Therapists in Lake Forest, CA
Therapy is an effective resource for individuals seeking solace during difficult times, helping people to navigate personal challenges, overcome obstacles, gain self confidence, and regain mental and emotional clarity. A therapist is trained in the field of psychology, where they learn to support patients in various ways, offering them compassion, guidance, treatment, and insights into their mental and emotional states. Together, patients and their therapists can create long lasting solutions to improve their mental and emotional health, whether it’s fostering relationships with a marriage family therapist, developing executive functioning skills during executive functioning therapy, or receving treatment for a medical condition.
There are a variety of affordable and accessible options available if you’re looking for a therapist in Lake Forest, CA, especially if you’re open to online therapy. The convenience of online therapy allows you to speak with a licensed therapist or counselor from the comfort of your own home, which can be especially helpful if you live outside the city center, such as in Newport Beach, Mission Viejo or the Laguna Hills. The comfort of home can be a safe environment for working through some of life’s challenges with a therapist. Despite being commonly challenged, online therapy has been shown to be an effective form of treatment for patients in the community. If you’re currently in hospital or receiving regular treatments for an existing conditions, there are also therapists that offer support in the medical field, counseling patients towards improved health and well-being in times of need.
If you've decided to work with a therapist, Lake Forest, CA, has some compassionate, licensed professionals wh are offering their services online. Below you can explore some of their profiles to see if any seem like a good fit for you. If you are hoping to minimize the cost of therapy, feel free to contact them to see if they accept insurance.
Dr. Barbara Prosniewski
Clinician
License Type(s): PhD,M. Ed.
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesDepression
20 years offering treatment
I have been working with children and parents and individuals for many years. My approach to therapy is one of respect, compassion and a bit of tough love when it is needed. You need to feel that I am genuinely trying to help you and care for you. I try to normalize, as much as possible, the emotional circumstances under which you are coming to therapy. None of us are perfect. None of us have come through life unscathed. We also have certain strengths. We have all made mistakes. We have all become stuck in our thinking and with our feelings. Often communication breaks down. Here is where we learn different strategies and, as a result, become stronger, more capable and more fulfilled. I do also like to bring some humor into our sessions, when appropriate, as laughter is good for the soul and does help us gain a different perspective on the situation and ourselves.
Amy Shafer
Clinician
License Type(s): MSW,LCSW
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyGriefSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
30 years offering treatment
Hello my name is Amy Shafer, I hold degrees in Psychology and Human Development from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 1989, a Master of Social Work from San Diego State University specializing in Clinical work 1991, and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California since 1994. I have worked extensively over the past 30 years with all age groups. I have most recently specialized in adult and geriatric individuals and families with a number of different issues including depression, anxiety, stress, family conflict, trauma/abuse, adjusting to stages of life and grief and loss issues. I consider it a privilege to be apart of a support system for individuals and families who are competently seeking professional help to address challenges in their lives. My contemporary work focuses on family systems, relationships, interpersonal recovery, trauma loss, and problem solving life's stressors. Decades of experience with all age groups and in many settings has provided me with an ability to have an open mind and an ability to provide many tools to assist you with.
Connie St. James
Clinician
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemCoping with life changesCoaching
3 years offering treatment
Do you ever feel alone and overwhelmed when facing life decisions? This could involve a relationship, your work/career, the aging process, or anything else that creates anxiety and stress for you. I can help. Of course, you will want to know my educational and licensing background: I received a Batchelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge in 1987 and a Master’s degree in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy in 1989 from California Family Study Center (now known as Phillips Graduate University). After completing a 3000-hour internship, I took my state written and oral examinations and, in 1992, I received my license from the State of California as a Marriage and Family Therapist. You will also want to know my counseling background: During my internship, I worked with clients who expressed dissatisfaction with parts of their lives and a desire to make their lives better. Most of their discontent was due to problems in various types of personal and work-related relationships, and we worked together to alleviate feelings of anxiety and stress. During my internship, I also spent some time training in a psychiatric hospital setting, in a drug/alcohol abuse center and in a facility for abused children. Once my internship was completed, I had a small private practice in West Los Angeles. Eventually, I met my now-husband, moved to Palm Desert, and had a small private practice there until we moved to Santa Barbara. In addition to a private practice in Palm Desert I worked in a hospital there facilitating groups which focused on issues with major depression. My husband’s work took us to Santa Barbara, and I changed my license status to inactive so I could help him in his business. After five years in Santa Barbara, my husband retired, and we moved to Auburn in Northern California where I worked for over twenty years in real estate. Although I did not work as a counselor since we moved from Palm Desert, I continued to rely on my education and experience as a counselor in both my personal and work-related relationships. In addition, I have used those tools as I have faced my own aging process. Now that I am in my own “winter years,” I have had a strong desire to be of help once again to people who want to make their lives better. I am confident that my 60+ years of life experience along with my education and previous counseling experience give me what is needed to help others with their relationship issues, motivation, self-esteem, confidence, and coping with life changes. Finally, you will want to know what my approach to counseling is: I rely on a combination of Person-Centered, Cognitive, and Behavioral theories. I am patient, empathic, and non-judgmental. My objective is to create a safe space where you can discover how to make your life better. Together, we will work on defining and understanding “your story.” You will provide the content by telling me “your story.” What is working. What isn’t working. Your goals. Your expectations for counseling. Your story will include your joy, your sadness, your anger, and your fear. I will focus on your feelings as well as your thoughts and your behaviors so we can figure out how these things may contribute to your unhappiness, disappointments, frustrations, and life dissatisfaction. I will help you identify feelings that you can’t. I will help you identify any detrimental thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes I will ask for clarification to make sure I understand. Sometimes I will probe to help expand the content of “your story” and help you edit it as needed to create clarity. You will decide if/when your goals change and when counseling should come to an end. Although ‘your story’ will continually change throughout all your life, you will decide when you are ready to work on “your story” on your own. When that time comes, you will let me know so that we can start the process of ending our work together. I will tailor our work together so that it meets 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! I look forward to joining you for a little while on your journey to a happier, more contented life.
