I reached out for support due to the extreme anxiety I was confronting in anticipation of…read moreaccompanying my husband to Seattle for a bone marrow transplant. The plan was for us to find a house sitter in CA, put my private practice on hold (for an indefinite number of months), and then become Henry's full time caregiver, protector, and lifeline while he was slowly recovering within a scrupulously sanitized, sterile environment after his immune system had been completely wiped out. I was terrified of watching him go through this process, and I was especially feeling ill-equipped to succeed in such a perilous "life and death" situation/assignment. I pictured that, under duress, in a medical crisis when we were living all alone, 8 miles away from the nearest hospital, my own "red alert" reactions would cause me to exponentially exacerbate the problem instead of being a calm, steady, effectively caring presence. Just thinking about this possibility triggered a flood of flight and freeze signals associated with severe anticipatory PTSD. So, I tried several of the biofeedback options offered by Santa Cruz Neurofeedback Center after an initial individualized brain mapping session. I discovered that a technique which involves working to subtly control the volume and clarity of a piece of music, while holding the corresponding intent to modify my paralyzing reactions in anticipation of specific situations, actually did allow me to gradually "reset and self-regulate" even when focusing upon the most dreadful possibilities. My biofeedback assignment was to experiment with feeling into "finding" a center point inside which was a combination of "calm", "intentional", "highly focused and aware", but "lacking any sense of effort". As I managed to stumble upon an internal approximation of that designated combination, this, then, naturally lit up certain parts of my brain which were correlated with those attributes. In turn, when the necessary parts of my brain lit up (painlessly connected to electrode sensors), this somehow caused the music I was hearing through headphones to become less discordant. Rather than stopping and starting, or becoming almost inaudible, the musical soundtrack played smoothly and optimally, subliminally training my brain to progressively "dial in" a desired set point - something which I don't think I would have ever fine-tuned this well, or this easily, in a simply rational or a more willful way. These results gave me a lot of comfort and encouragement, and also, as a bonus side effect, I was able to achieve much deeper, more visceral benefits from my lifelong meditation and mindfulness practices - even though I had been pretty successfully working with these methods for many decades - just with less dramatic progress. Throughout this biofeedback treatment process, I recurrently observed how reimagining and then experientially implementing some familiar, lifelong spiritual approaches and concepts assisted me very practically in achieving our targeted treatment goals while also opening new doors and windows into some other positive, but entirely unanticipated insights and breakthroughs. Henry had a brain tumor removed which neurologically impacted regions related to balance, impulse control, executive function, and judgment as well as something like the breakdown of his Wake/Dream barrier. However, he was still able to tap into an observer self - and sometimes capable of acknowledging these kinds of deficits, not just experiencing the consequences. One benefit he gained from regular Neurofeedback sessions included an empowering sense of exercising clear intent and agency during a time when he was terrified of losing these capacities. He set a goal of actively working toward "shifting his relationship with" increasingly intrusive altered states that caused him to see, hear, and sense non-consensual phenomena as if they were physically present. Henry described a reduction in his anxiety whenever the Neurofeedback process mirrored his capacity to identify this type of intention and then offered measurable evidence of progress (i.e. when what happened on the training screen during a session visibly responded to his intent). His mood responded positively to the musical component of his customized protocols as well which utilized a long list of his all time favorite songs. As an LMFT, I have also referred many clients to Santa Cruz Neurofeedback to facilitate everything from more effective management of chronic anxiety to better addressing ADHD symptoms or otherwise enhancing variants of intentional self-regulation which significantly benefit mood stabilization, better focus, or concentration. There are numerous other potential benefits - plus Langdon, Aimee, and their whole treatment team are highly skilled, delightful people with whom to collaborate.

Compassionate place where I learned a great deal. I also learned about compassion meditation which…read morehas been wonderful!

