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Heal From the Ground Up

4.9 (125 reviews)
Open 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

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2 hours

Response rate

100%

Services - Heal From the Ground Up

Adolescent therapy

Career counseling

Child therapy

3 More Services

Couples therapy

Family therapy

Life coach

Heal From the Ground Up Photos

Recommended Reviews - Heal From the Ground Up

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Michael is full of wisdom beyond his years. Great listener and able to get to the root of one's challenges

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4 years ago

High regard for Michael's approach for healing. Gets right to the issue and expounds from there.

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3 years ago

Highly recommend his services. I've learned a lot in terms of dealing with past trauma and on the road to healing.

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Ask the Community - Heal From the Ground Up

For marriage counseling, do you charge per person or per couple? How much is the fee? How frequent is a session? Thank you

The price for individual and couples sessions are the same. The fee is 200/hr session, and I offer 4 session packages at 175/session. If you contact me to set it up you can decide after our session if you want to go with the package or go session by… Read more

Do you speak Chinese mandarin?

Yes, I do. I am not 100% fluent but I am able to understand and get my point across.

Do you diagnose and treat OCD?

I do not officially diagnose OCD but I have helped many clients get to the underlying root to their OCD behaviors so they can understand why they feel and act the way that they do and know what to do to be free of it all.

How long does it take to see results?

Because my ultimate approach is to go to the underlying root of it all you will get something valuable in every session. I don't believe in coping with or managing the issue at hand but in tending to the core so you can have life-lasting fundamental… Read more

Do you work with trauma?

I specialize in trauma work. But I first begin working with your triggers because they are windows to your past traumas.

Do you provide Cognitive behavioral therapy?

Hello Denise, I help people to the underlying root of it all. In regards to CBT, I personally believe it targets more surface issues which is about changing the way we think. I tell clients that the purpose of thought is to avoid feeling. It's about… Read more

Do you have any type of license, I just want to understand your background? I looked on your website but could find nothing.

Hello Stephanie, I am a certified professional life coach that specializes in emotional healing, emotional trauma healing, childhood traumas, relationships and families. I have created my own methods and have written about them that help people get… Read more

Do you do therapy for teenagers? If so how much?

Yes, I do work with teens and children. It is the same rate as all my other sessions which is 135 for an hour session.

Does he accept your insurance?

No, insurance. Direct pay only. He is amazing.

Do you take Aetna blue cross / blueshield?

I don’t take insurance but I do try to make my rates more affordable. It is 125 for an hour session.

I am looking to do marriage counseling, does our first appointment have to be virtually?

Hello Julio, Yes, I specialize in working with couples and getting to the underlying root to issues in both the relationship, as well as unresolved issues within both partners that manifest themselves within the relationship.

Hi, do you offer therapy for eating disorder treatment?

Yes, I work with people with eating disorders with the understanding that the eating disorder is a coping mechanism to avoid some underlying pain. My focus is to go to the underlying root of it all, so you can be free of this behavior.

Are your fees qualified for HSA?

Hello Alisara, yes I believe so. I have many clients who use HSA.

Do you offer emdr therapy?

Hello Elle, I do not offer emdr, but I do offer methods that will help people identify the underlying roots to what they are experiencing and feeling, and very importantly, know what to do to tend to those roots so they can have the emotional peace… Read more

Do you only offer zoom sessions?

Yes, I currently only offer zoom sessions. Having said that, my approach is to go to the root of it all and tend to those roots so you can have the emotional peace you are seeking. In my experience, doing video call sessions or in-person sessions… Read more

Hi I'm wondering what you charge if it's per session or how it works. Thank you?

Hello Lillian, it is 125 for an hour session. The goal of the session is to go to the root of all your negative emotions, feelings and problems to create life-lasting changes. If you would like to learn more about the work I do or view a sample… Read more

Hello, Do you work with young teens? We are parents of a young teen who is having anxiety and…

Hello Angela, yes, I do work with teens, as well as families as a whole.

Hi, do you speak Mandarin or Cantonese?

Hello Phil, I can speak Mandarin.

Do you take insurance?

Hello Michelle, I do not take insurance. You can see pricing at www.healfromthegroundup.com/work-with-michael

Hello, What is Michael's qualification including his education, credentials as well as work experience?

