Find a Therapist in Santa Cruz, California.

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.

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.

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

Are you having a hard time handling the struggles in your life? Could you use an expert psychotherapist on what you’re going through, a non-judgmental ear to listen? Do you think you could benefit from individualized attention? Have you been hesitant to talk about your problems? Individual psychotherapy is so helpful for so many people because it’s the best way to get truly customized therapy. If you’re looking for help in improving your everyday life or for a more tailored therapy experience, you could be a great fit for our individual psychotherapy services.

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 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.

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

Are you interested in getting relief and finding solutions? Would you like to feel good about your life and relationships? I use empirical research and science across multiple disciplines to show clients just like you how you can get real-world, tangible, time-tested, and long-lasting, results that lead to optimal mental and relational health. Mental and relational health is not just a reduction in symptoms and problems. Instead, they are increases in self-control and empowerment, as well as acceptance, freedom, kindness, compassion, safety, and understanding - for yourself and others.