Elders (65+) Therapists in Ojai, CA

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a practice that focuses on young adults, adults, seniors, veterans, and first responders. I am also a United States Army Combat Veteran, and a father who knows what it is like to put other people's needs before your own. It takes time, exploration, and effort to learn a new way of looking at yourself. It takes time to see what is on the other side of the coin.

How do you speak to yourself? This makes us feel the way we do. (We treat others the way we treat ourself.) Learn how to use and align your words, thoughts even, with your own positive intentions. Get rid of whatever is in the way. The brain can't tell the difference between an imagined experience and a real one. You don't have to reinvent the wheel to feel difficult feelings to completion. Mistakes are opportunities for getting what you want. With gentle patience and respect, I can show you how to allow feelings to be fully felt. Change beliefs and align with what you really want. It's a lot simpler than it sounds.

l am trained in EMDR and use integrative approaches including Humanistic and Attachment/Trauma-Informed interventions, along with the lens of Family Systems theories. Jennifer has experience working with families, couples, adolescents, LGBTQIA+ and Gender nonconformity support, individual work, intimate partner violence/trauma, and substance use.

What makes therapy work is the relationship/connection between the therapist and client, as well as the skills and technical expertise the therapist brings to the table. I am supportive, caring and committed to being totally present, meeting people where they are right now, hearing them in their own terms. Relationships between individuals, couples and families have become so stressful in these crazy-making times. I see my job as helping clients untangle life's challenges and assisting them in getting in touch with their own inner resources.

I am honored to be a part of our beautiful Central Coast, characterized by care and community. My client-centered, humanistic approach is a balance of compassion, empathy and open-mindedness. I have been honored to share this healing space with children as young as 3 years, families, adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, and the healthy aging population, who have become willing to explore their experiences of change, grief, suffering, trauma, depression, separation and anxiety. Hope and empowerment grow through the process of healing and recovery. It is a collaborative experience where alternative ways of being occur.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Valenzuela has worked in a variety of settings. The breadth of his experience includes extensive work with severe mood and psychotic disorders. Dr. Valenzuela’s commitment to addressing mental health issues from an early age has informed his work with adolescents in the juvenile justice system and in schools. His work in local community settings has guided his professional identity as a warm, empathic, nonjudgmental, and depth-oriented practitioner.

I truly enjoy the process of collaboration and sense of discovery as we form a therapeutic alliance. I love working with adults, both young and old, male and female. Establishing the relationship is foundational to our work together. Trust develops naturally as our connection grows. The pace is always determined by your comfort level and readiness. I can offer new coping skills and join with you to form therapy goals. As an experienced EMDR therapist I sometimes utilize Flash and EMDR to reduce and clear triggering remnants of the past. The result is greater ease and joy in your life.

I see clients IN-PERSON or on ZOOM. I believe in meeting my client where they are at. I am here to help guide you to the answers you seek, assisting you with any hurts, habits, or hang-ups. I have a true desire to help you be the best version of yourself and fully support whatever journey you may be on. I provide a holistic approach in which the mind, body, and soul are all addressed and how they work together.

I am a Certified Hypnotherapist and a Master of Therapeutic Imagery. I believe all people can connect deeply within and re-create themselves, change their lives, and access their inner resources and guidance. I work in a safe and comfortable partnership with my clients to facilitate being active participants in their own transformation. I work with releasing negative thinking and self-talk, raising self-confidence self-respect and motivation, relieving stress and anxiety, relieving fears and phobias, letting go of the past, pain control, relationship issues, surviving divorce, changing negative habits, releasing anger and guilt.

Are you feeling unsure or stuck? Unable to get motivated, full of self-doubt? Wanting to make a change but scared to do so? Disconnected from yourself but not sure why? If you are suffering from any of the above, then I can help. Working together, we get to the core of what is going on in a safe and supportive environment so that you can feel calm, clear and empowered to begin to make some changes.

Time to wake up! The planet desperately needs our gifts! Let's resolve personal issues, clean house, uncover our purpose and shine joy into the troubled mess limping along around us. What holds us back is so small compared to our essential nature. However we hold our lives, we must recognize them as sacred, precious and finite. Join me in the goal of self-purification and celebration, where we commit to living our truth, from an awakened willingness to heal and love and serve. Nothing else really matters; however bleak our darkest days seem they have no power to equal the fire of ignition. Let's toast to interesting times!

Conflicts and feelings can challenge and confuse us: sadness, anxiety, depression, family, business and relational issues, creative blocks, and aging. I value helping you navigate these deeper concerns in a caring and safe environment; working together to develop a meaningful relationship with your self and others.

The changes in the world today can be unbalancing and having a guide to help one find ways to re-balance is important to one's well-being. I Have had life experience in dealing with trauma which guided me to become engaged in the study of psychology. I saw the need for more understanding of the mind and the human experience. Anxiety and depression affect the whole person: psycho-spiritually, physically, mentally, and physiologically. The signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression will manifest at every level. Imagine working together to find your own therapeutic tune to your life song…

I believe everyone needs a listening ear to help get through difficult times. Why not let that listening ear be a trained professional. As your clinician I will provide a safe therapeutic environment to help you get through your current life challenges. I work with adults who are struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use, relationship concerns, life adjustments, and poor emotional regulations skills.

Humans are meant to have support through pain, challenges, and life's many transitions. Yet, life can feel frantic and disconnecting. You may find yourself lost in the chaos, feeling alone, depressed, or anxious. It may be difficult to find spaces where you are truly seen, understood, and accepted, let alone able to express your pain, challenges, and dreams. You are not alone in your longing to authentically speak, feel, and process your life.

Choosing a therapist is not like choosing other medical professionals: there are some specific questions you must ask yourself. Do you feel comfortable in sharing your life with the therapist? Do you feel heard and understood by the therapist? Do you trust the therapist? These are questions a person should ask before deciding who to trust with their life story. I find that it's important to meet in advance to determine if we could make progress together, and I encourage you to ask the above questions of yourself as you speak to me, or any other licensed therapist.

My passion is working with couples. I am a PACT Level 2 Couples Therapist and I have received extensive training from the Couples Institute in Menlo Park. Studying with Stan Tatkin PhD and Ellyn Bader PhD have given me the extra education to help couples. My sessions are two hours. I find the extra time makes all the difference in how productive and useful each session can be.

Many people suffer stress from past events, from childhood or later. My neurofeedback, biofeedback, and hypnosis can help reduce or eliminate that stress. I have t wo doctorates in clinical psychology (2012 and 2020) in addition to my certification in neurofeedback and hypnotherapy. I teach psychology at the Masters level at Antioch University in Santa Barbara so I'm really good at explaining what I do. I now have a Certificate in Sport Psychology! I pride myself in delivering these services in the most empathic manner possible. If you are short with your loved ones, generally uptight, and regretting it later I can help.

Have you ever had a not-so-great therapy experience? Maybe you left a session feeling more misunderstood, judged, or alone than when you walked in. The therapist may have made assumptions that proved they didn't get you at all - or tried to make decisions for you. With 15 years of experience, one of my highest values is to listen carefully to my clients and treat you with the utmost respect. I do my best to leave my prior assumptions at the door and believe clients are the experts in their lives. Don't know where to begin?