Hello Trang, you can find the answers to your questions by visiting my site at www.healfromthegroundup.com/work-with-michael

View All 27 Questions

Review Highlights - Heal From the Ground Up

I came into therapy knowing I had a lot of healing to do, and Michael met me exactly where I was.

Mentioned in 108 reviews

Read more highlights

Inspired Flight Hypnosis

Inspired Flight Hypnosis

(52 reviews)

Matt is perfect and every way. He's very helpful. He's been helping me work through some things…read morewithin myself. I went looking for somebody that can help with my inner self. I've been working on myself for some time, but still need guidance and clarity. My sessions with him were not what I expected. I had never been to a Hypnosis before. Everything I had in mind was something you would see at the Orange County fair, lol. My experience with Matt was very unique and lightning. I look forward to every visit with him and seeing progress in myself. I highly recommend Matt. He's gentle and kind and very helpful. I wish I can see him weekly. my goal is to see him biweekly if possible. Otherwise he's definitely on my to do list once a month. I feel like it's absolutely necessary for my growth. I trust him fully.

Wow! I am on cloud 9. That was an incredible experience. I have been struggling with a long list of…read moreissues ever since my dad died 12 years ago including depression, anxiety, insomnia, digestive, sinus, urinary, body pain, the list goes on and on. I have seen so many doctors and tried so many things over the past decade plus. More recently I have gone through even more trauma including my mother dying and two heartbreaks with a lot of devastation in the past 4 years. Matt assured me he's helped people in similar situations such as mine and I was optimistic but also wondered if it was too good to be true. After our first session I left feeling lighter and had a permanent smile my whole way home. I am looking forward to our next session and I think I found the missing piece to my healing puzzle for a truly healthy wealthy happy life!! I definitely recommend :))

Hypnotherapy Breakthrough

Hypnotherapy Breakthrough

(60 reviews)

I have seen Carlos multiple times now. First, he helped me become free from a habit that started in…read morehigh school. I was 46 when he guided me through the transformation to letting go of this vice. Recently, I went back to him to give up what I thought was a harmless brownie and cookie passion; it was really just my way to rebel. Meaning Carlos doesn't just say sleepy sleepy and puts you under, then you are magically fixed. He talks through why you have either trauma or patterns, and then helps you go deep into yourself and change that pattern at the core. I couldn't be more grateful to have been sent to him. Besides LASIK eye surgery, this is the best money I have spent on myself.

Carlos is an incredible hypnotherapist. When I first started working with him, I was dealing with…read moresome personal obstacles that felt hard to get past, but he really helped me move through them in a calm and supportive way. His approach feels genuine and professional, and the visual exercises he guided me through were both effective and surprisingly dynamic. I noticed real changes not just in how I felt right after the session, but also in the weeks and months that followed. One thing I really appreciated is that he lets you record the session so you can replay it later whenever you need a refresh or a boost. It's been a huge help having that tool to revisit. Overall, I'm very grateful for the experience and highly recommend Carlos to anyone looking for real, lasting results.

Erika Hsu

Erika Hsu

(22 reviews)

I feel like this review is long overdue. I met with Erika pre pandemic a few times and she was a…read moregreat guiding light for me. The session that truly changed my life was this year, when she helped me confront the inner hurting child in me. She spent so much time to actively listen to my issues, to hear the pain I was going through. She helped me unlock a younger version of myself, face her and taught me how to better care for her. I've taken those skills everyday in life with me since that session. It has positively affected my relationships, the trust in myself and has helped heal me. I've told so many friends about this experience and they were all in awe. Thank you Erika , I hope we have a chance to meet again soon. Wishing you life will always treat you kindly.

I worked with Erika during a time in my life where I needed some guidance and felt lost on many…read moresubjects in life. I was someone who was not very spiritual, let alone seeker help through holistic means. However, over the past year I came to understand my spiritual side and knew I wanted to find a healer. I found Erika through Yelp and after researching reviews, her website, and having a free consultation I decided to book my first session. Since then I have purchased a few more sessions and also referred my sister. My sessions started with a guided meditation which felt incredible. There are thousands of guided meditations online (e.g. Youtube), but having one at the start is a session with Erika felt different and more uplifting. The sessions would consist of topics that I needed help with. The topics vary depending on the day and what I felt boiling since the last session. They consist of but not limited to life in general, personal relationships, work, past trauma, and personal development. Without getting into the details, at the end of each session, I felt like I had discovered something deep inside me that has been blocked. Erika helped extract whatever it is that has been giving me issues and provided me with guidance moving forward. She also me cut some knots that had been holding me back. Erika is very gifted at what she does. She provides a very comfortable and safe environment that allows you to share personal information that you may not share else where. All of my sessions were conducted online through zoom due to covid. I don't believe there would be a different if it was online or in person as I am still getting the same healing.

