If you are suffering from depression or anxiety it is essential to find the best therapists in San Diego, if you are a resident of San Diego.
Thankfully society is in a state where mental health is considered important, whether in the entertainment, sports, or education sectors. More people are advocating for people to pay attention to their mental health and visit therapists to help them recover from whatever mental health issues they suffer from.
Most people don’t take their mental health very seriously and go about their everyday lives and face different adversities, whether material, practical, or emotional, but they need a professional who will listen to their issues and give them the support they need to get beyond them and that is what the best therapists in San Diego do.
Some people have suffered trauma from their childhood either from the indecency of others or the death of a loved one. That being said the best therapists in San Diego offer excellent services to help you overcome these issues.
Although there is a small number of licensed professional counselors In San Diego, there are other therapists that offer online sessions to residents of San Diego. So continue reading to know more about the best therapists In San Diego.
Best Therapists In San Diego
If you’re looking for a list of the best therapists in San Diego, look no further. Click on a person to contact them and schedule a session.
Related: 12 Best Therapists in Philadelphia
June Liang
Dr. June Liang works with professionals, college students, and parents (including new moms) who are seeking help with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, developmental trauma, and eating and weight issues. She treats clients from all cultural/ethnic backgrounds.
Dr. Liang provides an individually-tailored treatment that combines scientifically-validated therapies (CBT, DBT, ACT, Emotionally-focused therapy), Self-compassion and Self-acceptance, and Mind-body Wellness.
Life coaching is also available for clients who are wishing to discover their true essence, break through mental and emotional barriers, and realize their full potential.
Dr. Liang received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program. She completed her clinical neuropsychology internship at the San Diego VA Healthcare System and UCSD Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services and completed practicum placements at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego.
In her post-doctoral training, she was a therapist and researcher at the UCSD Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR) and UCSD Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Center. She developed, researched, and provided novel, family-based treatments for eating disorders and obesity. Her work also focused on targeting the traits related to perfectionism.
She has written scientific articles published in national peer-reviewed journals and continually keeps abreast of emerging research on the links between the brain, behavior, and emotions. She is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Address: 9920 Pacific Heights Blvd UNIT 150, San Diego, CA 92121, United States
Phone: +1 858-255-0357
Cyndi Pulsinelli
Cyndi Pulsinelli is a licensed marriage and family therapist in San Diego, California. She primarily works with individuals and families. She specializes in treating eating disorders, grief and loss, mood disorders, and trauma. Cyndi also offers career and life coaching in her practice.
Her clients often come to her for support when they are feeling stuck or lost; some may feel like life isn’t working for them anymore. When she initially meets with a client she is assessing their core values, strengths, and their ideal way of living.
Through exploring what needs to change in a client’s life to live according to their preferred way of living, she helps clients identify effective coping tools, whether they be emotional regulation skills, interpersonal dynamics, or effective communication tools.
As a client begins to live in line with their core values, utilizing their strengths and effective coping strategies, their sense of self begins to flourish. Together, this process brings them closer to a life where they begin to thrive mentally, emotionally, and relationally.
Cyndi practices using evidence-based treatment modalities including EMDR, ERP, DBT, and CBT, while cultivating hope through a strengths-based approach. She is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Address: 5405 Morehouse Drive, Ste 330, San Diego, California 92121, United States
Phone: +1 503-333-0875
Jazmin Perez
Another one of the best therapists in San Diego, Jazmin Perez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker located in Sherman Oaks, CA. Jazmin specializes in helping individuals who work in the entertainment industry and at times feel overwhelmed by the stress of their work.
She also has extensive experience supporting pregnant and new mothers with the major life transition of having a baby. Many of Jazmin’s clients have trauma histories that impact their current lives. Jazmin’s goal with her clients is to empower them to recognize their strengths and what they bring to the table.
Jazmin practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). She teaches clients how to become aware of cognitive distortions about themselves and others, which often lead to uncomfortable emotions or risky behaviors. She takes a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach which leads to sessions that are positive, introspective, and safe for those who find talking about their thoughts, memories, and feelings challenging.
