Find a Therapist in Lake Forest, California.

Having received my doctorate degree is psychoanalysis, my psychotherapy skills are now enhanced and expanded to work at deeper levels and in a more thorough manner. We all have themes of struggle and allowing a well trained professional to brainstorm with you about the obstacles that prevent you from living life more fully, can make all the difference in the world. Experiencing richness in our relationships and feeling we are thriving and productive individuals makes life feel worth living.

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.

In our work together, you can expect to feel safe, understood, and free to show up as your true self. I am committed to providing a supportive environment where you can explore your innermost thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment. With empathy and genuine care, I am ready and able to support you in uncovering the enduring peace and resilience that have always been within you. It is my passion to help you on this journey towards self-discovery and personal growth, guiding you towards a more fulfilling and authentic life.

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.

Psychotherapy is a general term for treating mental health problems by talking with a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health provider. During psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and your moods, feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy helps you learn how to take control of your life and respond to challenging situations with healthy coping skills.

Are you grappling with life, relationship, or work issues? When these issues begin to cause you a great deal of worry or pain, it’s good to find someone to talk to. My focus is on guiding you in learning more constructive ways to deal with the problems in your life. When helping you through this difficult period my approach is supportive, caring, and infused with humor. I assist you in building insights and a skill set that can be applied to a multitude of life stressors.When you become aware of how you move through your world, you can begin to gently guide yourself in a new direction. I look forward to facilitating this process. Please ring 949.370.4726 or e-mail info@southoccounseling.com.

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.

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.