Find a Therapist in San Clemente, CA

Life can be extremely challenging. Seeking help from a therapist can help you find the right coping skills, develop insight, and make productive changes to create a happier, more fulfilling life. I work primarily with clients struggling with life transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship distress. I also understand immigrant and multicultural issues. My clinical experience includes working with individuals, couples, and families. Each person is unique and I will work with you to create a treatment plan that fits with your goals and feels right for you. I specifically enjoy working with clients who want to build their self-identity and improve on their self-esteem. I will help you find the right tools to feel empowered and prepared to face all challenges. I provide a warm and compassionate environment that encourages growth and connection. My goal is to empower you to find meaning and to create a life that is most fulfilling for you. You can reach me by text message, phone call, or email. I look forward to joining you on this journey towards healing and growth.

I am trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). I help people who have experienced trauma heal from what happened and grow from it, too. I love working with teens, adults, parents, and couples. Our therapeutic relationship is the most important thing to me, and I work hard to create a space where clients can learn to trust. I am a Licensed Marriage and (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)) in California. I have also worked with individuals who need support as they move through life changes and transitions.

I offer trauma-informed therapy that integrates somatic healing, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), sound-based practices, and nature-centered grounding.

Are you feeling frustrated, stuck and distant from your partner? Do you and your partner have frequent arguments that don't ever get resolved? Are you tired of walking on eggshells at home? Relationships can be challenging, especially if it's been tense for awhile. I help couples move from conflict to connection by helping the rebuild trust, create emotional safety, and learn to communicate better. During our initial appointments we will explore the challenges in your relationship that are keeping you both stuck. We will develop a treatment plan which include assignments, in-session exercises, and evidence-based tools that fit your unique situation. Usually our clients are in therapy for about 12-24 sessions before completing treatment successfully. Reach out to schedule your free video or phone consultation today!

There’s constant tension with the people who matter most – your partner, your child, your family– and it’s wearing you down. Conflict keeps resurfacing, no matter how hard you try to fix it. Conversations escalate, good intentions get misunderstood, and family dynamics pull everyone back into the same arguments. You try to stay calm and patient, but you find yourself reacting in ways you promised you wouldn’t – then wondering why it’s so hard to change. Much of this strain is shaped by how you learned to manage stress and closeness growing up, even when those patterns no longer serve you. You need a different path forward. I work with families and couples using a generational patterns lens. Together, we slow interactions down, examine how stress travels through relationships, and reduce reactivity that fuels conflict. This work helps untangle unhelpful dynamics and strengthen communication so you can respond thoughtfully instead of getting pulled into old cycles. Over time, relationships feel calmer and more balanced. You stay grounded in stressful moments, communication becomes more direct and effective, and tension relaxes. As you gain confidence, you respond in ways that reflect who you are, not just what you were taught. It’s time to make a change for you and your family. Call now for a free consultation.

People enter into therapy for a variety of reasons. They can be as complex as surviving a trauma, or as common as the desire to develop better communication skills. Whatever your reason for seeking therapy, asking for help when needed is a sign of strength as you make use of resources that are available to enhance your life. In my office, you will find a safe and supportive environment where you can receive the care that fits your specific needs. Working together, we can move your life in the direction you desire.

Lisa Bahar is a licensed psychotherapist who practices out of Newport Beach and Laguna Niguel, California providing individual, couples, family and group therapy. Lisa Bahar provides DBT Informed Skills Training for clients seeking "life skills" or who have difficulties managing emotions, communicating effectively, dealing with stress and anxiety. The DBT Informed Skills Training groups are based on Marsha M. Linehan's DBT Second Edition Handouts and Worksheets which provides the most up to date material on DBT skills and trainings. Lisa's first career in the cinema has brought her to a unique intervention in her therapeutic approach called Cinema Therapy, which uses film stories to create connection to experiences clients may be experiencing. She utilizes Cinema Therapy in all aspects of her groups and psychotherapy based on the client's need and interest. Lisa Bahar also serves as a consultant to 100s of media outlets including radio, television, magazines, blogs, books and internet magazines and outlets by providing her insights on mental health.

Hey there! I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California, dedicated to helping individuals, couples, and families find healing, growth, and lasting change. I earned my master’s degree in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, from Pepperdine University. My therapeutic style is warm, supportive, and direct. I primarily draw from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and solution-focused therapy, helping clients build practical coping skills, regulate emotions, strengthen relationships, and move toward meaningful, achievable goals. I believe therapy should feel like a collaborative space where you feel heard, challenged, and empowered. I have experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, and I specialize in supporting LGBTQ+ individuals, neurodivergent clients (including those with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD)), and those experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship concerns, stress, burnout, and major life transitions. I believe every person deserves a therapeutic approach that honors their unique identity, experiences, and strengths, and I tailor treatment to meet each client’s individual needs and goals. Outside of the therapy room, I’m a proud mom of two young children and a lifelong animal lover. My home is often filled with the joyful chaos of kids and pets, which has deepened my appreciation for the complexities of family life, resilience, and human connection. I bring that same authenticity, compassion, and understanding into my work, creating a space where clients feel safe to be themselves while building the tools they need to thrive. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, navigating a difficult life transition, struggling in your relationships, or simply feeling stuck, I’m here to support you every step of the way. Together, we’ll work toward creating a life that feels more balanced, fulfilling, and aligned with what matters most to you.

