Recovering From Infidelity: How Therapy Helps
A Santa Rosa couples therapist on the impact of infidelity and how affair recovery works: rebuilding trust, safety, and honest connection after betrayal.
Articles
Reflections on grief, relationships, and mental health, written from my work as a licensed therapist in Santa Rosa.
Understanding Codependency in Relationships
A Santa Rosa therapist on codependency (the popular term for losing yourself in caretaking): its roots, signs, and rebuilding a sturdier sense of self.
Recognizing Red Flags in Early Dating
A Santa Rosa therapist on red flags in early dating (boundary-pushing, control, love-bombing, and online-dating safety) and when to trust your gut.
When to Consider Couples Therapy: Signs to Watch For
A Santa Rosa couples therapist on signs it may be time for couples therapy, from stuck arguments to quiet distance, and why sooner is easier than later.
Signs of an Emotionally Abusive Relationship
A Santa Rosa therapist on recognizing emotional abuse (control, gaslighting, and love bombing), how it differs from conflict, and where to find help.
Understanding Depression and Anxiety
A Santa Rosa therapist on how depression and anxiety differ, how they overlap, how therapy helps, and when to reach out. Descriptive, not diagnostic.
Coping With the Loss of a Pet
A Santa Rosa grief therapist on why losing a pet hurts so deeply, why this grief is so often disenfranchised, and gentle ways to cope in Sonoma County.
Dealing With Heartbreak: How Therapy Helps
A Santa Rosa marriage and family therapist on healing from heartbreak, grieving a breakup, coping with ghosting, and how therapy in California helps.
How Individual Therapy Strengthens Your Relationship
A Santa Rosa therapist on how your own individual therapy can transform your relationship by working the patterns, history, and reactions you bring to it.
Communication in Healthy Relationships
A Santa Rosa couples therapist on communication skills that keep relationships strong (listening, soft start-ups, bids, and repair) and how to build them.
Coping With Chronic Illness in Your Relationship
A Santa Rosa couples therapist on the emotional and relational side of chronic illness: shifting roles, grief, connection, and caring for the caregiver.
Childhood Trauma and Adult Relationships
A Santa Rosa therapist on how childhood trauma shapes adult relationships (attachment, trust, and conflict) and the paths toward healing in Sonoma County.
How to Apologize: A Four-Step Repair
A Santa Rosa couples therapist on how to apologize so it actually lands: four steps to repair after you have hurt someone you love, without defensiveness.
Understanding Attachment Styles in Dating
A Sonoma County therapist explains the four attachment styles in dating (secure, anxious, avoidant, and fearful-avoidant) and how your patterns can change.
Setting and Respecting Boundaries in a Relationship
A Santa Rosa couples therapist on setting and respecting boundaries: how to name your needs, say no with care, and stay close without losing yourself.
Navigating the Five Stages of Grief
A licensed therapist on the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) and why grieving is rarely linear.
How Therapy Helps You Cope With Chronic Illness
A Santa Rosa therapist on the psychological side of chronic illness: the mind-body link, coping with a diagnosis, and how therapy helps you adapt.