Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD) Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

I look forward to helping you through compassion, acceptance, and non-judgmental support. I can help you experience peace, balance and harmony using Art Therapy and /or Internal Family Systems Therapy. Both therapeutic approaches are an effective way to access empowerment, self-confidence, decision making ability, relieve undesirable behavior/thoughts, and engage both sides of the brain so that you are fully present. It increases awareness of self and others and helps you experience success. I can help you shift and rebuild the way you think about the various aspects of your personality, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

Hi there, I'm Lance! Our behaviors have worked at some point in our lives, but they may now be obsolete. However, the deeply entrenched grooves of behavioral patterns have been established and we can't easily get out of them. And as we see through our behaviors, rather than looking at them, we are often so immersed in our lifestyle that we are unaware of its counterproductivity, we are self-deceived, unaware, unconscious. I believe the goal of therapy is to facilitate flexibility, adaptability, evolvability.

As a Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist, I look forward to accompanying you on your healing journey, offering hope, validation, warm support. Whatever brings you to therapy - your relationships, stress, trauma, pain, fears, hurts, depression - I will believe in you until you believe in yourself - your wisdom, capacity for healing, inner strengths. Discover new ways to communicate to foster positive outcomes in your relationships and harmony to your inner world. You are entitled to experience your own delightful spirit, moments of wonder and aliveness, curiosity and spontaneity, finding joy and peace in your life.

Often life presents us with difficulties and painful challenges. I can help whether your intention is to heal from past or current emotional struggles or to improve relationships. Together we can explore your strengths as well as your difficulties to find solutions. I work with individuals, couples, and families to strengthen relationships and improve communication. I have a strong appreciation for diversity and believe each individual has unique gifts. I am skilled in responding to your individual needs with compassion and respect.

I believe in a collaborative therapeutic partnership, one that is supportive, alleviates emotional pain, and promotes growth and healing. My goal is to provide you and your family with the tools to create and maintain life-affirming change in order to lead a more balanced and empowered life.

I am passionate about using therapeutic approaches that engage body, heart, mind, and soul to support transformative change. My work is client centered. I foster connection with and amplification of the client's inner wise mind and personal strengths to facilitate growth and healing. I've benefited from a life-long spiritual practice and diverse life experience and I bring a calm presence and a deep understanding of the human condition into my work with clients.

I am a holistic psychotherapist and will work to help you integrate mind, body and spirit. I believe we all have the propensity for health and wellness. Together we can work with your acute crisis or your desire to explore a deeper connection to self. Helping individuals (children, teens, adults), couples and families throughout the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay area....I look forward to meeting you, working with you and assisting you in achieving better mental health.

I believe that being raised in the mid-west gives my work certain down-to-earth, practical qualities that most of my clients tell me they very much appreciate. I often hear clients say "you seem to get me." Some clients need to hear themselves speak out loud in order to help resolve their issues while others need some objective, impartial reflective insight. Still others benefit from my years of counseling experience and information targeted to help with their particular problems. I offer all of these to my clients and tailor my therapeutic approach to each person's specific needs.

Have you ever wondered, "why did I just do that?" or felt a great conflict between different sides of yourself? My clients leave therapy with a better understanding of the parts of themselves at play, and feel relaxed and affirmed. I offer a safe space for people of all ages (3-103!) to be understood and held as we learn together what helps increase calm and improves life. Sometimes this is working through stress within a family and it's affect on family members. Sometimes this work looks like learning new ways to cope with anxiety or improve how we talk to ourselves.

It’s human to want things to be different but to feel wary of change; that’s how we get stuck. For more than 35 years I’ve helped people – adults, teens, pre-teens and couples - get unstuck. My down-to-earth and non-judgmental style will help you talk freely about your concerns and hopes. Together we’ll help you create a new direction in life that fits your unique circumstances - no "one size fits all" approach here. Whether your problem is with your child, your partner, your boss or yourself, I can help you sort it all out so you feel your life is back on track again.

I help with anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, self-harm, self-esteem issues, and supporting sexual assault survivors. I tailor therapy to each patient, prioritizing empathy to foster a strong therapeutic relationship.

Life presents unexpected challenges which can cause anxiety, depression, hopelessness, difficulties with relationships and problems with self esteem. These unresolved issues can derail us with feelings of being overwhelmed. Therapy can help you learn to manage trauma in order to deal with stressors and move through challenges with confidence so you can get back on track with your life.

My therapeutic approach is rooted in my deep respect and genuine interest in people. Since I am an expressive and inquisitive person, it comes naturally to me to practice a style of therapy that is both interactive and eclectic. I offer insights, observations, suggestions, feedback, as well as attentive listening. I am adaptable and able to adjust my style according to what works best for the client. As a team, my clients and I work together to find creative solutions to overcome obstacles to growth and well-being.

Since 1992, I have counseled families, adults and children. I am an EMDR Institute consultant and facilitator, and use EMDR therapy's adaptive information processing to help clients master the challenges encountered in their lives. I received my PhD in international psychology with trauma focus. My specialties include Trauma, Acculturation and Attachment Disorders in clients of all ages. My immigration experience from Germany has prompted the exploration of the crucial part played by our cultural roots in our decision making process and in our lifestyle choices. I speak English, Spanish and German.

These are turbulent times that place an extra burden on our mental health. In addition, perhaps you're in a role of caring for others and struggle to find enough time for yourself, or you're in the midst of a challenging life event or transition. You may be experiencing some symptoms that concern you. Stress, anxiety, depression, loss, or unresolved trauma can interfere with moving forward and put stress on our relationships. In my role as your witness and collaborator, I offer a comfortable and safe space for you to process, problem solve, and explore ways to re-connect with your own internal wisdom.

I am currently only accepting new neurofeedback clients through the Santa Cruz Neurofeedback Center, www.scneurofeedback.com. I will be supervising a LPCC Associate starting Fall 2023. + + Feeling overwhelmed or stuck? I can support you in the process of moving forward. Using present moment experience, we'll explore how you relate with yourself and others. In this way, you can learn to set boundaries, expand your emotional capacity, as well as give and receive love more deeply.

Having studying Mindfulness for the past 30+ years I have created evidence based Cognitive Behavioral / Mindfulness tools that help people face life crises by recognizing their own wisdom, resources, and the ability to exercise choice. This mind/body approach to health utilizes relaxation and focus tools that you can learn easily and use anywhere, anytime. You focus on what you can control to achieve your goals. These programs compliment the best medical treatment.

When your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is perpetually alerted to be in a survival state (due to various life stressors) you might notice symptoms such as chronic fatigue, adrenal deficiency, perpetual irritability, trouble with sleeping, digestive issues, various mental health challenges and the list goes on. Holistic approaches to wellness that incorporate body-brain based therapy models get at the root of these issues and begin turning down the dial on your ANS so that you can live a longer, healthier life.

Stressed out? Can't focus or sustain your attention? Worried about a family member or friend? Caught between caring for your children and caring for your parents? Can't sleep? Underperforming? Having bothersome thoughts? Can't get going? Disorganized? Distracted? Lost interest in things you once enjoyed? These things don't have to manage your life. You can learn how to manage them instead of them managing you. Working together, you will learn adaptive ways to think and respond to various stressors and develop healthy coping strategies. Get back to life!