Therapists serving clients in Wasco, CA

As a compassionate supportive therapist, over the past 20 plus years, I have counselled clients from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of issues and backgrounds. I am competent in providing therapeutic services to individuals, adolescents, and families with an array of diverse psychosocial and mental health needs. My specialties are working with Addictions, Grief/Loss, Medical conditions, Mid-Life Crisis, Abuse, Relational issues, Parent-Teen issues, Self-esteem, Victims of Crime, Mood Disorders, Faith, LBGT, including Life Coaching, professional, communication, and career planning.

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with National University and my Master’s degree in Psychology with California Southern University. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California with six years of experience providing direct mental health therapy. I have worked with individuals ages three to adults with a variety of presenting issues, including mood disorders, anger management, parental and family conflicts, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, as well as adjustment issues and phases of life issues. I am very conscious of cultural factors and I am sensitive and respectful of people’s values. I believe counseling offers healing, growth and clarification for individuals as they courageously decide to work with me in a safe, trusting warm and confidential environment. My therapeutic approach is mainly cognitive and behavioral (CBT) and Client/Centered Therapy but use other therapeutic approaches as needed. I strive to meet you where you are at, then we decide the style that fits your needs, as we are going to be working together to help you meet your goals. I believe in people’s inner strengths and capacity to succeed and grow even during difficult times. My purpose is to help you gain or regain the level of functioning that you desire. I value the courage it takes to make this first step and I look forward to working with you!

"I couldn't heal because I couldn't admit that I was hurt." This is a statement that I personally relate to, and find that it speaks to many first time clients. If you are someone (like me) who values strength, resiliency and a positive attitude you too might be finding it hard to admit the emotional pain of past traumas and their impact upon your daily functioning and relationships. Trusted relationships are the foundation for achieving personal goals and experiencing lasting emotional healing. The client-therapist relationship provides the privacy, objectivity, and intimacy to safely uncover the deepest parts of our being. Together we can explore ways to be more connected to ourselves and others as we seek to live life to the fullest.

Hello! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and hold active licenses in California, Pennsylvania, and North Dakota. I have more than 30 years of experience helping people in a variety of settings, from Employee Assistance (EAP) to Outpatient Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol. In addition to my counseling experience, I have been a clinical supervisor and trainer of therapists. I am also a Certified Grief Counseling Specialist. Congratulations for taking this brave first step to find support, and to make positive changes in your life! I offer individual counseling for adults, 21 and up, who live in California, Pennsylvania, or North Dakota. I have a supportive, conversational style. We will start wherever you “are” in your life. I see my role as a guide who will help you consider your choices, to examine the consequences of changing versus not changing behaviors or circumstances, to set meaningful goals, and to support your decisions. In uncertain, stressful times, it is easy to get overwhelmed and “stuck,” but I believe there is always “the one thing” a person can do to take meaningful action. While I agree that knowing “why” we behave in certain ways can be useful, I do feel that people seek out counseling to “move beyond.” I believe that YOU are the expert on you, and I will encourage you to take the next steps to improve your life.

