If you're here, it's likely because you're feeling confused or torn up about how to handle some part of your life, and it's affecting you in a way you wish it wasn't. I want to help you get past that, and get to a place where you're feeling more confident about your ability to manage the difficult situations you come across, whether it's with your family, in your relationships, or at work. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, and I've practiced therapy for over fifteen years. During that time, I've worked with people dealing with the stresses and anxieties of life, parents experiencing difficulties with their children, people struggling with addiction in either themselves or loved ones, survivors of trauma and abuse, and even fellow workers in the helping professions who are facing burnout. In working with clients, the number one thing I like to help them see is that it's normal to react to what is happening around you. It's human nature to have an emotional response to events in your life. What comes after that emotional response is often what people want to change, and where I come in. I can offer you a neutral opinion on the situation you are facing, and then work with you to find a solution that is realistic for your life. What works for you may not be what works for others, and that's okay. I use a Person-Centered approach overall, which means you set the tone for all of our interactions. I also like to use Strength-based techniques, which focuses on what you are doing well already and builds on it; Cognitive-Behavioral techniques, which looks at how our thoughts influence our behaviors; and Gestalt techniques, which allow us to look at your difficulties from different perspectives. I use an assortment of techniques from other approaches as well. I will always do my best to individualize my work to your specific needs, and empower you to make the changes you want to see in your life. You've already made one in reaching out for help, and I look forward to working with you.

I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for 10 years. I have experience working with all age groups and with issues such as depression, anxiety, relationships, parenting and ADHD, My counseling style is warm, caring, and supportive. I am sensitive to diversity - racial, religious, gender. I tailor the sessions to each individuals needs. It takes courage to seek out help towards a happier and more fulfilling life. You have taken your first steps to creating that. I am excited to assist you in your journey and I look forward to working with you !

Combining empathy and intuition to understand every person and each situation, my goal is to support my clients with the compassion and genuine care that they deserve, taking into account their struggles, goals, hopes, desires, and histories. For me, it’s about building quality, unique and profound relationships with my clients, allowing me to give them the confidence to show them that change is, in fact, possible. I understand that every person is unique. Using a combination of therapy techniques, I am able to really meet my clients on a personal level, helping them clarify goals, find their self-confidence and become effective and intentional with their relationships. With a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and licensed in the state of California (44317), I have worked as a Marriage Counselor and Therapist for over 15 years, guiding individuals toward their goals, and watching as they achieve amazing strides in their relationships, in their workplace, and in their lives. We aim to work on communication skills, opening doors and creating effective ways to voice needs so you can be truly understood in all aspects of your life. Because of the approach I use, my experience, knowledge and passion for every client, I am able to empathize and understand each on a deeper level, allowing every client to feel change, even after the very first psychotherapy session. That is because I believe it’s not just about you and me, you and your spouse, or you and others, it’s about building a quality relationship with yourself, allowing for more clarity, understanding and appreciation. In this way, you can truly make the changes you wish to see, and see the improvements you never thought you could reach. This research is valuable for working with the clients I work with to foster new insight into their concerns and find solutions. The quality of the therapeutic relationship and empathic attunement lead those with relationship issues to think about their issues and how they need to change their interactions. Clients with eating disorders are supported in their search for understanding the function of their eating disorder and are guided through their recovery. As they recover, they will be able to think more clearly as their brains are getting the nourishment they need to stay healthy. Teens are unique in the kind of attunement they need and what they respond to. Through years of working with teens, I have been able to find a way of building rapport with them to influence change. When they feel understood and heard, they can make positive steps. I have been utilizing principles of research on the brain and the power of the mind in changing the structure and function of the brain. Through focusing attention on our internal world we are able to gain empathy and understanding for others allowing them to feel empathic attunement. Feeling attuned to can help one gain insight and understanding into their own internal processes which can cause one to change stuck and dysfunctional ways of relating. This process called Mindsight can actually change the course of your relationships and integrate areas of your history, beliefs, or trauma that weren’t integrated before. When we are able to modify our internal world we can change our patterns of relating to a more harmonious way of interacting. The therapeutic relationship is the conduit for increasing Mindsight and being able to look at the areas that are in need of the most attunement. Therapy with empathic attunement gives clients what they need in order to create change which is empowering for clients. This research is valuable for working with the clients I work with to foster new insight into their concerns and find solutions. The quality of the therapeutic relationship and empathic attunement lead those with relationship issues to think about their issues and how they need to change their interactions.

