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Having difficulties in your life? Experiencing emotional distress? Having relationship, family or work difficulties? Feeling anxious and overwhelmed with the demands from your spouse, children and boss? Finding you and your spouse get stuck in negative communication patterns? Are you and your family feel difficulty facing emotional, spiritual, social and physical changes or limitations? Cancer knocks at your door. You feel sacred, overwhelmed and don’t know what will happen to you. As an experienced Marriage & Family Therapist, I will work with you to undergo the challenges affecting your body, mind, family, career and every aspect of your life. I speak English and Cantonese fluently. I have worked with people with diverse ethnic backgrounds. The wisdom of Asian culture complements my Western education and training in psychology and counseling. My awareness of both Eastern and Western philosophies enhances my ability to provide unique and holistic counseling to my clients and their families. I have flexible office hours: Mondays through Saturdays, days and evenings. According to my experiences, making the first call reduces your anxiety about the counseling process. Don’t wait to get help. Give me a call. I’m looking forward to talking with you [Read More]

Life can get pretty overwhelming at times. And, with all of the personal and professional demands on our time, maintaining balance, healthy habits, and a positive attitude can become increasingly more difficult over time. Constant pressure, stress or worry can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health, contributing to poor sleep, increased irritability, and poor decision making. If you want to restore balance in your life, experience more joy and inner peace, or improve your relationships, you are in the right place. I work with individuals, couples and families from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. I have experience treating a wide variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety, complex trauma resulting from childhood abuse, substance abuse, poor self esteem, people pleasing, career/life transitions, grief, poor communication, blended family issues, co-parenting and more. I draw upon a variety of therapeutic modalities to customize treatment for each client’s needs and desired goals. If you are ready for a new beginning, call today. I offer a free 20 minute telephone consultation. Late evening and Saturday appointments are available. [Read More]

My Education and Experience: I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over fifteen years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families primarily in a community-based setting. I hold a BS in Psychology as well as an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy both from George Fox University. During my internship while a student at school I developed a passion for working with children and their families and decided it would be my primary focus. After I graduated from college, I relocated to California where I spent many years working for a private non-profit agency and a foster family agency providing individual, family and group therapy in a variety of settings. I am working towards becoming a Animal Assisted Play Therapist ® (AAPT) and have been integrating my Chocolate Labrador, Theo, into my practice. Theo is a registered therapy dog through Pet Partners and has an AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate. I also have training in Sandtray therapy, Art therapy, Theraplay ® and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). I recently graduated from the Center for Adoption Support and Education’s Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) program.  My Approach: I began my work with children and families early on in my career and decided it was where I wanted to focus my practice. I have a passion for working with children and families as I recognize the importance of them growing up in a loving home. During my early work I fell in love with play therapy recognizing that kids often don’t want to sit down and talk through their feelings, but rather they play out their feelings and experiences. With the tweens and teens I will use games, art, or other inventions to engage them and help them express their feelings and experiences. I also believe in not only focusing on the child, but the whole family, which is why I include the parents as part of the process recognizing the family is a system, not just individual parts. My experience is parents often need support and ideas about how to support their child with whatever they might be struggling with. I love what I do and strive to meet the needs of the child and their family believing they have the strengths and resources they need to solve their problems, as they are the experts of their lives, family, and experiences. A little more about me: I grew up in a little town in Montana where most of my family still lives. Theo and I get back to Montana to visit a few times each year. I love to read, run, put together jig saw puzzles, ride my bike and go for long walks by the river with Theo. Theo has a passion for water, playing with tennis balls, and people who provide a lot of pets.  [Read More]

Great Risings! I am excited to be a person of interest for your self development needs. I am a Proud Father of two wonderful young men. My youngest is graduating from highschool this year, so I am aware of the challenges faced by most parents, professionals, Service Members, Veterans, coaches, Teachers, and leaders. Life can be challenging, and in time of crisis it is always comforting speaking with someone down to earth and empathetic enough to hear your concerns. I am experienced in life and the daily challenges we face. I have been prepared and equipped to work with all individuals and organizations in the spirit of diversity and equality. My worldview has been crafted as a US Army Officer and OIFI Veteran; as a Father; as a Service Coordinator in a Psychiatric Health Facility; and as a Basketball Coach. Along with my professional training and education; I offer sincerity, honesty, empathy, and respect for all persons from all backgrounds. Please allow me the opportunity to hear your concerns and work together to find a place of healing and stabilization. [Read More]

Being sensitive in this world isn’t easy. If you identify as a healer or a highly sensitive/empathetic person, you may find yourself trying to use your gifts to “save” others. You may find that people easily open up to you. You may also find that a lot of your dating life has been based on healing, changing, and helping others. It leaves little room for your needs, leading to dysfunctional relationships. When you continuously have projects instead of partners you might be worried your “picker” is broken. It’s not broken. It’s just not your job to heal everyone. It’s time to find a relationships based on reciprocity. We will re-focus your empathy towards yourself to build up your self-esteem and strengthen your boundaries. I work with a combination of talk therapy and EMDR to help you find balance, heal, and discover how to set healthy boundaries and have healthier relationships. Through consciously examining your relational patterns a shift begins. You can have the healthier relationships you deserve. Healing does happen. I invite people of all gender and sexuality expressions. I invite clients to bring all parts of themselves into the therapy room (Culture, spirituality, gender, etc.). I value wholeness and authenticity. [Read More]

