Find a Therapist in Benicia, California.

You don't need to do it all alone. And turns out, as more and more brain research is showing us, you're not meant to. Many of our original wounds, with echoes in our current lives, come from past and often early relationships. And while there are many valuable paths to healing, psychotherapy provides a special safe relationship in which these past experiences can be rewired and new aspects of yourself can be discovered or rediscovered. With compassionate reflection, encouragement, and challenge, transformation can happen!

I provide a safe, calm, friendly, empathetic & down to earth environment for you in session. Making changes or gaining a better understanding about your life can be challenging. I will lend support to you whether you are experiencing a crisis, going through a transition in life or are interested in learning more about yourself & relationships. Maybe you have sought therapy before or this is the first time, I am here to assist you with all of your therapy goals. No matter who you are and what you have experienced, we all can benefit from psychotherapy. Together we can work on achieving your therapy goals.

No two people are exactly the same, so my approach to each client depends on her particular needs and goals. I take a top-down/bottom-up approach in that we work on how our minds control the body and how the body controls the mind, so that ultimately you have control over both. We will look at patterns that are working and patterns that aren't in terms of emotions, relationships, and behaviors. We figure out how those patterns originated so that we know how to eliminate what's not working and find new, more functional patterns. Science shows us that talk therapy isn't just talk. Therapy literally changes the wiring of your brain to give you more choice, functionality, and joy.

Healthy relationships make healthy people. Unfortunately, about 50% of our society, while their parents may have loved them dearly, didn't get enough attachment and connection. When this happens, the normal / natural response is depression, anger, excess perfectionism, feeling uncomfortable in your skin, etc. While I may use several modalities, I am always being present and attuning to you in a way that gives you permission to be who you are. My experience is this creates a re-wiring of the "attachment / connecting" neuropathways in your brain. My clients, usually between 6 months and 2 years experience significant emotional shifts that allow them to feel comfortable in their own skin.

Psychotherapy gives you a place that exists for one purpose: to understand you. Away from the roles you play and the people you look after, you can finally turn toward your own experience and say what's true. That alone can be a relief; over time, it becomes much more. My role is to listen with care and to help you notice what you've overlooked: the recurring themes, the feelings that don't add up, the desires and fears you may not have put into words before. Much of what shapes us runs quietly underneath the surface, and bringing it into the open is what allows things to shift. The trust we build together is part of how the work heals: being met with serious attention and care.

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.

I'm a seasoned licensed individual therapist with a focus on how relationships shape our personalities and overall mental health. I use a comprehensive blend of therapeutic approaches including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, and Object-Relations Psychotherapy. Tailoring to the unique needs of individuals seeking personal growth, I empower clients to explore underlying patterns and emotional complexities. With an empathetic and goal-oriented perspective, clients find a path towards self-awareness, emotional balance, and confidence. My deep commitment to individual well-being positions me as an ideal guide for those seeking to transform and enhance their lives in therapy.

My approach to psychotherapy is mostly relational. I take a family systems approach that addresses relationships in my clients' lives and improves their functioning for better health and happiness. Clients under my care learn how to unilaterally improve the functioning of a relationship through boundaries and self-confrontation. The result is individuals and relationships that thrive.

Psychotherapy is not anything to be scared of, or intimidated about. Seeking out a therapist or being in therapy isn't an admission of weakness or some kind of character flaw. Therapy is a collaborative process and a partnership with someone who is trained in and experienced with facilitating personal growth. And in this process, you are in the driver's seat. Our minds and emotions and relationships involve complicated machinery just like our bodies do and in the same way a medical doctor helps you stay physically healthy, Psychotherapy is designed to help you be and stay mentally and socially strong, and continually in a position to take on life's many challenges as your best self.

I am a Holistic Psychotherapist meaning I work with my clients Mind-body-spirit complex. I have created a process that I call “from Mindfulness to Soulfulness" that combines Soul work/Inner child healing with cutting edge law of attraction techniques that allow you to heal at a deep level, harness your untapped potential, and create your desired reality. You learn how to get out of survivor mode and let your Higher Self lead. My process involves identifying your core wounds and negative stories and thought patterns, over writing the scripts and healing your inner child. I use somatic techniques for deep healing such as guided visualizations, and the EFT (tapping technique) for trauma release

FRUSTRATED AND STRESSED OUT? Not happy in a relationship? Suffering from anxiety or depression? Unsure where to go from here? Looking for some solution to a complicated issue? I can help! In therapy, you can work through your inner conflicts, feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, and move on to clarity, decisiveness, peace and empowerment. I am interested in your journey to a better life. Call me for a free telephone consultation session.

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.

I work primarily around self-acceptance, learning how to achieve intimacy and breaking free of conditioning. My experience is that this work helps to heal trauma/ PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), depression, low self-esteem, addictions (alcohol/drugs/sex) and anxiety. I do this work with individuals, couples, families and adolescents. My approach is holistic, meaning that I work with the mind, body and spirit. I also welcome those who simply want the added flexibility good therapy can achieve, enabling them to live fuller, richer, happier lives.