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949-222-0811
Contact us for Help
3700 Campus Drive, #206
Newport Beach, CA 92660
A Legacy of Mental Health Excellence
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Annoyed? Hopeless? Perhaps even apathetic about the current stressors in your work or personal life? Finding strategies that can you help you learn to manage pressures at work, at home, or even on the drive in can significantly improve your physical and mental well being.
We are here to help.
Stress & Anxiety
- Healthy Minds
- Do you find you have persistent and excessive or unrealistic worries that are difficult to control or resolve? Do you experience physical symptoms such as restlessness or agitation, shortness of breath, pounding heart, hot flashes or sweating? Anxiety is frequently aroused when we demand predictability from our environment, but are not guaranteed it. And then our thoughts get going...only to feed our anxiety, creating a cycle of pain and fear. Anxiety can be paralyzing.
Warning signs may include:
- Fatigue
- Sleep difficulties
- Restlessness or irritation
- Trouble concentrating
- Worry and agitation
- Muscle tension
More on Anxiety...
- Sometimes anxiety includes panic attacks – a sudden level of discomfort that is accompanied by a combination of the physical sensations listed above, but with an intensity that results in thoughts of losing control or dying. Panic attacks can occur in the presence of a feared situation or come out of nowhere. Persistent panic attacks may lead to isolation, or the confining of oneself to a perceived safe location.
Imagine…
– Feeling energized to pursue your goals and stand firm in your core values.
– Believing in yourself so that you trust your decisions and execute with grace.
– Facing down your anxiety and enthusiastically taking risks.
– Carving out room to breath and feeling fulfilled.
Therapy can help, but anxiety can even impact our reaching out for help!
There are a number of ways that we can address this, and help you reduce and
manage your anxious feelings. If you are ready to challenge yourself please
reach out and I will be there to provide a comfortable, non-threatening
environment, and be with you every step of the way.
Trauma
Healing from Trauma: A Journey to Strength and Self-Discovery
My therapy approach is holistic and tailored, drawing on proven methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). As an EMDR therapist, I help you reprocess painful memories, so they lose their grip, allowing you to move forward without the weight of the past. Mindfulness practices, somatic psychology, and attachment-based psychodynamics also guide our work, helping you cultivate awareness and self-compassion. Whether you’re navigating trauma, mental health challenges, or life’s unexpected curveballs, we’ll find what works for you. Healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about learning to carry it lightly, with courage and hope. Imagine this: what if the pain you’ve carried could lead you to a stronger, more authentic version of yourself? If you’re ready to take the first step, I’m here to support you. Healing is a journey of courage, and you don’t have to walk it alone. Let’s explore what’s possible together. Contact me today to begin your path to self-discovery and a life filled with hope and confidence.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by life’s challenges—whether from a major loss, a deeply upsetting event, or even the lasting echoes of childhood neglect—you’re not alone. Trauma isn’t just about life-threatening moments; it’s about any experience that shakes your sense of safety or self, leaving you feeling helpless, afraid, or lost. These moments can spark reactions like self-blame, anger, or the urge to pull away from the world. You might turn to distractions, substances, or retreat inward to cope. These responses, they’re completely human. They’re your mind’s way of trying to protect you from pain. But here’s a different way to see it. These reactions, while natural and avoidant, can also become a doorway to growth and self-discovery. Trauma doesn’t have to define you. Trauma can be a starting point for rediscovering your strength, resilience, and inner wisdom. Both Western and Buddhist psychology remind us that avoiding pain often deepens our suffering. Healing asks for something brave and to gently face the pain, to sit with it, and to let it guide you toward a deeper understanding of yourself. This isn’t about “fixing” you. You’re not broken. It’s about reconnecting with the parts of you that are ready to shine. I’m here to walk beside you on this journey. With four decades of experience supporting adults and adolescents through trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, and more, I’ve seen how transformative this process can be. My passion is watching you find your voice, reclaim your confidence, and step into a life of balance and well-being. In my practice, you’re the heart of the process. We’ll work together to create goals that feel right for you, building a strong, trusting partnership in a safe, empathetic, and nonjudgmental space.