Jazmin has extensive experience working in the medical and healthcare setting. Her style is nonjudgmental and culturally sensitive, and she is passionate about supporting her clients as they tell their stories. She is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Phone: +1 310-596-5438
Danielle R. M. Lawton
Dr. Danielle R. M. Lawton is a Licensed Clinical Social Work Associate based in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Lawton works as a part of the social work private practice Uche Okolie Counseling LCSW Inc. offering individual, couples, groups, classes, and coaching services to adults.
Dr. Lawton is a versatile mental health and education professional who is passionate about elevating mental health and social-emotional wellness one client at a time.
Dr. Lawton prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes adults who may be experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. As a veteran who served in the U.S. Army, she is particularly sensitive to the mental health needs of current and prior military service members.
Dr. Lawton utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients unpack the pivotal connections of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This evidenced-based approach helps guide individuals in developing new and effective coping and problem-solving skills that alter and disrupt the cycle of negative thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors that can moderate the impact of stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and the effects of trauma.
Dr. Lawton is a lifelong learner who is committed to cultivating and elevating mental health and social-emotional awareness through direct practice, public awareness, and advocacy. She is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Also read: 12 Top Therapists in Utah
Erin Carnahan
Erin Carnahan is a licensed mental health counselor based in Oakland, CA who provides online therapy to individuals in San Diego with multiple marginalized identities and adults undergoing major life changes. Many of Erin’s clients come in to address painful experiences, religious trauma, and abuse in un-affirming communities and relationships.
She creates space and safety for people whose identities don’t fit neatly in one box to question and explore their identities and beliefs without judgment or condemnation. Erin is passionate about serving mixed-race and multicultural folks, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodivergent people, and ex-evangelicals or Christians deconstructing their faith.
Erin’s practice is grounded in Client-Centered and Feminist Therapy and frequently incorporates cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She collaborates with clients to unpack traumatic experiences and develop personalized strategies to dismantle and heal from harmful legacies of imposed and internalized beliefs.
In the session, Erin continually works to acknowledge the layers of broader contexts to clients’ experiences (i.e. power imbalances in relationships, and systems of oppression). In validating her clients’ experiences, Erin supports and empowers them towards greater acceptance and celebration of their intersectional identities and a life that is genuinely their own.
Erin’s style is warm, collaborative, and unconditionally accepting. When clients first start therapy, she respects and trusts their past and present experiences, boundaries, and self-knowledge to co-create a therapeutic environment and priorities that work for them. This makes her one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Phone: +1 510-306-2422
Carmen Luk
Another one of the best therapists in San Diego, Carmen Luk is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker located in Walnut Creek, CA. Carmen is passionate about supporting those who support everyone else. Many of her clients reach a point of burnout after taking care of those around them, including their friends, parents, spouses, children, and even coworkers.
This leads to a feeling of anxiety, hopelessness, lack of fulfillment, or depression. It can also cause conflicts with loved ones and major feelings of dissatisfaction. Carmen helps her clients to slow down and gain the tools they need to cope with their stressors.
Carmen teaches clients how to manage their racing thoughts. She helps clients process how they’re feeling, what’s overwhelming them, and what they want to change about their lives. She provides Attachment focus Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (AF-EMDR) therapy and Brainspotting, which helps clients integrate their distress into their pasts so that they can move forward without debilitating symptoms.
She does so in a non-judgmental, validating way so that clients feel safe during their treatment sessions. Clients learn how to become aware of their thoughts, assumptions, and beliefs.
Carmen earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from San Francisco State University. She’s a compassionate, personable therapist who is easy to talk to and who is empathetic. She aims to instill hope in her clients that there is a more healthy, balanced way of living that includes joy, fulfillment, and connection.
Phone:+1 925-660-7305
Charles Walker
Charles B. Walker is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker located in Long Beach, CA. Charles works with clients of all ages and is passionate about uplifting the mental health of his community by offering accessible, empathetic care.
He generally works with clients who have experienced trauma, whether that’s neglect as a child, an abusive relationship, discrimination or race-based trauma, and more. His clients hope to break out of harmful addictions and decrease the negative impact that anxiety or depression has on their lives.
