Marriage and Family Therapist, JD, MA, LMFT, CCTP, CAGCS
I have 15 years of diverse professional experience and extensive training. I specialize working with Individual Adults and Teens. My therapeutic approach is comfortable and conversational, without judgement. I am a published writer, lecturer, a certified specialist in four fields and continue my research in the field to provide my clients the best care. Visit my website CaliforniaTherapy.com to learn more about my practice. I offer a free 20 minute consultation, where you can ask questions and communicate your needs, my goal is to help you find treatment that is best suited for you.
Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified IMAGO Relationship Therapist, MFT, and EMDR
Couples Change conflict into connection! Certified IMAGO Relationship Therapist, David J. Kest, MFT coaches couples how to restore their loving connections practicing intentional dialogue skills. Based on the best selling book by Harville Hendrix. PhD: GETTING THE LOVE YOU WANT and Oprah's Choice!
I have come to the field of psychotherapy following a diverse and meandering path. I consider myself a fellow traveler, working on my own growth and transformation, while in service to my clients. Supporting others along the way in their suffering and joy has been integral to my journey.
I work as a psychotherapist, conduct research, teach doctoral students in Clinical Psychology, & write a blog in Psychology Today, "Our Empathic Nature." As a research & clinical psychologist, I aim to keep current in fields related to my clients problems, and to work collaboratively with them
I use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Somatic Therapy to help clients get unstuck and reconnect to the wisdom and safety of their body. Do you feel stuck in patterns of relationship stress, anxious thoughts, or disordered eating? Do you feel unsafe in your body due to trauma or chronic illness? I use a trauma-informed, attachment-based approach to help clients identify their unhelpful narratives, challenge them, and take healthy risks. If you are ready to go deeper than traditional talk therapy and crave a healing connection with your mind, body, and spirit, I am here to help.
Chronic illness, aging, and loss can be overwhelming. It's not only adjustment to physical changes and abilities, but the emotional challenges can seem insurmountable. I have been there!
You don't have to do this by yourself.
My passion and my work are to help you find your way back to a sense of value and engagement with your life regardless of your challenges.
The therapeutic process has the ability to transform. I am living proof of this. At my lowest point, I was anxious, depressed, suicidal, and trapped in an addiction to alcohol and Adderall. With the help of a skilled therapist, I was able to come out of this darkness - inspiring me to leave a successful business in order to help others who are suffering. I believe that everyone deserves a fighting chance to overcome trauma and abuse and live a rich, full, and satisfying life. I believe that everyone can change and grow at any time in their lives. I don't believe that there is a limit to human capacity. I believe we are all deserving of unconditional love. I hold the hope for my clients when they are drowning in hopelessness. I approach my life and my work through a feminist, anti-oppression, anti-racist, and body-positive perspective. I am passionate about animal rescue and shelter pets. If any of this resonates with you, please shoot me a message and let's find a time to connect.
Are you experiencing communication challenges in your relationships? Challenges with sex or intimacy? Are you questioning or exploring gender and sexuality? I am here to support you and offer you tools and a place to process your current experience. I provide a safe space to explore who you are becoming and to discern old thought patterns that are no longer of service. I provide a healing space free of judgement and offer tools that you can immediately integrate into your current experience. I will collaborate with you and work with the intersections of your unique experience.
Getting sick of what's bothering you? Are your thoughts feeling tough to control? Been challenging to unwind, enjoy yourself, or get a good night's sleep? Feeling emotionally lonely, frustrated with family, or disappointed with your friends?
You may be successful professionally and still experience dips in your self-esteem, mood, and energy. Imposter syndrome goes hand in hand with perfectionism, procrastination, and productivity. The irony is you may be working harder than most people around you, and yet feel worse about yourself than they do.
You don't have to keep living like this. Therapy can help you understand how your mind works and optimize accordingly. For example, you can catch self-defeating negative thoughts and reframe them to be more helpful for you through CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).
You have the right to feel better too.
In my practice, I work to support individuals struggling with anxiety, body image, disordered eating, relationships, feeling connected to themselves or others, and those feeling stuck in the same patterns to learn skills and feel secure in their lives. My style is warm, authentic, and collaborative with a bit of humor.
I believe we all have the ability to heal and feel secure in our lives and seeking a therapist you connect with is an important step on your path. Reach out to learn more about how I can help.