EMDR: A Path to Healing
How EMDR Can Help
Trauma can take many forms. It might stem from a life-threatening event that left you feeling terrified, helpless, or horrified. But trauma can also arise from experiences that threaten your sense of psychological safety—such as significant losses, deeply upsetting moments, or even early childhood neglect. On a broader level, trauma reflects the inevitable pain we encounter as we navigate life. These experiences can push us into an emotional emergency state, leading to thoughts like “I am bad” or “This will happen again.” You might feel overwhelming anger, guilt, or shame, or find yourself turning to coping mechanisms like alcohol, drugs, or emotional and physical withdrawal to numb the pain.
These reactions are completely understandable—they’re your mind and body’s way of trying to protect you. But as both Western and Eastern philosophies remind us, avoiding pain can sometimes deepen our suffering. When we push painful experiences away, we may feel temporary relief, but it can keep us stuck, preventing us from fully processing and healing. EMDR offers a different path: a way to gently sit with the pain in a safe, controlled way, so you can move through it and toward healing.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a compassionate, one-on-one psychotherapy approach designed to help you heal from trauma and improve your emotional well-being. Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987, EMDR was originally created to address the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Over the past three decades, it has evolved into a versatile and powerful tool, helping people find relief from a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, stress, low self-esteem, performance anxiety, chronic pain, sleep difficulties, and phobias.
At its core, EMDR uses adaptive information processing to transform the way traumatic memories are stored in your mind. Those painful memories—often tied to negative beliefs, intense emotions, or physical sensations—can feel like they’re holding you back. EMDR helps reprocess these memories, turning them into a more adaptive memory network that no longer fuels distress or dysfunction. It’s a deeply healing process, guided by a trained therapist, that honors your unique experiences.
The Healing Process
As an EMDR therapist with more than three decades of experience, I’ve witnessed the profound impact this therapy can have. EMDR allows you to address the disturbance caused by traumatic memories and reprocess them in a way that reduces their emotional grip. It’s not about erasing the past but about helping you integrate those experiences so they no longer impact or define your present or future. By working with a skilled therapist, you can transform the way those memories affect you, fostering a sense of empowerment and peace.
Healing from trauma often means moving toward the pain rather than away from it. This can feel daunting, but EMDR provides a structured, supportive way to do so. You don’t have to face it alone—EMDR is a collaborative journey, guided by a therapist who understands the courage it takes to heal.
Taking the First Step
If you’re carrying the weight of trauma, whether from a single event or ongoing challenges, EMDR offers a path to relief and recovery. It’s okay to feel hesitant or overwhelmed—those feelings are valid. Reaching out to a qualified EMDR therapist can be a powerful step toward reclaiming your emotional well-being. You deserve to feel lighter, stronger, and more at peace with your story.
Depression
You Are Not Alone in Your Struggle
- You may find it difficult falling asleep or staying asleep. On the other hand, you may spend hours sleeping during the day but never feel refreshed. Food may be unappetizing, or you may use it to find comfort. Weight loss or gain draws further unwanted attention to your unhappiness. Being depressed is not a choice! This is not something that a person will just “snap out of”. Unlike typical sadness or worry, depression feels all-consuming and hopeless. The symptoms of depression can last for months or years and can make it difficult or impossible to carry on with daily life. It can disrupt careers, relationships, and even simple daily tasks such as self-care.
If you dread facing each morning, can’t remember the last time you smiled, or there is a part of your life that you want to improve but haven’t been able to, I am here to walk with you through change, healing, and growth towards the life you desire. I bring empathy, warmth,
and respect to the therapeutic relationship. Each individual has unique experiences and
needs, and I hold these in the highest regard.
- Depression can come with various levels and intensities. At one end it can be so extreme it causes you to question your very existence. At the other it may feel like you are just out of sorts and any day now you’ll be back to your old self. One of the common misunderstandings about depression is that it's just a feeling of being sad or down. The symptoms of depression can last for months or years and can make it difficult or impossible to carry on with daily life. Depression steals the joy from a person’s life. Things can begin to feel hopeless, energy can decrease, and self-esteem vanishes. Everything seems more difficult to accomplish as you lose the ability to focus and concentrate. Avoidance and escape from social interaction can become a “go to” for coping as decisions become harder to make and you begin to believe no one wants to be around you. At a physical level, eating and sleep may be disrupted.