Healing Minds - Orange County Hypnotherapist, Jacqui Letran

Healing Minds

(38 reviews)

I debated long and hard as to whether or not leave a review here. However, after meditating on it…read moreand realizing how important is to get balanced perspectives on something so important as mental health, I find my heart leading me to sharing my experience here for others to consider. There were traditional therapists I found through my insurance provider. Licensed counselors and psychologists. No one was "clicking," and after battling with crippling anxiety, manic episodes, and depression, I bit the bullet and made an appointment with Jacqui. This was back in July 2016. I had a free phone consult with her first. Her voice was warm and her advice was concrete. However, she also pushed me to write a positive review of her book on Amazon. There was definitely a mercenary and marketing tone to her approach. My husband and I paid a substantial amount for my first and only session. We spent most of that time reviewing my past and writing out a "master script," in which I was to detail who I wanted to be with orders to record myself saying these self-affirmations, which were then to reviewed everyday. She smiled and said I would achieve the results I wanted if I purchased her packages, which would be "very cool," as she put it. She also determined I would need the maximum number of sessions with her given how vulnerable and agitated I came across. Then the strange stuff happened. I asked Jacqui for an invoice. I wanted to see if I could submit an itemized bill to my insurance company for out-of-network behavioral services. Jacqui called me right away and told me she didn't have a diagnostic code. She suggested I get a code from my psychiatrist. Then she called me back to say she was moving to North Carolina and could only offer video sessions. The price would remain the same. I declined, and thought, well that's the end of that. But it was not. She continued to call me. She told me I was one of the fortunate few who would be able to receive a free session with someone she personally vetted, a man familiar with "tapping." She promised to watch to make sure he was a good enough replacement. The whole process would take place in her Costa Mesa office. At first, I said yes, because hey, free is not a bad deal. Yet deep down the whole thing reeked of duplicity. Yes, Jacqui is warm and has a good beside manner. However, she made claims I don't think any mental health provider would assert. That may be the point; she is not practicing under a code of ethics. Healing Minds is where people go when they've run out of options. Ultimately, I refused the free session with her replacement. I chose instead to go with evidence-backed Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, a proven system that has reduced my emotional reactivity and improved my relationships. Given what transpired, I cannot recommend Healing Minds or Jacqui's services under good conscience.

This isn't about me, this is about you. You are here obviously to seek help in your life. To…read moreregain some control, to let go of outdated, hindering emotions. There are therapist that only help people for the money. Therapist whom get jaded over the years and only see clients as numbers walking in and out of their office. This was a concern of mine. To pay a stranger to care for your problems for an allotted amount of time, and give you feedback and techniques to take home that may or may not just keep you running mental circles was a big concern for me when researching therapists. So let me alleviate them for you when speaking of Jacqui. I emailed her a standard net email I was sending to some therapist in the OC/LA area. Her response was the same day. We set up an introductory phone session for later that week. Within the phone session, I felt the sincerity that Jacqui was offering that I was looking for. Instead of just the usual psycho-spiel that most other therapists were giving me on the phone interviews, Jacqui actually let me talk, was not worried about time too much, and listened to what I was saying. That sealed it for me. We set up our actual session for the next week. I have never done professional hypno-therapy or EFT before, and I had minor doubts only because I know how my mind likes to distract itself, especially when being told to be quiet. The pace and direction of the session were all very well received though At the end of the session, I did see some immediate changes in my mannerism regarding the my own self defeating patterns. Jacqui's sincerity shined through till the very end of our session, and it was an added bonus to know that she still actively seeks her own betterment, not many therapists will admit to that. Instead of selling me an inflated amount of sessions, she suggested the amount she saw fit for my progression. I am done with my sessions with her, and I am very happy that I chose Jacqui. A bit of advise from me though, it is awesome that you are seeking help, but do not be addicted to seeking help from without. Any good teacher, therapist, psychologist, etc. will only be a great guiding post to your own inner answers and truth. They are not the answer, and they will not have the answers for you, they can only point you to your own, and it is up to you then to live within it. And Jacqui is an excellent guiding post! I am recommending my girlfriend to go see Jacqui, and anyone else that may read this review. Hope this has helped you with your decision! Cheers!

