other disturbances that continue on for years. Spiritual issues are a frequent topic that my clients want to discuss - the guide for these issues is the Bible. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is about how people think, how people feel, and how people behave. Generally speaking, faulty thinking patterns will lead to bad moods and bad behavior. CBT addresses these issues and can be used in conjunction with EMDR therapy as well. I favor these three types of therapy

Psychotherapy is a wonderful support system to help identify and understand one's thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Through talk therapy, the therapeutic process and therapeutic relationship, a partnership is created to allow trust in order to explore different parts of themselves, to create emotional understanding, personal change and healing within.

Sometimes we need a little help from a trained professional to get ourselves back on track and attain clarity of thought. This is not a sign of weakness of character, but a humble trait of humanity that most of us experience at one time or another. The most fulfilled people in life are those who consistently look for tools and skills to use in the face of life's day to day challenges. Its not about how heavy the burden is, but how you carry the load. I can help you focus your attention and intention so that you are leading a life which brings you joy and contentment.

I have 20 years of diverse professional experiences and extensive training. I am a published writer, lecturer and passionate about my field. I specialize working with Individual Adults and Teens. My style is conversational, and I strive for a collaborative and compassionate practice with my clients. Though, I am trained in a variety of therapies, I primarily work in narrative and psychodynamic theory. Additionally, I may draw upon other similar or complimentary theoretical approaches to create a highly personalized treatment plan based on your needs and goals.