Joe Whitcomb, Relationship Society's BondFire Project Therapy: I hail from the picturesque locales of Santa Monica and San Diego, California, and embarked on a unique journey that led me to Kyiv, Ukraine in June 2021. My original mission was to delve into the realm of trauma-informed mixed reality, with a particular focus on addressing trauma and relationships within the metaverse, primarily catering to military personnel, veterans, first responders, and trauma survivors. However, unforeseen circumstances such as the war have kept me engaged in trauma-informed humanitarian efforts. This endeavor is not just my profession but my profound passion. Currently, I find myself residing in the charming city of Nice, France. My expertise lies in offering trauma-informed relationship psychotherapy services, utilizing a range of modalities that transition seamlessly from virtual reality experiences and video or telehealth therapy. These techniques are designed to foster secure and supportive conversations, particularly in the context of couples and families dealing with Complex-PTS and PTS (Trauma). I have a penchant for working with couples, individuals, military personnel, veterans, first responders, and anyone who "Rage against the dying of the light" in the face of adversity. My therapeutic approach is marked by the integration of multidisciplinary theories, concepts, interventions, methods, and applications aimed at treating complex PTSD within the intricate dynamics of couples. I draw upon the best practices in PACT, Gottman Method, Imago Therapy, Real Life Therapy, Executive and Life Coaching, EMDR, and attachment-based Emotionally Focused Couple Trauma. My goal is to tailor these approaches to the unique needs and circumstances of each couple. I firmly believe that well-being is inherently social, and by offering couples a shared context, tools, resources, and evidence-based trauma-informed research, we can effectively target the barriers that hinder them from realizing their true desires and forging deeper connections. In the spirit of a Celtic saying, "We live in the shelter of each other," I recognize that no relationship is without its vulnerabilities. Partners must acknowledge these raw spots and engage in open, compassionate communication to draw closer to one another. Love, like a dance, involves tuning in, connecting, missteps, disconnection, repairs, and deeper connections. It's an ongoing process of meeting, parting, and finding one another anew, moment by moment and day by day. When partners in distress no longer view each other as emotional safe havens, conflicts take on a deeper significance—they are desperate pleas to restore the eroding connection and reignite emotional engagement. Learning to love and be loved entails attuning to our own emotions and those of our partners. This empowers us to express our needs openly, eliciting compassion and support, and creating a secure foundation upon which both partners can rely. Here Is What To Expect When You Work With Me This will give you a sense of my guiding beliefs and my approach to working with couples. What I Believe • Couples are seeking connection. We want to feel that connection with each other, that aliveness, that excitement, that sense of well being. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual connection. It is what we feel when we first come together with someone and “fall in love”. • Conflict is the motivating force for healing and growth in relationships. I believe the conflict couples experience after the “honeymoon period” of their relationship is actually necessary. Conflict points out where we don’t get our needs met. Unmet needs create a breakdown in connection, destroying passion and intimacy. Many couples don’t navigate this “power struggle” phase successfully and eventually break up or settle for a less than satisfying relationship. • Connection requires Safety and Passion. We want the emotional safety to be ourselves, to be open and honest, to feel accepted and understood. With this safety, comes deep connection. From this nurturing environment, passion can arise and be sustained. I mean sexual passion, of course, and also, emotional passion. The freedom to be spontaneous, to express who we are, to be intimate and excited by our lives is also a key desire. • Expressing and meeting your needs creates a healthy, passionate relationship. I will teach you to create the emotional safety which will allow you to recognize and express your needs consciously. From this place of safety and satisfied needs, a conscious, passionate relationship can develop. Get Results • You can learn how to connect again with your partner! You can share with each other on a deep, loving, meaningful level. You can feel heard and understood by your partner. You can learn to be more compassionate and empathic with them and they with you. • You can have a passionate, exciting sex life with your partner! You can spontaneously express your feelings towards your partner through your lovemaking. • You can feel good about yourself and your relationship again! You can know your needs, share them with your partner and together you can help each other to meet those needs! You can respect and cherish each other and treat each other and your relationship with that deep caring and nurturing. • You can recapture that playfulness, that innocence, that pure joy of being together that you once had! You can tap into and recreate those wonderful, idyllic moments you once shared and have them available to you once again! • You can reignite the passion of your relationship! You can remove the baggage that has weighed you down and be lifted into a new romance, a new love, a new depth that you have always wanted and you will be able to sustain it. What Working With Me Is Like • You’ll learn skills, tools and exercises to help your relationship. My