ABOUT ME

Therapeutic Approach

Therese’s primary focus is identifying each clients need and tailoring treatment using evidenced based approaches to meet their specific need. Warm, funny, and caring, she provides a safe, judgement-free space allowing clients to feel welcome, seen, valued, and heard. She empowers clients to take an active role toward mental health and healing. Therese provides clients with tangible tools and resources so that clients have self-help strategies long after treatment has ended.

Why does Therese use an evidenced based approach? She knows that evidenced based models aim to provide the most effective care that is available, with the aim of improving client outcomes. Clients expect and deserve to receive the most effective care based on the best available evidence. Evidenced based models provide the gold standard of quality care in counseling.

Many of the approaches Therese uses are rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, motivational interviewing, and trauma informed approaches.

Experience

For the past 20 + years Therese has been providing counseling services, clinical supervision to interns, and training staff in evidenced based models at a children’s mental health clinic in Long Beach, CA. In addition, Therese maintains a Private Practice in the South Bay and meets with clients of all ages via telehealth. Although her office is virtual at this time, she is open to meeting-up at a confidential outdoor location for walk/talk therapy.

Qualifications & Credentials

Therese earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from California State University Dominguez Hills, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy. Therese has been registered with the Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2002.

In 2022, in partnership with the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Therese completed a year-long Fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) earning her certification in Early Childhood.

Therese is certified in the following evidenced based models: PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy), MAP (Managing and Adapting Practices), FOCUS (Families Overcoming under Stress), IPT (Interpersonal Psychotherapy) and several trauma informed models. In addition, she is a certified trainer in PCIT, MAP and FOCUS.