The Love Courses - Meet your Mental Health Professional - Claudia Sophia, Psychotherapist.

The Love Courses

(27 reviews)

I found Claudia from The Love Courses on Yelp during a very difficult period in my relationship. My…read morethen-fiancé and I were struggling, and Claudia reached out almost immediately after I posted my request. She was able to schedule us for an in-person session right away, which meant a lot during such an emotional time. Claudia is an exceptional therapist. She truly listens to both partners and makes each person feel heard and respected. At the same time, she isn't afraid to ask thoughtful, direct, and sometimes tough questions that get to the heart of the issue. While our relationship ultimately had several core challenges that couldn't be resolved, Claudia played a crucial role in helping us navigate that reality with clarity and compassion. She guided us through what she calls "uncoupling," allowing both of us to come to terms with the relationship ending in a healthy and grounded way. I'm incredibly grateful that we found Claudia, and I highly recommend her to anyone seeking honest, skilled, and deeply compassionate couples counseling.

Claudia is AMAZING. My husband and I went to her for our first year of marriage (pre marital…read morecounseling) to ensure we were starting our marriage off strong. It was the best investment we ever made. Claudia is a great listener, provides excellent tools, and is always in both of your corners rooting you on. She utilizes cutting edge research to help strengthen bonds and improve mental health. One of the many things I love about Claudia is that she herself is always learning and taking extra classes and courses to strengthen her own toolbox of resources. My husband said, "the tools she's given us, we don't even realize we use them anymore because it's like muscle memory now." Life is truly about living to the fullest, most peaceful and joyful route and while you may not even think you need couples therapy, I can guarantee it'll help even the strongest of couples!

Julie LaCroix Career Exploration and Planning

Julie LaCroix Career Exploration and Planning

(33 reviews)

I retained Julie's services for my daughter with regards to helping her pick a college major that…read morewould fit her personality and long term objectives. My daughter enjoyed working with Julie very much.

So, I originally wrote this review almost four months ago. Julie LaCroix saw the review and…read moreresponded to it. However, did she do anything to make sure she answered the main element of the complaint (that she won't stop spamming me in spite of numerous requests over the years - including those apparently only decorative "unsubscribe" links in her emails?). No. Screen shot for proof. Draw what conclusions you will. Original Review and Comment on Response: I had two appointments with Julie LaCroix several years ago. I ultimately thought the sessions were a waste of time and (quite a lot of) money. She decided my skill set made me a particularly good fit for a specific type of job, and she disregarded my repeated protests that the job in question went against my moral values. She made up her mind and was incapable of hearing anything that didn't align with her first (somewhat arbitrary seeming) idea. She ended our last session by throwing together a ridiculous, typo-ridden resume in a couple minutes targeted at a position I had made clear I would not apply for. (Since that time I finished my graduate degree and am working in a suitable career.) After our second meeting, I was ready to move on and not give career therapists another thought. I have not had that luxury, however, since Julie LaCroix has spammed me and stalked me on social media ever since. Every couple years, I get re-added to her email list which I have never given her permission to put me on, and she has not responded to messages asking her to desist. She also periodically tries to connect with me on social media (she is undeterred by my refusal to connect with her, and, again, does not respond to messages asking her to desist in contacting me). I understand that she thinks networking will help grow her business. I don't understand why she thinks harassing people and ignoring them when they object would be beneficial to anyone. Given her systematic abuse of my personal information, however, I am no longer surprised that she could not process my objection to an unethical career. **Regarding Response** Notice the non-denial regarding the abusive email practices I describe. Also note the absence of a statement that she would address this matter and make sure I am not re-added to her list again in the future. The rest is a matter of he-said-she-said, but why, after 11 years, would I have reason to think of her--much less make random false claims in a review? I would encourage her to check her email (julie@julielacroix.com) to see that I have, in fact, contacted her multiple time over the past 11 years to ask that she stop re-adding me to her spam list. She has also found me years after using her (dis)services and tried to get me to engage with her professional profiles on Facebook and Instagram over the years. The dishonesty/lack of integrity in her response here is appalling.

Heal From the Ground Up - lifecoach - Updated May 2026

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