ultimate task is to put myself out of a job. I want you to be able to be responsible for your relationship and have the skills to make it the best it can possibly be. • I’ll expect you to practice between sessions. The majority of the work takes place between our sessions. The results you receive will be in direct proportion to the work you put into this process. I’m committed to doing everything in my power to help you in your relationship. I expect the same from you. • I’ll shoot straight with you. I’m not afraid to speak my mind. I’m not afraid to take charge of our sessions. I won’t collude with you in the sustaining the unhealthy parts of your relationship. I’ll hold you accountable to your goals and our mutual agreements and for creating the relationship vision that you desire so strongly to create. • I’ll help “translate” between you and your partner. This is something I’ve had a great deal of practice at, and I’m really good at it. I can speak your language, whether intellectual or emotional, whether masculine or feminine, whether verbal or non-verbal. It’s one of my greatest gifts as a couples’ therapist. • My job is to keep you emotionally safe and secure while you do the work. I take that very seriously. Couples are generally not very comfortable with the process of beginning couples work. They are airing all of their issues in front of a total stranger. There can be a lot of finger pointing and blaming, criticizing and condemning. I don’t allow that. We’ll create a space where you can be honest AND kind and loving. Developing intimacy requires the freedom to be open and vulnerable, which requires safety. • We’ll laugh and have fun. This is serious work, and needs to be balanced with a sense of humor. I’m professional, yet relaxed and easy-going. I’m flexible, creative and out-of-the-box. I’ll do my best to set you at ease and have you be as comfortable as you can be through this challenging, yet rewarding process. The Bottom Line I believe that I can help you to have a better relationship, that is more passionate, more intimate, more romantic, more sensual. BIOGRAPHY:  Qualifications & Experience I have been counseling and training informally for 25 years and formally for 20 years. I served in my church as a marriage and family ministry leader, educator and mentor for 20 years and as a professional, licensed marriage and family therapist for 15 years. I did my training for a B.S. in psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology with University of Maryland, B.S. in Organizational Management with University of Phoenix, Masters in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy with Pepperdine University, and all but dissertation for Doctorate in Psychology in Marriage and Family Therapy with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. My clinical practicum and internship was with La Vie Christian Counseling in Pasadena and Santa Monica, and Turning Point Christian Counseling in Pasadena. I also trained in Christian Counseling with Gary Smalley, Henry Cloud and John Townsend, and Emerson Eggerichs for Christian Marriage and Relationship Therapy. My other training and certifications include: Certificate in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy Gottman Level I and II Certified Gottman Educator Certified in EMDR Certified in PTSD and Trauma Therapy Certified in Couples Intensives with Smalley Institute Certified and trained in Dynamic Marriage Certified and trained in Love and Respect Couples Intensives with Emerson Eggerichs Certified and trained in Cloud and Townsend Certified as a facilitator and trainer in SYMBIS (Save Your Marriage Before It Starts) with Les and Leslie Parrot Certified and trained as a Facilitator and Trainer for Prepare and Enrich Certified in Christian Marriage, Couples and Relationship Intensives with Sharon Morris May

I am licensed in California with 10 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, family conflicts, & coping with grief and loss. I also have experience working with depression. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am a California licensed clinical social worker with over 10 years of clinical experience. I specialize in working with individuals presenting with anxiety, depression, substance use and mood disorders. I have a strong belief that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect and take every effort to ensure that you feel heard each step of the way. Clients have described me as calm, compassionate and grounded. I believe that therapy must be driven by your own desire to change and work in collaboration with you to create a treatment plan that will assist you in meeting your desired goals. I find Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to be a great tool in therapy and also use aspects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness and Solution-Focused Therapy in sessions with clients. Congratulations on taking this step to ensure a more fulfilling and happier life! I would be honored to help you in this process.

I am licensed in California with 6 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.

I am licensed in California with 26 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, childhood abuse, difficult family relationships and transitions. I meet with individuals only, no couples or families. I believe that you have strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you, with support from a therapist. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!

I am licensed in California with 4 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, sleeping disorders, & motivation, self esteem, and confidence. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. I will tailor our dialog and treatment plan to meet your unique and specific needs. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!