Hello! My name is Vicki, and I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), executive coach, and management consultant. I began my career in the Neuropsychology Department at Baylor College of Medicine where I conducted cognitive tests for patients with memory impairments. Over the next 15 years, I held progressively responsible clinical and management positions in medical research centers, hospitals, and community settings, working with individuals and families. We focused on managing stress, relaxation techniques, and coping with aging parents, as well as caregiver stress, grief, and loss. I taught Stress Management for 8 years and have specialized training in palliative care, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, and support for suicide loss survivors. My cross-cultural experience includes living and working in Japan, Singapore, and Germany for 7 years. Along the way, I had the opportunity to establish and provide counseling services to help military personnel and their families living on Army bases overseas, focusing on stress and PTSD. While living in Singapore, I provided community education, counseling, and post-hospitalization aftercare to support the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families. I am dedicated to continuous individual change and professional growth, which provides the focus of my coaching. I believe that executive coaching is the most effective approach to stimulate self-awareness, behavior change, and growth for professionals at all levels in their career. I base my coaching work on tying coaching goals to clear business outcomes. Through feedback, questions, challenges, and discernment, I help my clients to see possibilities, make plans, and take action to reach their goals. I am a published and credentialed executive coach. I love to help. And I welcome a conversation with you! We can explore your concerns, struggles, challenges, and goals - and map a path forward to more calm, peace, and fulfillment. NOTE: I work with clients in California, New Mexico and internationally.

Hello and welcome! I am Laura Cutler, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). For more than 20 years, I have been working with adults, children, youth, families, and communities in the field of psychotherapy and child welfare in a variety of settings, including private practice, the foster care system, and hospital setting. It has been said that one of the most courageous things a human being can do is to enter therapy.   The inner world of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations can often feel overwhelming.  Whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, current or post-traumatic experiences, relationship problems, grief and loss, or any other human experience for which you need support, healing, individualized strategies, and encouragement, you have come to the right place.  My own journey began with anxiety and depression as a young child, which continued into adulthood. As a child and adolescent, I lived in a private hell of anxiety and a deep sadness that I could not understand. Learning about proper nutrition and meditation helped significantly. But it was not until I entered therapy in my mid-30's that I began to see how my childhood experiences and current ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, were shaping me, dictating the degree to which I could explore and enjoy my own life. During my first session, I experienced a thrill of hope beyond description, a glimmering of what may be possible in my quest for total freedom to live, love, create, and make my contribution to the world in this lifetime. I loved the therapeutic experience so much that I went back to school to become a therapist. My therapeutic style is warm, supportive, solution-focused, and based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, which teaches us to notice and question our negative thoughts and perceptions of self and other in order to come to a more balanced view. I also incorporate "body-focused" therapies, having been trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM. Research has shown that trauma lives in the body, not just the mind, and that sometimes talk therapy alone is not enough to resolve our deepest emotional wounds. Also included in my therapeutic approach is psycho-education, or a teaching element, to provide you with new knowledge and to support skill building. I grew up in a house filled with books and two parents that revered learning. So, naturally, being in a state of continuous learning is something that I value greatly and trust will benefit your therapeutic process. As I continue to learn, too, I will happily share my discoveries when pertinent to your own journey in psychotherapy. Our work together will rest upon several core principles: 1. We come into the world with a brain that is hard wired to adapt. Effective therapy seeks to enhance and strengthen the adaptive information processing mechanism and adaptive memory networks that already exist in your brain and help to calm your nervous system. These adaptive mechanisms support our work in therapy to honor, reprocess, and integrate your traumatic memories into your experience, so that you can live more fully in the present moment. 2. All feelings, negative thoughts, and body sensations are valuable and serve as our constant teachers.  3. When we get good at slowing down, noticing and questioning our thoughts and assumptions, magical changes can begin to happen. 4. Focusing on our existing personal strengths and seeking to build upon them is the most effective way to move forward in our lives.  Past regrets and traumas are to be honored and learned from, but we need not live there. 5. Good therapy does not need to take years. When we develop a treatment plan together, based on a comprehensive assessment, your insights and needs, and with my clinical input, significant progress can be made in weeks or months. 6. The skills you will learn in therapy with me can serve you for the rest of your life. You will become your own therapist and even share your experiences with others to encourage and support those who are still suffering. 7. Therapy alone is never enough. We must give attention to our nutrition, exercise, work life, need for creative expression, sexuality, and play. Spiritual practices, such as a faith tradition, yoga, meditation, and other spiritual tools, are also extremely helpful in reconnecting you with your truest self - which is always unfolding! But even with all of the insight and knowledge in the world, I have seen and personally experienced that, ultimately, it is relationship that heals - relationship first and foremost with ourself and then others. It is deep listening that heals. It is kindness, patience, giving up the need to be right, being curious, being gentle with ourself, seeking to love and understand ourself and others, that heals. I invite you to experience the therapeutic space with me and see what is possible. Know that there is no such thing as failure or "getting it wrong" with me - only new discoveries about what works and what feels right to you, moment by moment.  You have the capacity to grow and change. And, you don't have to do it alone! With new knowledge and skills - with a new way of simply being - we can come to know a new freedom and a new happiness. Our unnecessary suffering begins to melt away...