Charles’ approach to therapy includes elements of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Solutions-Focused Therapy. He teaches clients how to monitor their thoughts for assumptions, judgments, or self-criticism.
Instead of engaging in negative self-talk, Charles guides clients towards healthier thought patterns based on reality, rather than cognitive distortions. He does so in a trauma-informed way, which never pushes the client to disclose details that make them feel uncomfortable.
He also creates a space that feels safe and secure so that his clients can talk openly about what’s happening internally for them. Clients set goals for their mental health and Charles helps them navigate the journey, providing compassion and understanding along the way.
Charles earned a Master’s degree in Social Work. He teaches clients coping skills that they can use when they feel distressed, whether that’s during a conflict with another person when considering engaging in an addiction behavior, or moments of overwhelming anxiety.
He believes that the client is the expert in their mental health, taking sessions in whichever direction that the client feels is best for them. He is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Phone: +1 310-421-9655
Related: Best Therapists in San Francisco 2023
Hilario Martinez
Hilario Martinez is an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in Granada Hills, CA. Hilario specializes in helping individuals whose trauma continues to haunt them, even though they’ve tried to move forward in their lives.
Their trauma manifests itself in anxiety, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and other harmful behaviors that leave the client feeling exhausted and frustrated. Hilario helps clients who constantly deprioritize their mental health because they feel scared of what they’ll uncover should they open up.
Hilario ensures that each session feels comfortable and welcoming to his clients. He builds a strong trust with each person so they feel like they can be vulnerable and talk about their feelings without judgment. Hilario practices evidence-based therapy modalities that treat trauma, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Clients learn the skills they need to control their emotions and feel less overwhelmed in their day-to-day lives. He also supports them as they challenge their self-critical thinking. Hilario empowers clients to transform their lives into the lives they envision for themselves.
Hilario earned a master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy with a Specialization in Trauma from Pacific Oaks College. He has over 7 years of experience supporting clients and brings a warm, empathetic style with her into every conversation. His goal is to release clients from their thoughts that provoke daily negative experiences and to alleviate mental health symptoms. He is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Phone: +1 562-865-6444.
Tumini Sekibo
Dr. Tumini Sekibo is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, and energy healer with over 7 years of clinical experience in community mental health, as well as various private practice settings in Southern California.
Tumini is dedicated to studying and understanding the mechanisms of anxiety and trauma at all ages and is passionate about holistic healing and supporting self-discovery. She loves working with parents and children struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges. She also enjoys helping teenagers and adults who are navigating the coming-of-age minefield and need some support with staying the course.
She is trained in ACT therapy, which is a change-focused approach that is built around the client’s values. She also uses Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and Narrative Therapy to address disruptive behaviors and traumatic stress respectively.
Tumini comes with a long history of success in helping people recover from traumatic events, take back control from fear and anxiety, and assist families to achieve co-parenting goals and improve child/adolescent behavior. She is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Her specialties include parenting, trauma, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and stress among others. She is currently accepting new clients in San Diego via telehealth only.
Phone: +1 213-218-3080
Matthew Shima
Matthew Shima is a licensed marriage and family therapist based on the island of Maui, Hawai’i serving residents of California and Hawai’i. He is currently accepting new clients in San Diego via telehealth.
Many of the clients he works with are successful creatives, professionals, or in the helping field themselves. While they are competent in many parts of their lives, often there is a sense of something missing or some area in which they are struggling.
It is common for many people to have difficulty in their relationships, worry about the future, or feel stuck in their lives. His clients tend to be interested in the emotional, relational, and spiritual aspects of their lives and are committed to growth, learning, and healing.
His specialties include anxiety, depression, trauma, spirituality & religion, relationship issues, and couples counseling. He is one of the best therapists in San Diego.
Phone: +1 805-208-8130
Also read: Top Therapists in Pennsylvania 2023
Conclusion
The above-listed best therapists in San Diego are top-rated professionals that will provide the treatment you may require. Hopefully, this will guide you in finding the best mental care for you or your loved one.
Editors Picks
Pharm Somtochukwu Oluka P. is a licensed pharmacist with a burning desire to explore his zeal and interest in the field of pharmacy.