Therapists serving clients in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

Hello, my name is Paula Corano and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT # 83322) in the state of California. I graduated from Pepperdine University with a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. I am also a certified to provide Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) by the University of California, Davis. For the past 10 years, my focus has been to provide a strength-based approach to promote change and growth in individuals, children, couples and families experiencing functional impairment. I like to approach therapy in a holistic manner, supporting my clients in solving problems by defining goals and changing unhelpful thinking patterns, while also providing empathy and practical feedback. My awareness and appreciation of cross-cultural understanding grows continually and I highly respect and value individuals who come from different cultural backgrounds. In addition to my specialty in the treatment of children with behavioral and emotional problems through PCIT, I also have extensive experience in helping individuals, families, and couples cope with a diverse range of issues, including stress management, relationship issues, difficulties in adjusting to major life changes, trauma, coping with loss, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. My therapeutic approach is centered on what matters most to the client. My style is both empathetic and goal-oriented. I respect clients for their perseverance in navigating through obstacles of life, and feel privileged to take part in their journey of making positive changes and finding more personal fulfillment. You have already made the first step, and I would welcome the opportunity to help you in that journey.

Hello! My name is Liesal Miller and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of California and Texas. With over 13 years of experience, I have worked with children, adults, and families from a variety of settings including home healthcare, community mental health, addiction treatment, and private practice. My areas of specialization and interest include managing anxiety and depression, parent training, parent-child relationship challenges, women’s issues, young adult life, and challenges of special needs youth. Knowing the courage it takes to seek help, I like to build upon client strengths to develop a safe, caring environment for exploring life’s challenges. I believe taking the time to intentionally reflect upon the past and present will help create an intentional future. Building a trusting therapeutic relationship with accountability will help you to take steps on a new path of healing, growth, and action. I use a variety of therapeutic modalities including, but not limited to: cognitive-behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, and solution-focused therapy to help clients develop change and make positive progress in their life.

Hello, my name is Kasey Wallace, and I am an experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of California! I have provided services to children, teens, young adults, individuals and families struggling with a variety of issues. I have worked with people challenged by depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, grief/loss, communication issues, life transitions, career concerns, poor self-esteem, and life changing situations. My approach is warm, strength based, and client centered. Together we will practice identifying and challenging unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to negative feelings, improve communication skills, process difficult experiences such as grief and loss and trauma, and improve feelings of low self-worth. I draw on multiple treatment modalities to guide clients in identifying strengths and developing treatment plans that accomplish their goals. I am here to support you and will even utilize humor when needed! Outside of my work as a therapist, I enjoy traveling, playing sports, cooking, arts, reading, and support all Bay Area sports teams. I am here to support you and look forward to working together.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and New Jersey with over 18 years of experience working with the LGBTQIA+ community, children and adults with trauma history along with those struggling with suicidal ideation and self-harm, parenting issues, anxiety and depression. I have seen firsthand the difference a caring, empathetic, and attentive adult can make in a person’s life and feel honored when that can be me. For the last 8 years I have worked as a "crisis counselor" and clinician, seeing clients on a regular basis as well as supporting those in and through a crisis. I am able to think quick on my feet and can stay calm in high intensity situations. Throughout this time, I have assessed for safety and danger to self and others due to mental illness and have made determinations as to whether or not someone is in need of psychiatric hospitalization and am certified to make the decision that one needs to enter into a hospital for treatment. On the other side, I have also safety planned with many and have been able to connect people to supports that they need whether it be referrals that fit their current situation, assisting in making a plan to keep them safe and connecting the person to someone whom they feel comfortable with should they be in crisis again. I believe in treating the mind, body, and soul and understand as well as acknowledge, the importance of a healthy lifestyle and why it is important to utilize all the tools we have (or have yet to find) because we all have the power within us to heal, sometimes we just need some help getting there. I believe in the importance of coping skills and can help you find them or strengthen the ones you already have. This can include meditation, exercise, utilizing crystals or essential oils to help heal and calm oneself, and will seek outside supports when needed. I am a firm believer in working within my limits as a therapeutic clinician and have no problem offering referrals when necessary. My overall goal is to continue providing the support, offering guidance, and making a difference in the lives of others, using my expertise in trauma informed treatment and having an open mind.

I have been a clinical social worker for more than 10+ years and have been privileged to work with people both in psychiatric inpatient, outpatient treatment, case management, and in individual therapy treatment. I’m strong believer of community mental health approach. I have worked with people of different backgrounds dealing with multiple mental health issues with wide range of concerns including mood disorder, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and stress related problems, substance use related problems, parenting problems, career challenges, problems related to legal system and incarceration, problems related to social environment, abuse and neglect, acute psychiatric conditions, OCD and ADHD. My style of treatment is showing respect and non-judgmental labels. I allow clients to educate me and guide me through their path of existence. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, client-centered, narrative, solution-focused, and humanistic counseling. It’s step in right direction and courageous to reach out to seek change. If you are ready to take that step I am here to support you in creating a partnership of strength towards wellness. I look forward to working with you. Session options: video/phone Availability: Mondays 10am-2pm; 4pm-7pm Wednesdays & Thursday 5pm-8pm Fridays & Saturdays 9am-7pm Sundays 2pm-6pm

Hello! I am a Korean transracial adoptee, mother, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California. I have worked with individuals, couples, and families in both the public and private sectors for over 18 years. As a Korean transracial adoptee, I understand the complexities of navigating adoption through the lens of an adoptee, as well as a practitioner. As a mother, I understand the joys and challenges of being a parent, and a partner. As a citizen of the world, I understand that we all have unique challenges based on our personal experiences. I have worked with clients who have a wide range of concerns, including, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma/abuse, and life transitions. My approach to therapy is client-centered, holistic, and solution-focused. Each person's journey is unique and multifaceted. Together in therapy we will explore the many different components of your life, and how they come to play in influencing who you are and how you navigate the world. In therapy we will identify your strengths and challenges, and everything in between, to work towards making the changes you want most. I am here to help support and empower you to claim your voice! *Graduated with a Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California (2006) *Graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from New York University (2003) *Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California