Adrian Simmons
Clinician
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsSelf esteemDepression
5 years offering treatment
I am licensed in California with 25 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, & 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!
Sonya Drottar
Clinician
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsParenting issuesCoping with life changesCompassion fatigue
25 years offering treatment
I am licensed in California with 25 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, lgbtq+ related issues, parenting issues, & coping with life changes. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to seeking a more fulfilling and happier life takes courage. I am here to support you in that process.
Lorren Ratley
Clinician
License Type(s): LISW-Supervising
Mental Wellness Specialties: Family conflictsTrauma and abuseParenting issuesDepressionADHD
7 years offering treatment
When I'm working with you, the focus is you--nothing else. You deserve to be truly heard and responded to with support, directness, and honesty. You may want assistance with seeing things in a new way and developing new ways to approach challenges. You may want to better understand what has held you back or why you have certain fears. I'm here to help you explore and understand these things and come away with practical solutions and useful tools. I practiced family and individual counseling in an urban setting for 7 years, and began supervising other therapists during that time as well. I've worked with parents to help them better support their children and teens, and worked with their kids individually as well. I believe I can help guide you through the challenge you're facing right now, and see you through to the other side where there's more hope that you might have thought. Look forward to meeting you...
Thomas May
Clinician
Mental Wellness Specialties: Relationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefSelf esteemCoping with life changes
41 years offering treatment
I am a licensed Clinical Social Worker in California with over 40 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with health and disability changes as well as coping with grief and loss. My experience also includes working with clients with relationship and family changes and conflicts. I have enjoyed helping my clients with employment issues and work changes along with finding what motivates you. 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. Making changes or looking at yourself takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.
Breanna "Bre" Spehn
Clinician
License Type(s): MA,LPC
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseDepression
8 years offering treatment
Hi, I’m Bre, preferred pronouns she/they. I am a licensed professional counselor in California and Oregon, with over eight years of experience. I have worked with individuals of all ages, with different backgrounds, and across a wide variety of settings. Within sessions, I take a humanistic approach while remaining rooted in mindfulness. From receiving a Master of Arts in Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology from Naropa University, to completing a 500 Hour Holistic Yoga Teacher Training with Adi Yogpeeth, I have gained a variety of skills in order to show up fully for others. I remain an active participant in deepening my self-awareness through ongoing therapy, yoga, and meditation as these practices aid in my self-discovery of inherent compassion so that I'm able to guide others with humility and grace. Diversity and inclusion are crucial for me in my personal life, and in my career as a therapist. While working from a social justice lens, I invite conversation regarding bias, privilege, and power. Throughout my diverse experiences in the field, I have increased my competency as well as my confidence in being of service to others. Let's create a supportive and safe space together that is unique to your needs as an individual.
Kila Dames
Clinician
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
14 years offering treatment
I am licensed in California with 14 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, and confidence, & depression. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started!
Rhonda Robinson
Clinician
Mental Wellness Specialties: Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes
3 years offering treatment
I am licensed in California with 3 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, motivation, self esteem, confidence, & depression. I also have experience working with coping with life changes. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.
Find a therapist serving clients in California
What types of therapists are available to clients in Lake Forest?
Understanding the type of therapy you'd like to search for is crucial before finding a therapist or psychologist. Be sure to narrow your search for therapists in Lake Forest that can offer psychodynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), therapeutic talk therapy, group therapy, marriage and family therapy for individuals or couples, or couples therapy depending on your needs.
Licensed therapists & mental health professionals available through BetterHelp's online platform
Mental health therapists in Lake Forest available through BetterHelp are accredited as psychologists to help individuals and couples. Lake Forest therapists' credentials can include licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), and clinician or doctor of psychology (PsyD). Regardless of their licensure, Lake Forest therapists are trained in any type of therapy in the Lake Forest region and in the state of California.
How can a therapist help you destress, manage your emotions, and guide you towards the life you want?
Therapists in Lake Forest can help clients in improving healthy relationships, communication skills, working through life transitions, couples challenges, managing a mood disorder, improving coping skills, self help tips, offer life coaching, family life, or change in negative thinking patterns. A therapist in Lake Forest may also provide a safe place and validation for clients experiencing emotional pain, or that simply want a psychological assessment.
Is it better to find a mental health counselor or therapist in Lake Forest offering online therapy or in person?
Studies show online therapy can be just as effective as in-person counseling. Online therapy with licensed counselors is often more affordable, with BetterHelp pricing ranging from $65-$100 weekly, while in person therapy can cost up to $200 per session.
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