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPCC (multiple states), CCMHC, BC-TMH
People come to me because they're navigating difficulties with life changes, depression, anxiety—any of a million ways that distress manifests itself in our lives. If I had to say I have a specialty, it's seeing you for the unique person that you are, and meeting you where you are in your struggle. I work with my clients to help discover what issues are causing difficulty or suffering and then to identify the strengths that people have inside of them to help address those challenges.
I see my work as walking a path with you. It’s not my job to tell you which path to take or point you to a different path. My job is to walk alongside of you and point out some of the things you're not noticing. I accompany you down your path instead of telling you where to go.
It's really common for people to think nobody sees them—nobody gets them—and that's my work. To set a safe place for you to be fully you, and to have somebody who sees you. Sees your doubts, your fears, all the things that you feel are flaws, and accepts you for all of that. I truly believe that at our core we're all trying to grow toward our truest self, and my job isn't to tell you what that true self is. It's really to just provide you a space to grow into that, and get out of your way, and support you and help you do it.
"Psychoanalysis is an authentic encounter between two people" -R.D. Laing. Therapy is hard, but it doesn't have to be awkward. You'll want a therapist who is warm without being intruding, thoughtful but not distant, caring but not smothering, someone you feel you can trust both because they are good at what they do, but also because they are another person who can understand what you're going through. I know very well the strength required to take the first step in confronting some of life's most pernicious problems with someone you do not know yet. That is why I listen carefully with a professional ear but also attempt to maintain an approachable, personal dimension to psychotherapy sessions.
I'll always remember what it was like to be a psychotherapy patient for the first time. How disorienting it was and yet how immeasurably rewarding it became as I could start to confide in my therapist. Now, it is my mission to be a reliable confidant to my patients; to listen without judgment, to understand, to relate, and to work through difficult experiences. Being a therapist has always felt like an incredible privilege. I cannot imagine anything more rewarding than helping people find their way to a life they are happy with.
I am available by email or phone if you have any questions about starting therapy and I offer free preliminary conversations.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to practice as a therapist; there is nothing I would rather do.
I received my training in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and now practice depth psychotherapy with the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy in San Francisco.
Before becoming a therapist, I gained valuable experience working in government and business, both internationally and cross-culturally. These experiences have enriched my understanding of diverse perspectives and complex human dynamics, deepening my capacities as a therapist.
My approach is compassionate and client-centered, focusing on uncovering the core issues affecting individuals and couples. I hold a deeply rooted belief in the transformative power of psychotherapy to foster healing and growth.
I am the CEO and Founder of Quest Family Therapy, the Gender Health Training Institute, and the TransFamily Alliance. At Quest Family Therapy, we provide safe, compassionate, and collaborative psychotherapy and/or coaching in an atmosphere that deepens understanding, improves communication, promotes healing for families, couples, youth, and adults who wish to make changes in their lives and relationships that are long-lasting and positive
Dr. Mazza is passionate about proving evidence-based therapy to teens and adults struggling with OCD or Anxiety. She is certified in exposure and response prevention for OCD through the Center for Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania and the Behavioral Therapy Institute.
Has your relationship become an angry, sad, or scary place leaving you feeling alone, hurt, and discouraged? Are you and your partner feeling lost in conflict cycles you don’t understand and desperately want to change? Many of the couples I work with come to therapy feeling just like you. I understand how much courage it takes to reach out for help and to let another person get inside your relationship, especially when you are feeling so vulnerable. If you are searching for a safe place to explore what's not working in your relationship, and support in creating solutions, I can help. My practice focuses exclusively on couple therapy. In addition to thousands of hours working with couples in distress, I have completed hundreds of hours of clinical training specific to couples therapy, including advanced training in both Emotion Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method Couple Therapy. I am truly passionate about helping couples heal and flourish.
My approach to therapy is primarily somatic and mindfulness based in nature, meaning we focus on the way your body feels when you get stressed or have unintended responses. I am interested in helping you to learn how to soothe those bodily reactions whether they are rooted deep in the past from traumas long ago or from current life challenges or from specific traumatic incidences. I support each individual in a manner that is unique to our relationship, be it using cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic therapy, expressive arts or utilizing transpersonal images and symbols.
I deeply believe that therapy can be transformative and that meaningful change is possible at any stage of life. I prioritize honoring the authentic self even when life gets messy and emotions are painful. I’m most inspired by the humans that I work with every day that show tremendous resilience and resourcefulness with life’s challenges.
9 Years Experience