Hi my name is Trisha Stewart and I want to offer praise for reaching out today. It can take courage to ask for someone to listen when life is not going your way. It is difficult to believe that someone else can offer support that is going to make a difference. I hope that we can work together to find the space where you feel safe to work through what is troubling you and identify resources that support your steps forward. You don't have to do this alone. Here is a little information about me and how I can help: I have worked for 30 years helping children youth and families experiencing trauma. Prior to obtaining my master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, I worked as a Social Worker helping children/teens and families involved in the social welfare system due to abuse and neglect. Since graduating in 2007, I have continued with the same focus on children, youth and families navigating the impact of trauma on their life. I also adopted my children through foster care and have developed an interest and competency in understanding the core issues of loss that children and the parents adopting them face, going through the adoptive process. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, LGBTQ IA and career challenges. I have also helped many people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. My focus is to work collaboratively with you to identify what is distressing for you and then work together to find ways that will help you identify solutions. The goal is to help you find a safe space to be heard and learn to trust that the solutions are inside of you. In my practice I take a supportive empowering and interactive role using different interventions including solution focused, narrative, cognitive behavioral and experiential therapy. We will determine what works best for you, I believe learning to trust your own process of discovering who you are, is the most important factor in making change in your life. I hope to help you recognize that you have what you need to do this.

Hello there & thank you for stopping by! My name is Yolanda and I am a licensed therapist in the state of California. In my 13 years of professional experience I have teamed up with clients to reach their social/ emotional and personal growth goals. Areas of experience include: stress management, anxiety, panic attacks, academic issues, motivation, self esteem, confidence, career difficulties and life transitions. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

Hi, I’m Dr. Mario Nicolas. I am a Ph.D. (Penn State, 2002) trained Clinical Psychologist, with extensive experience in military mental health (Maj [Ret. – 2014]; USAF), clinical neuropsychology (fellowship trained; Univ. of Virginia Medical School [2005-07]), and Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH; past-USAF program consultant [2015-20]). If you want to learn more, check me out on LinkedIn. I provide individual therapy to adults and am available on weekday evenings, some early weekday early-mornings, and weekend mornings. I consider myself a cognitive-behavioral therapist, strongly influenced by Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). My style of interaction is patient-centered & culturally sensitive; and I consider hearing (not just listening to) my patient’s situation (your “story”) to be my most important task. I incorporate motivational interviewing, and the science of behavior-change, into everything that I do. At our initial visit we will go through what I describe as my "Game Plan" for working together. The "Game Plan" is a metaphor that many of my clients have found helpful for working with me -- in that it provides a "shared story" that we can use to navigate our work together. Here is the "Game Plan..." 1. We use the metaphor of a journey that you're on; and I am ONE OF your guides (friends, family members, mentors, etc. are also guides). 2. Help you understand the direction you're heading on this journey... This is your “North Star” or "Guiding Light..." essentially your “purpose” or your “values” -- the type of person you want to be in your life. NOTE: Your Values are different from your goals. The metaphor for the difference between the two is that Goals are like "destinations" (you can accomplish it) and Values are like "directions" (You don't ever get there... you just focus on moving forward and/or towards it). 3. Understand the concept of a “psychological toolbox” that is made up of certain tools. Our focus is on adding as many tools to your toolbox as we can. IMPORTANT: Our focus is not necessarily on finding tools that work... just ADDING TOOLS TO THE TOOLBOX. Important things to know about the "toolbox" are that: a) it is limitless and can never get too full, and b) the more tools you have in your toolbox the better you will feel about life. 4. Understand the the two main tools in the toolbox: A. INSIDE THE HEAD (ITH) tools: thoughts, images, sayings/mantras, memes, memories, the focus of your thoughts (past/present/future), your perspective B. OUTSIDE THE HEAD (OTH) tools: behaviors, reactions, hobbies/interests, body posture, facial expressions, things you do more/less, things you do/don’t do 5. Help you understand and recognize the tools that you use and, IMPORTANTLY, the tools that have become habits for you and/or have become "automatic.". The best way to recognize tools that have become automatic, is to pay attention to how you THINK, ACT, and/or FEEL. If you are THINKING/ACTING/FEELING in ways that just "don't feel right" that's a sign that you are using automatic tools that do NOT work for you. On the other hand, if you feel positive and healthy, that's a sign that you are using tools that DO work for you. 6. Once you recognize the tools that you’re using, you will learn how to ask yourself “Is this tool helpful or not helpful?” (based on how well it moves you TOWARDS or AWAY FROM your “North Star”) 7, If the tools work, we will help you to continue using them, and/or to strengthen your use of them. If they do not work , we will help you try out different ones and/or develop new ones. NOTE: Just because a tool does not work in one situation; it does not mean that it will not work in another situation. Therefore, you don't necessarily have to get rid of tools that aren't working. Also, even if you cannot get rid of, or change, a particular tool that is not helpful; you can learn to develop other types of tools that you can use to limit its impact (e.g., "watering down the liquor"). Don't worry if this "Game Plan" does not make too much sense for you; we will discuss it more during our first session. Likewise, if this "Game Plan" does not work for you, we will discuss addressing your therapy in a different way. I look forward to working with you!

I am licensed in California with 12 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, lgbtq+ related issues, & relationship issues. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.