I am not one that reviews often; I save my energy, usually, for happy and positive stuff. I was…read morejust reading some of the nasty reviews on her page, and I feel terrible for how it seems that the internet can be a tough place. People review when they are MAD, more than when they're satisfied. I would imagine that it's even tougher when your clientele is, by nature, in need of mental health advice. I feel compelled to tell MY truth! I've been really frustrated with myself, secretly, about my lack of focus and constantly being distracted for years now. It seemed to get worse "cuz COVID". Dr. B and I met and she went through some testing, and from the data received, she was very cautious about how to treat what I was seeking help for. She discussed carefully her initial diagnosis, and talked about the ways to treat. She made it clear that some medications have risks of addiction, etc. and wasn't trying to do anything other than inform me and provide caution. She asked me how I felt about prescription treatments, and what my history was with things like this. She was digging deep to ensure that we were doing the right thing and that I was comfortable - that's what it felt like to me. She started me with very low doses of the chosen med. She was careful. Concerned about the result with my day-to-day life as her main goal. She felt conservative to me with the medications, frankly, and I really like how concerned she seems about not only treating things appropriately, but also counseling me on "normal" day-to-day, non-medication practices to help me focus. So, I'm sorry that some felt poorly handled, treated etc., but I'd hope that people would see through that and talk to Dr. B before throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Dr. B is a good egg. She has changed my life and I find her to be a very, very careful and thoughtful practitioner, and I'm grateful that I'm working with her. I'm a big fan.

Dr Catherine Borchart for me is a mixed bag - because she's not a bad psychiatrist by any means…read more She was the one who initially suspected I might have ADHD which went under the radar for years due to the fact I also likely have Autism as well (as of right now I am still undiagnosed but I am working with a different doctor to get this done!). But...as the other reviews here have indicated she is extremely honest, very blunt, and doesn't sugar coat anything. And I do mean anything. Not only is she an extremely just woman but she tells it exactly like it is. Which makes it extremely nerve wracking to be upfront with her due to her direct nature which often times comes across as extremely passive aggressive or sometimes even demeaning. She means well but I haven't seen her in about four years mostly for this reason. Nor do I particularly want to. I do recall one review suggesting having a therapist in addition to her if you decide to see her as a psychiatrist and I do recommend this as well. Because while she is excellent with medication and getting to the heart of what might be the problem - far more than the previous psychiatrist I once had. Talking to her about yourself is a major undertaking. Don't go to her expecting someone who will offer you much sympathy in regard to what problems you have - particularly when they are your problems to deal with because she doesn't have a lot it. I don't want to go so far as to claim she has none of it but handling what you put forth gently is just not something she does. Her main defining quality is her honesty. A good example of this that isn't too personal is when she told me "you will never be a professional screenwriter if you can't handle multiple pressures at once". (Screenwriting is not my primary long term goal anymore but something in film which I won't share here certainly still is and I still have a few prominent tv show ideas that may still get made...or not if what she said is actually true). And while again I didn't want to be too personal with this review I did also want to say - partially because I know she reads these that I tend to ruminate a lot and her harsh criticisms have stayed with me. I replay them a lot in my head. Whether or not this is for better of worse is up for you to decide. But again I would strongly consider you think over this and the other critical reviews of her before booking an appointment.

Although I never had therapy with Laura, I feel compelled to write because of my experience with…read moreher over the phone. I was looking for a therapist for my son. Laura spent quite a bit of time learning what the issues were. She looked into my insurance coverage and promptly returned a phone call to me. My insurance did not cover her so we never scheduled an appointment. But, in this limited interaction Laura was kind, compassionate, and extremely professional. She was willing to invest time, over the phone, and seemed genuinely concerned and interested in getting me connected with a therapist. I imagine she would be just as invested and professional in session.

So far so good. After just a few visits, I already know that…read moreI am glad I chose Allison from a crowded field. She is a good listener, has a wonderful and soothing office and is patient and flexible about the process. She is also very affordable for those on Blue Shield HMO insurance. I will update this rating after I gain more experience, which is the only reason why it is not a 5 star rating.

I have been seeing licensed counselors for most of my adult life, as I am an advocate of mental…read morehealth tune-ups. I have been seeing Allison for over four years, when I first started I was seeing her weekly and have now moved to every two weeks. She likes to use modern technology which is great for us busy people. She uses psychselect.com services which is HIPAA compliant; so I can send her electronic messages as well as schedule/cancel appointments without having to play phone tag. So nice! Also, she uses an electronic debit service so that I can process my co-pays in those cases where I don't have cash and on the flip side she doesn't have to deposit checks. As a therapist, she is extremely effective and provides constructive feedback pushing me to think through my emotional/psychological barriers. Also, Allison has a unique counseling philosophy where she blends cognitive, behavioral and spiritual. It continues to be the best fit for me and my strong spiritual beliefs. I also love how she maintains her space. She makes it very cozy, warm and inviting. She many times likes to burn aromatherapy oils which calms my mind down and actually helps for me to be more open.