Do you find yourself feeling frustrated, stressed out, or lonely in a relationship that once used to feel passionate, comforting, and fulfilling? Has your relationship slipped into a pattern of distance, distrust, resentment, and unappreciation, leaving you wondering where you or your partner went wrong? Perhaps your cultural differences, expectations of family members, or pressure of other commitments have stretched your relationship too thin and you’re struggling to find balance. You’re longing to feel valued, desired, and emotionally safe. Reach toward the relationship you desire by contacting me at www.lovehealgrow.com. I help couples and individuals reconnect and navigate challenges with their partners to rediscover values, passion, and satisfying intimacy and sex in their relationships. Whether you want to discover or rekindle emotional or physical intimacy, learn to manage conflict in a healthy manner, or repair from trauma in your relationship, I’m here to support you. Your relationship is important to you, and you want to work with someone who is patient, non-judgmental and can appreciate the complexity of your relationship. Learn how to evoke intention, passion, effective communication, and discovery with your partner. I’d be honored to support you on your journey! [Read More]

I work with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues, providing services that span from depression and anxiety to reprocessing recent and past traumas. I specialize in EMDR therapy and frequently treat individuals who suffer from PTSD, resulting from a specific event or from ongoing trauma that occurred throughout childhood. I am strength-based, solution-focused, and non-judgmental. I focus on helping patients develop coping skills, so that they can successfully manage uncomfortable feelings, interpersonal struggles, and challenging life circumstances. I work to empower patients, helping them to identify tools to manage emotional reactivity. I teach clients to manage impulsivity and rage, using anger management and grounding techniques. My goal is to help patients get honest with themselves, so that they can experience profound growth, healing, and change. During COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, my therapy sessions are through HIPPA compliant ‘TeleMentalHealth’ technology online therapy, so I’m as close as your phone or computer! You can text, call, or e-mail me at any time. [Read More]

Prior to setting up practice in Midtown Sacramento, Joanie has provided therapy and psycho-education to a wide diversity of people. She has provided services to a culturally diverse population of adults, adolescents and children. She has worked for Mental Health Agencies in a variety of non-traditional settings. Joanie’s compassion for under served populations has continually expressed itself in the work that she has chosen. She has worked as a therapist in two junior high schools in the Bay Area where she provided services to children exposed to long term trauma. She has also provided Therapy and Social Work services to foster children in Oakland, CA. In addition she has worked in an adult recovery center in the Bay Area providing milieu treatment and psycho-educational groups for clients struggling with food and chemical addictions. She has provided therapy and psycho-educational support for mothers and their young children in a Community Based Early Childhood Mental Health program. Joanie’s interest in human behavior stemmed from her own need to become more present and aware in her own life and her desire to make meaning from the human experience. She studied the effect that culture had on individual identity and behavior by earning her Bachelors degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Santa Barbara. She went on to earn her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential and a Single Subjects Teaching Credential in Sociology from the Santa Barbara University. She later earned her Master Degree in Holistic Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in the Bay Area. Joanie has also completed additional studies in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness, Trauma Therapy, Early Childhood Mental Health and Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Veterans. Joanie has always had an intense desire to understand what it is that makes us human. She has continually asked questions of herself and others as to what it is that contributes to our sense of self and our sense of efficacy in the world. She has faced many things in her life that have challenged the very fabric of her being. She believes that we all come with our own set of unique flaws which makes us precious and more human. And we all have the intrinsic capacity to transform that within us that does not serve the higher good within us and within the world. [Read More]

Scott is the President of Future Stars College Counseling. Scott holds a degree in Psychology from Rutgers University. Prior to becoming a college counselor, Scott was a successful project manager and marketing executive for a Fortune 50 company. He served at the national level as president of the preeminent association for college consultants, the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), and is a member of the Western Association of College Admission Counselors (WACAC). Scott was selected by UC Davis to help create their College Counseling Certificate Program. After the program was designed, Scott was chosen as the first instructor. He is regularly interviewed by local and national publications for his insight and expertise on the college admissions process. Scott has spent years researching the college admissions process, has toured hundreds of college campuses, and attends multiple professional conferences annually. He also gives back to the Sacramento community through pro-bono work and as a volunteer presenter at local college nights. These experiences have provided Scott with a great base of knowledge, unsurpassed organizational skills and a deep understanding of teens. He is able to relate well to all types of students in a non-confrontational style while building a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. [Read More]

I provide therapy for couples and individuals in Midtown Sacramento. My approach to therapy is interactive, playful, and compassionate. I believe that therapy can open us to feel more connected to ourselves and our relationships, more intentional about our lives and more secure. I respect the vulnerability of each of us when reaching out for therapy and look forward to empowering individuals and couples. In session I use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, DBT, EMDR, sensorimotor psychotherapy and IFS to meet the diverse needs of each client. I specialize in treating trauma and symptoms resulting from complex trauma. I work with clients to transform stuck parts into inner resources of strength and wisdom. I am an EMDRIA certified therapist and continue to take advanced trainings in EMDR. I am trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and hold a certificate in Image Transformation Therapy. I am certified in Trauma Focused CBT. I am trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy and Mindfulness Self-Compassion. [Read More]