Remember, depression is not a personal weakness; it is an emotional state characterized by
prolonged symptoms such as:
-Difficulty making decisions
-Trouble concentrating
-Inability to feel pleasure
-Being easily annoyed or quick to anger
-Sleeping too much or too little
-Poor eating habits
-Constant or chronic pain (which can also cause depression)
-Reduced motivation for self-care
-Dark, morose, or suicidal thoughts
-Social isolation
-Difficulty planning or completing tasks
If you’ve ever reached out for help and felt like you were just talking while your friend or therapist simply listened? In our sessions, I am an active listener who believes in providing thoughtful feedback to help you challenge behavior patterns and connect with your own strengths, wisdom, and inner resources. I will ask questions and engage with you in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Everyone has unique experiences and needs, and I will tailor a plan specifically for you. I believe in progress, not perfection, and that every challenge presents an opportunity for growth.
Psychotherapy can help you cope and make good decisions until life becomes manageable again. Therapy is about progress, not perfection, and with every challenge, there is an opportunity for growth. Let me help you gain a new perspective on things.
There is nothing in the world, I venture to say, that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life.
Viktor E. Frankl
Your Path to Mental Health Starts Now, Make an appointment.
- Why Choose Us
Your Therapist Supports You Every Step of Your Journey
It’s not easy to start therapy. It’s even harder to stay with it when thoughts and feelings get difficult and scary. We’ll be here–listening, supporting, & guiding you–as you take back control and confidence in yourself & your life.
Clinical Expertise
Personalized Care
Trusted Support
You Deserve Support. Begin Your Journey to Mental Wellness with your Therapist.
- What we Offer
We Support You Every Step of Your Journey
Individual Therapy
Therapy is about growing and taking the next step. It’s a place where you can let down your guard and talk about your dreams, hopes and wants without judgment yet get honest straightforward feedback in a safe environment.
- Personal Counseling
Therapy Sessions
If you weren’t too stuck in your fears or anxiety to dream, what would you ask for? What can be done in that amount of time? Are you ready to find out?
Couples Therapy
- Relationship Counseling
Building Stronger Relationships: Fostering Connection and Growth
In my practice, I employ an integrative approach tailored to your unique needs, whether you’re seeking support as a couple, an individual reflecting on relationships, or alongside a loved one. Drawing from years of teaching marriage and family therapy at the graduate level, I utilize evidence-based methods to facilitate lasting change. The Gottman approach offers practical, research-backed tools to enhance communication and rebuild trust by fostering positive interactions and managing conflict effectively. Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes your strengths and future goals, providing actionable steps to address intimacy challenges and promote connection. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets unhelpful thought patterns, supporting trust restoration and overall relationship enhancement by cultivating healthier perspectives. Mindfulness-based techniques encourage present-moment awareness, fostering emotional attunement and compassionate navigation of systemic patterns. These approaches combine to create a personalized roadmap, empowering you to not only address challenges but also thrive in your relationships.
If you’re navigating challenges in your relationships, you’re not alone. Whether with a partner, family member, friend, or during a transition such as divorce, relationships can bring profound joy as well as significant obstacles. Common issues like communication breakdowns, diminished intimacy, trust concerns from past experiences, or the complexities of evolving together through life’s stages. Whether you are experiencing these issues in premarital excitement, long-term commitment, or separation, they can feel overwhelming. These challenges, however, are universal, and they don’t have to define your journey.
Rather than viewing these obstacles as barriers, consider them opportunities for meaningful growth, deeper connections, and personal discovery. Communication struggles can pave the way for greater mutual understanding. Challenges with intimacy may open doors to rediscovering emotional and physical closeness. Trust issues, often rooted in longstanding patterns, can be addressed to foster healing that strengthens all your relationships. Growing together requires effort, not perfection, transforming relational challenges into pathways for empathy and support. With over four decades of guiding clients through these moments, I’ve witnessed how reframing difficulties can lead to hope, renewal, and more fulfilling connections.
- Testimonials
Client Feedback That Speaks Volumes.
- Archivement
Building a Brighter Future Together
Ultimately, life is wonderful and problematic at the same time. Don’t allow the struggles to linger and use the wonderful part as a platform on which to build. Therapy isn’t only for problems. It’s a place to improve a life that you’re already happy with.
Satisfied Clients
Successful Therapy
Best Mental Health Clinic
“Healing is not a destination but a journey each step forward is progress, and each challenge is an opportunity to grow.”
- Dr. Samuel Dambrocia, Psychologist.
Start Your Healing Journey Today
Reach out to us for personalized mental health support tailored to your unique needs.
- Blog
Latest trends, Tips, & News in the Mental Health
Mental health is a vital aspect of our overall well-being, yet misconceptions about mental health treatment persist. This post aims to debunk common myths that prevent individuals from seeking the help they need.
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