Welcome to Your Best Friend's Therapist

We live in a time where mental health issues are widespread and escalating. Depression and anxiety are becoming the new normal for people of all ages. The detriment to individuals, relationships, families, and the whole of society can be felt by us all. The growth needed to move beyond the stuckness that mental health issues cause in life requires being able to identify the true, authentic self, the soul, and form a healthy relationship, maintain it, nurture it, encourage its growth. Without a solid, loving, compassionate relationship with our true self, we are left in a state of blaming others for how we feel, looking outside of ourselves for the solution, and unable to break free of the dysfunctional patterns that plague our lives.

Adults, children and adolescents, individuals of all ages, are suffering. We are all searching for something to hold on to, to make us feel better, complete. For some, it’s sacrificing themselves for the acceptance of someone else, trying to fill the void left by a childhood of neglect. For others it is using substances to feel good, to numb the pain and forget about the past. All passing the patterns on to those they are interacting with, perpetuating the problem. That “something” we are all searching for is our true self, the light we come into this world with, the essence of who we are that longs to be seen and to grow. It is our soul. Each of us born for a special purpose to share with the world, to do our part, and pass on our light and knowledge to those who are in our lives, encouraging our own, and others’, souls to do the work and grow and elevate to a higher level, allowing for each of our life’s purpose to be fulfilled. The only way to do it is through the relationship we have with ourselves. By establishing this most vital relationship, all that does not serve it falls away and mental health is established and growth and elevation towards one’s purpose in this life is revealed. Our true Soulmate is ourselves.

We all experience some form of this crisis. Getting lost, looking for an answer that’s not there, does not allow one to elevate to the life they were meant to have. The searching for that “one thing” outside of one’s self that will make us happy or successful is futile. It’s not there. There will always be something missing if the true self is not actualized. This dilemma is real.. Working through the spiritual process of finding and connecting with the true self, the soul, and learning about the tools and strategies to get there, is the work, to step into and claim the life we were born to have.

With over 25 years working with individuals of all ages with mental health issues of every sort, families, and couples of all configurations, licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I am beyond qualified to lead the journey back to self, to find and nurture the soul. I have been through this process myself and have helped countless people find and step into the most important relationship they will ever be in, the one with themselves. I spent my first 17 years of being a marriage and family therapist working alongside amazing psychotherapists and psychiatrists, embedded in the lives of families within their own communities and schools, watching, participating, and learning first-hand about how relationships, patterns, and family dynamics work. For the past 10 years I have owned a successful private practice in San Diego, continuing to do this work every day. I’m so happy you are here, and I’m so excited for what’s to come for you!

Everything I do is based in Cognitive Behavioral Theory. CBT helps people identify and change negative patterns of thinking and behavior. It works by helping people become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and by teaching them practical skills and strategies to manage these more effectively.

The basic idea behind CBT is that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all interconnected. For example, if we have a negative thought about ourselves, like "I'm not good enough," this can lead to feelings of sadness or anxiety, and then to behaviors like avoiding social situations or procrastinating on important tasks. CBT helps break this cycle by challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more positive and realistic ones.

If we can learn to identify negative thoughts and behaviors, and then learn practical skills and strategies to change them, (these may include things like mindfulness exercises, relaxation techniques, and cognitive restructuring-changing negative thoughts into more positive and helpful ones) we can simply let go of that which holds us back, keeps us stuck, in old patterns of behavior fueled by old and negative stories or narratives we have about ourselves.

These old narratives are formed from bad past experiences, sometimes difficult upbringings, or traumatic events that have happened to us. They make us believe we are bound by them, unable to move to a higher point in certain, or all, areas of our lives. We get stuck in personal, intimate, relationships that do not serve us. We stay stuck in jobs that are not really meant for us. We accept unacceptable behavior from others, as well as ourselves.

When we are able to identify and process and change those negative narratives, what is revealed is our true selves. The light within each of us that aches to be seen and heard. Then the work of building that connection, that relationship, with our true self begins. And this is where the magic happens. Once you’ve found your true SOULMATE and you give that relationship the attention and love and respect and honor it deserves, all else starts to fall into place around you. The universe, God, source energy, whatever your higher power may be, begins to show you the way. Step by step, opportunity by opportunity, your life- the one you are MEANT to have- is revealed.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

Click here to receive new blogs and more!

Blogs & More