I have been working with Christina for over a year, and she has helped me change my life. I cannot…read moresay enough good things about her skill as a therapist. She is compassionate, kind, insightful, and has helped me approach my life in a way that was not possible until my work with her. I cannot recommend her enough.

Christina is an amazing Therapist! I cannot imagine a better Therapist for me or anyone who can…read moremake Therapy work in their lives. She is great at her job and I have a lot that I am working on. She has already greatly helped me and some other folks I know. So grateful for her important work.

She's a caring therapist and a very interesting person with a lot of life experiences. I can tell…read morethat she has treated a lot of people for a lot of different things over the years by the way that she talks about mental health and seems to have an intuitive sense of how to manage the kinds of problems I brought up. I would recommend for anyone with complex or compounded mental health issues. She really does listen.

This woman is the WORST therapist…read more I left after the first 5 minutes of talking with her. She asked me what brought me in to see her, and I expressed that vulnerability with her. All she did was reinforce my fear without any empathy or compassion. I kept saying, "Okay, well that doesn't help me feel safe." Then she reinforced her opinion, and instead of giving me coping mechanisms for experiencing her OPINION, even if her belief were true through and through, she was dead set on being right rather than helping me feel safe and cope with the experience. It was awful. My PTSD was re-triggered and I left feeling even more fearful and unsafe in the world than when I first walked in. Her information is outdated, and she utilizes 0 helpful methods, or any methods at all.

I fell into an anxiety cycle this last February 2025 and i researched and found Dr. Dufford's…read moreAnxiety Treatment Services. Dr. Dufford referred me to his associate Jasper. I couldn't believe I got such a great therapist right away. His office was a comfortable retreat and Jasper was such a positive force for me which is exactly what I needed. He helped me see that anxiety was not dangerous and there was nothing to fear. He also helped me with sleep issues. Jasper provided me with the tools to change my mindset to be more positive. After 2 1/2 short months I feel so much better. You better believe if I need to see a therapist for stress and worry, I'll be looking up Jasper again. I highly recommend both Dr. Dufford and Jasper. They were both fantastic in their quality of care.

I was referred to Dr. Jasper by my primary physician to get help with my issues of focus, fatigue,…read moreand irritability at work. I had never heard of the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and so I was not sure of what to expect. It turned out that this is the field specializing in the thoughts of the mind and the emotional impact it has especially when it is negative. One comment that Jasper made that made an impact for me was "Don't believe everything your mind tells". He walked me through the Thought Diary and I diligently documented my thoughts, triggers, and consequences followed by the detective work that assessed the truth of that thought or its falsity, leading to a balanced thinking and avoiding unhelpful thinking patterns. He also gave me good references and articles for my personality helping me to understand the double-edged nature of thoughts and reframe to stay positive and make the most out of the circumstance. I cannot thank Jasper enough for what he did for me.

I have sought help multiple times over the past 20 years and have been let down by therapists in…read morebig and small ways. My first appointment with Michelle convinced me that this time it was going to be different and it has been. As the other reviewer said, she is present, relevant and challenging. Her wide range of knowledge, personal and professional experiences and the Enneagram approach to self awareness has been such a blessing and encouragement. She can reach the unreachable. It's not a quick journey, and there have been some detours, but with Michelle's patient and trustworthy guidance, I know I will continue to identify and dismantle the self defeating attitudes, perceptions and habits and learn to live in the present, appreciating each day to the fullest. And to the previous reviewer: Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your experience with Michelle. It was your review that prompted me to take one more chance on seeking help. I owe you a debt of thanks.

If you are looking for a therapist that "gets it" look no further. I have seen Dr. Franklin for 15…read moreyears both on an individual basis and in a group setting. She is nothing short of AMAZING. Talking with her is as comfortable as talking to your best friend. She has a way of helping you feel normal no matter what the issue. She is warm, engaging, supportive and doesn't hesitate to "slap you upside the head" when you need it. She is truly a gifted therapist and you ALWAYS feel as though you have her full attention. She can remember things I told her 10 years ago and uses it to show patterns of behavior of which I was unaware. Her advice has been invaluable in my life and I have experienced great personal growth while working with her. Her commitment to continuing education allows her to continually bring new modalities into her practice and offer more to clients. Dr. Franklin is by far the best therapist in Northern California. I wish I could give her more that 5 stars !!!!!