Therapists in Santa Barbara, CA

I tend to be most helpful to intense, high-functioning adults struggling with mood or anxiety symptoms or significant life transitions who are striving toward personal achievement, balance between work and relationships, and a sense of well-being. I may draw on various approaches according to the problem you are dealing with and my experience with what may benefit you. These include cognitive, psychodynamic, interpersonal, and psychoeducational approaches. I may propose different ways of looking at or handling situations. I may suggest in-between session reading or homework assignments.

I have been a psychotherapist in Santa Barbara, CA since 1974. My style is varied, incorporating Gestalt therapy, active listening, inner child work, assertiveness training, and guided imagery. Licensed since 1980 as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I enjoy working with couples, regarding issues of healthy sexuality, intimacy, and communication. Individual women and men,working on their sexual self esteem, are some of my favorite clients. For over fifteen years, I have also been leading groups for Adults Molested as Children, as well as their partners. Focus on breath and body is integral to my way of working in session.

My first priority is helping you feel comfortable. Research has shown that the number one most helpful aspect of therapy is having a strong therapeutic relationship where you feel supported, heard, and understood. I strive to meet you where you're at in your life process. My style is client-centered, and I tailor my services to you, focusing on what you decide you want and need to gain from therapy. I am strength-based in my approach; together we will identify what's working in your life and what strengths we can build on to help you achieve your goals, strengthen your relationships, and feel your best.

My name is Lin Stephens and I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, working in the field of Mental/Behavioral Health, since 1995. I have worked in county and state agencies along with being a Private Practitioner since 2002. I enjoy working with adults and/or couples. My experience has been working with individuals who may experience depression, anxiety, life stress, relational difficulties, transitional issues, and/or unresolved childhood or past traumas. My therapeutic approach is problem-oriented, and solution-focused.

Finding a therapist who can understand and hold space for you can be daunting. My hope is to be a compassionate support, to make space for creative engagement, healing, affirming. I work with couples, adults and teens. I have experience with trauma, gender expansive affirming care, highly intelligent teens struggling with individuation, neurodivergence. I use somatic tools, and a humanistic approach. I am experienced with sexuality concerns. I celebrate all bodies. I am BIPOC safe, culturally diverse, sex positive, kink, queer, and non-monogamy informed and allied. Whoever you are, what ever arrives in session is safe and seen.

**Virtual Therapy**&" In Office" In this unique time of uncertainty there are many moments of anxiety and uncertainty. Don't do it alone! If you are struggling please reach out & get the support you need to navigate this time. I've been helping others for 35+ years. I'm a Clinical Psychologist trained in many different modalities. My life experience combined with my training & education has equipped me to serve a variety of people. I work effectively with people challenged by traumatic memories, anxiety, depression, social fears, relationship problem or low self-esteem. I have a strong interest in the spiritual dimensions of growth.

Do you feel like you are in a dark space, disconnected in your relationships, or experiencing a life change that is devastating or overwhelming? I am a life transition & relationship therapist and help clients overcome emotionally taxing times in order to achieve fulfilling lives. Throughout the counseling process I’m a non-judgmental support & guide. I help my clients successfully move out of being stuck & stagnant & bring balance to their life. Upon completion you will gain clarity around what you really want, achieve empowerment & ultimately transformation so that you can be free of angst & attain fulfillment & peace.

Thank you for taking this time to see if I might be a good match for you. I believe strongly that the match, the relationship, the energy between us is of vital importance in the work. I strive to be your companion on a journey of discovery, reconciling, and healing. In as much as I am your mirror, I am your compassionate facilitator to enable your inner guide to emerge and shine through. My approach is supportive, direct, and rooted in a firm belief that every journey is unique and special.

It is an honor to accompany individuals into the psyche where our deepest wounds are sometimes hidden. Healing energies can often be found in those depths, stimulating growth toward a more whole, authentic and satisfying existence. Sometimes the pain is on the surface, and symptom relief is necessary to allow the individual to return to a more effective functioning level. This can be accomplished through a combination of cognitive approaches (i.e., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) and body-centered approaches (i.e., focusing, embodied dream work, mindfulness).