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist living in Southern California with 40 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, relationship and intimacy related issues. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our sessions and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey. I approach our therapeutic relationship with the understanding that each person is unique via their experiences both socially and in their families and that each person views life from their own special point of view. I see my part as understanding each client and learning from you on how you experience and see the world. My background is very diverse. I have had the privilege of working with a multicultural clientele in both inpatient and outpatient settings as well as in private practice. I also taught counseling for many years helping students of many cultural and ethnic backgrounds to become qualified counselors. I have two adult children and step grandchildren and one deceased child. I have been happily married for 35 years to my current husband after divorcing my first husband after 17 years of marriage. I have had the experiences of children from infants through adulthood as well as the grief of a dying and deceased child. I was also a returning student going back to school at age 30. My counseling experience is wide and diverse counseling those with substance abuse issues and their families, helping families with divorce and reconciliation, family transitional issues, stress management and anxiety issues, grief issues, relationship and family issues. It has been my honor to work with each of my above clients who shared their lives with me. It is my privilege to have been a small part of their lives in helping them reached their desired goals. My therapy style is always person centered as it is the only way to empathetically understand another. With this understanding and co-partnership with you, we can begin the journey in helping you reach your goals. My therapy style is influenced by the Cognitive Behavioral Approaches, Gestalt, Systems and Structural Therapies. It is my hope that we can collaboratively work together to meet your goals. It takes a lot of strength and courage to take the steps necessary to create a happier and more fulfilling life.

I am licensed in California with 8 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with eating disorders, LGBTQIA* issues, parenting issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I use evidence-based treatments (e.g., CBT, DBT, ACT, FBT, ERP, Parent Management Training, and Motivational Interviewing) and tailor my approach to each individual client. I am conscious of the impact of cultural factors on the presenting problem and hope to approach my client holistically, taking into consideration all their identities and values. I hope to create a safe, collaborative, and transparent working relationship to support clients making the progress they want to see. I welcome feedback from my clients so that I can make any adjustments necessary to support everyone feeling safe and comfortable in treatment.

I am licensed in California with 17 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. 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 seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I have been a licensed professional counselor and an expressive arts therapist for 14 years. I have worked with clients with a wide variety of concerns including grief and loss, fertility issues, miscarriage, pregnancy, postpartum, and eating disorders. I have also worked with others in managing life transitions, anxiety, depression, shame, self confidence, relational, fitness, career and life goals. My counseling style is warm, compassionate and respectful. I provide a sacred container for anyone choosing the courage required in their therapeutic work. I meet my clients where they are and work organically, hold a jungian perspective, person centered approach. I believe each person has within them what they need to heal and grow, sometimes we all need someone to walk along side us through the journey and process. I am passionate about facilitating this process and creating a space for expression, sometime through working with image and the creative arts. I encourage self awareness with self love and compassion to find clarity. I am here to encourage, support and hold a loving, creative and compassionate space for you and your process. Besides talk therapy, I utilize tools such as yoga, mindfulness, breath awareness, meditation, writing, visual arts and creative expression in efforts to become more deeply connected and to listen to the wisdom within. I would be honored to facilitate and assist you on your journey.

Hello! My name is Jackie Shannon and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor III. Well before I pursued a formal education in Marriage and Family Therapy, I felt a strong pull to support individuals in addressing some of life’s most difficult challenges. In 2004, I supported the start-up of a grassroots organisation and proceeded to work in community mental health settings. For nearly 20 years I have worked with adults and teens experiencing mood, anxiety and addictive disorders. Since my initial introduction to the field of addiction and mental health I have worked to refine my skill set. Over the past 5 years I have spent a significant amount of time working in leadership to guide and train those developing clinical skills. I have recently returned to pursue that which I am most passionate about, providing therapy to individuals, couples and families seeking support and change. I make use of humanistic and existential approaches through a variety of experiential modalities. By creating a safe space for individuals to experience the discomfort of life’s challenges, I support individuals in developing relationship through trust, empathy, direct and candid inquiry, and down to earth humor. I encourage intuitive exploration through integrating talk therapy with present moment awareness. Through therapeutic collaboration, individuals gain greater access to insight, motivation and empowerment thus improving the way that they see and experience the world. I am a passionate and experienced therapist and have been told I bring sensitivity, humor, keen attentiveness, and enthusiasm to my work. I specialize in working with transitional age youth, adults, families and couples. I welcome the opportunity to serve people from all races, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, abilities, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and am inclusive of all people without judgement.