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Effective and Caring Therapy

Welcome to my website.  I am a therapist in private practice in Santa Cruz, California.

I offer both brief therapy and longer term therapy.  The amount of sessions depends on the initial problem, your goals, and how close you already are to achieving your goals.

I love being a therapist.  I am very grateful to get to do something that I love and that I believe in.

Some issues that I enjoy helping people with are

1. •Conflicts within a family or changes in family dynamics
   

2. •Child abuse and neglect; other trauma
   

3. •Children of alcoholics (substance abusers)
   

4. •Grief and Loss
   

5. •Depression, feelings of worthlessness, low motivation
   

6. •Anxiety or worry
   

7. •GLBTQ related issues (coming out, relationships)
   

8. •Self-esteem and self-confidence
   

9. •School/work problems, social difficulties
   

10. •Difficult habits and patterns
    

11. •Relationship issues and communication
    

If you do not see a particular issue listed but like my general approach of therapy, please feel free to email or call me.  I can tell you if I have experience with a particular issue or refer you to other therapists if necessary.

I am happy to do a free initial consultation with you in order to better understand your needs and to answer any questions that you may have.

I enjoy working with people who are coming to therapy for the first time, as well as people who have been in therapy before.  Beginning therapy can be a difficult decision, so please have a great deal of compassion for yourself if you are struggling with this decision.

Office Location
My office is in Santa Cruz, California at the intersection of Soquel Ave. and Branciforte Ave., above The Buttery bakery and cafe.

704 Soquel Ave., Suite C
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

(Click for directions and parking information.)

Therapeutic Orientation
I draw upon many therapeutic approaches.  My orientation is based on family systems theory, neurobiology, cognitive behavioral therapy, and strengths-based therapy.  You can read my How Therapy Works page to better understand my therapeutic approach.

Work History
I have been a therapist since 2000 (licensed since 2003), and I have worked in the field of mental health since 1996.  Aside from private practice, I have worked as a therapist at an elementary school, at a group home, at a school for students who have severe behavioral issues, at a residential facility, and at a community clinic.

License Information
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT or LMFT) (formerly called Licensed Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor).  LMFTs work with individuals, couples, and families.  We pay particular attention to the relationships in a client’s life.  Relationships may be the focus of counseling, or other issues which influence the quality of relationships may be the focus.

More Information about How I Work
As a therapist, I have tried to find the most effective ways possible to help people heal and grow.  While conventional therapy (often called talk therapy) can be very helpful, I am also drawn to approaches that use imagery, movement, and metaphor, because I think that these approaches can help people more fully resolve issues and make the changes that they want in their lives.

I work with children, teenagers, adults, and couples.

Children-  On my Therapy with Children page, I describe how I work with children using a blend of therapeutic play and counseling.

Teenagers-  On my Therapy with Teenagers page, I describe information that is specific to teen therapy.

Couples-  On my Couples Therapy page, I describe relationship counseling and the importance of good communication.

Adults-  I do not have a page specific to individual adult therapy, because I think it is covered by other pages.  Please look at some of my other pages to learn more about my overall approach.

NLP-  On my NLP page, I describe the possible benefits of using NLP (neuro-linguistic programming).  It has a somewhat scary name; however, I learned a very compassionate and effective approach.  NLP involves using our own resources and strengths to help heal the problematic areas of our lives.

Hypnosis-  On my Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy page, I describe the process and benefits of hypnosis (also called hypnotherapy).  My approach to hypnosis involves storytelling, metaphor, and gentle, permissive suggestions.  I tend to use centering and grounding images and stories from nature.

Sandtray-  On my Sandtray page, I describe what sandtray therapy is and why it might be useful.

Art Therapy-  On my Art Therapy page, I describe why art therapy might be useful.  Imagery can be useful when talk therapy alone does not access the problem.

Mindfulness Practices-  On my Mindfulness Practices page, I describe using various practices from mindfulness, meditation, and martial arts to help people use centering and grounding to heal.

Grief and Loss-  On my Grief and Loss page, I describe the process of grieving and the need for surrounding yourself with compassionate people.

How Therapy Works-  On my How Therapy Works page, I describe my basic beliefs about healing and my therapeutic approach.

In therapy, sometimes people want to use only one technique, and sometimes people want to use a blend of techniques.  Either way is okay.  I tailor my approach to each person, based on what she or he wants from therapy.

I offer a free initial consultation to give you a chance to ask questions, better understand how I work, and decide if we are a good fit.

To schedule an appointment or ask questions, you can call me at (831) 419-2019 or email me at stacy@stacyoleary.com.

704 Soquel Ave., Suite C, Santa Cruz, CA 95062  ~  (831) 419-2019  ~  stacy@stacyoleary.com

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© Stacy O’Leary 2004-2010