Find a Therapist in Marina, California.

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

Donald Dufford,Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist is an experienced Psychotherapist with over 25 years as a mental health provider. He honors each individual's unique strengths and capabilities and offers a safe encouraging environment for change and personal growth. Dr Dufford can help you identify and heal underlying emotional patterns as well as make positive changes in the present. He integrates various psychotherpeutic modalities where appropriate including Talk Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Hypnotherapy, EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Life Coaching. Call now for a free 10 minute phone consultation.

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. I provide play therapy, drama therapy, and experiential creative arts therapies, but plenty of my clients also utilize "talk therapy" just as much. 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 children, adolescents, and adult individual clients, frequently female identified, LGBTIQ+ adults, adults with creative blocks, and adults burnt out about their work.

As an integrative psychotherapist, my style of practice is eclectic, multifaceted, and tailored to your own needs. With a foundation in depth psychotherapy, I blend mindful self-compassion, parts-work (Internal Family Systems/IFS), as well as humanistic and relational approaches to facilitate your healing process. We will work towards building insight and bringing to consciousness elements of your experience that may have remained hidden, or obstructed, yet continue to often show up in undermining ways in your day-to-day experience. By building insight, we learn and cultivate new ways to respond to life, instead of coming from a place of reaction.

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!

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.

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.