Hello! I am Dr. Efrain Zepeda. I am a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Social Worker. In the past 23 years working as a mental health professional, one of the most important lessons I have learned is that the most powerful therapeutic intervention is the interpersonal experience that occurs in the client-therapist relationship. Together we can analyze the past to co-create a new meaning with the goal of achieving healing. I strongly believe that therapy is not about labeling or judging, but rather about personal discovery.

If you’re reading this, that probably means that you are in a place where you have tried a lot of things to feel better, or help your loved one feel better and just don’t know what else to do. I would love to help support you on this journey. Therapy is a collaboration between two individuals (therapist and client) and when successful, truly amazing things can occur within this space. I use the relationship between my clients and I to help them build insight and awareness into the way they show up in the world.

When you feel it's time for a change,you're coping with fear and uncertainty, I will get to the Heart of the matter. When your relationship feels In jeopardy and unspoken issues stand in the way, I can pave a way.We'll take down the wall of oppositional stance. When you are at the crisis point, we can meet the challenge. It's what I do. Warmth and humor help make my office a safe place to explore creative solutions to dilemmas. Changing old patterns that don't work help us get to a change of Heart.

Accelerated focused healing! As a Certified EMDR therapist and EMDR consultant-in-training, I offer evidence-based therapy for clients and training for therapists. As a relational and attachment informed trauma therapist, I provide compassionate, warm, and intelligent therapy, and I’m here to support you on your journey to healing. My passion is utilizing the powerful benefits of Accelerated EMDR with clients who are ready to live without disturbing clinical symptoms. Using EMDR therapy we create a plan together to establish and accomplish goals, and provide tools for life’s successes, changes, and challenges.

Life can often feel painful and challenging, and relationships can be complicated. If you or your teen are in this place where additional support or guidance could be helpful, I am here to offer help and hope. I am passionate about providing a safe and non-judgmental space where understanding and discovery can thrive. My desire is to come alongside of people, collaboratively working towards growth and lasting change. One passion of mine is the journey of motherhood and the various seasons and transitions of maternal mental health - from fertility to pregnancy to postpartum.

Does anxiety seem to be ruling your life? Have you been feeling down, overwhelmed, or lost? Perhaps things seem to be going from bad to worse or nowhere at all. You deserve better. Starting therapy can be scary, I know, but won’t it be just as challenging to let everything continue? Stop pushing away your needs and not taking care of yourself. It’s time to make a change and I know how to help you through this. With me you will find what you truly seek – a compassionate space where understanding meets transformation.

My therapeutic philosophy is rooted in the belief that each individual possesses the strength to overcome their challenges. In my practice, I blend cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, solution-focused strategies, and emotionally focused therapy (EFT) to support those dealing with sex addiction and anger management in a non-judgmental environment. Emphasizing empathy, integrity, and professionalism, I offer guidance and hope. I'm committed to navigating personal challenges and fostering resilience and well-being with you. Together, we'll pursue healing, self-discovery, and a fulfilling life, ensuring you feel supported.

People tend to find me at some point on their journey when they need calm and direct guidance. They are usually in a time of deep pain and confusion, whether they are transitioning in life, divorcing, watching their teens struggle, feeling utterly depressed and lost, struggling in relationships or just wanting more out of their lives.

The most difficult things in life are often the doorway to a great shift. This doorway is not always easy to find. Especially if we go it alone, or have felt stuck for a while. It often takes a fresh pair of eyes, a "second mind" to help see more clearly, find better ways and new ground to step on to. Great moves are possible when done in kindness, with intelligence and heart.

My roots as a therapist and healer have seeded over the past thirty-five years, bringing substance and depth to my one-on-one sessions with couples and individuals. During this time, I have maintained a private practice, which has always consisted of process-oriented consciousness work -- a means by which to enter safely and deeply into the inner landscape of the psyche for positive and real world change. My results-oriented approach to psychology is derived from the commitment to a conscious process and the intrapsychic relationship one can access when choosing to turn toward--and look at--oneself.