Have you said to yourself "IF" I make enough money, lose weight, get married, have kids, etc., "THEN" I will be happy, content, or joyous, only to find that you are left feeling just as incomplete as before you made those accomplishments? Have you gotten to a point in your life where the "if-then" statements you make to yourself have left you feeling unworthy and critical of yourself? Do you ever find yourself fixated on your worth as a person, parent, or loved one? Using an eclectic approach I help clients find their worth, ease their critical voice, and create a joyous life through self-acceptance.

My approach is relational and insight-oriented, with a strong focus on creating a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship. I believe healing happens when we feel understood and supported while exploring the deeper patterns shaping our emotions, relationships, and sense of self. Together, we’ll look at how past experiences may still be influencing your present, and we’ll work toward more freedom, clarity, and self-compassion. I strive to offer therapy that feels steady, thoughtful, and human—where you don’t have to perform or have it all figured out to begin. I provide a trauma-informed, compassionate space where you can explore what’s been weighing on you without judgment or pressure. Many people come to therapy feeling stuck in anxiety, shutdown, self-criticism, or emotional overwhelm. My approach also focuses on helping you better understand your nervous system, build emotional safety, and develop tools that support regulation, boundaries, and healthier relationships. We’ll work gently and intentionally—honoring your pace—so therapy feels safe, grounded, and empowering.

My ideal client often feels deeply stuck, trapped in a heavy fog of anxiety, depression, low self-worth, or that quiet sense of being “not enough.” You might feel inferior, exhausted from carrying invisible wounds, and convinced there’s no real way out. You’ve likely tried therapy, medication, or self-help before, only to get temporary relief that fades, leaving you even more discouraged. You’re ready for something deeper: a genuine, compassionate space where you can finally be fully seen and understood without judgment. I specialize in helping people navigate depression, anxiety, addiction, and the painful feeling of being trapped in their own lives. Using a holistic, personalized approach informed by both professional training and my own life experiences (including being an apprentice for almost a century with Curanderos in the Amazon jungle), I create a safe environment for real healing, not just symptom management. Together, we’ll gently explore the old wounds that keep you feeling small or powerless, while reconnecting you with your inner strength and resilience. My goal is to help you move from surviving to truly feeling whole again, so you can rediscover purpose, experience real joy, and face life with a quiet confidence you may have forgotten was possible. You don’t have to keep carrying this alone. Healing is possible, even when it feels impossible right now. If this resonates with you, I’d be honored to walk beside you on the journey toward freedom and a brighter, more fulfilling future. I also have extensive experience working with couples, and I help partners navigate many of the most common challenges couples face, including communication breakdowns, recurring conflicts, emotional disconnection, trust issues, and rebuilding intimacy. Whether you’re coming in individually or as a couple, I provide a supportive space for meaningful change.

The psychologists at Keil Psych Group specialize in treating anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and relationship issues. But at the core of all of these symptoms is something more fundamental: the human need for connection. From the moment we gasp our first breath, we are wired to connect. We are born into relationships—utterly dependent on others for survival. As infants, we learn quickly what pleases or displeases our caregivers. We begin to bury parts of ourselves that provoke anxiety in others and amplify the parts that gain us approval. We absorb not only what happens to us but also what happens between others, internalizing the emotional landscape of our families with the sponge-like perception only children have. As our inborn temperaments and genetic dispositions collide with these complex interpersonal environments, our personalities form—adaptive patterns, emotional reflexes, and defenses that eventually become so familiar we mistake them for identity. We call it "me." But this self, so carefully built, doesn’t reinvent itself each time we meet someone new. Instead, we carry these early relational templates into adulthood. We find ourselves playing out the same roles—our mother, our father, our childhood selves—on new stages with new actors. Sometimes this results in functional, fulfilling relationships. Often, it leads to emotional pain we can’t quite name or escape. We may ask: Why am I always so lonely? Why do I keep ending up in the same relationship? Why can’t I get what I want out of life? Why does no one ever hear me? Why is this anxiety always here? The truth is, we recreate the familiar without knowing it, because it feels like home—even if it hurts. As adults, we often use our relationships in an unconscious effort to reclaim lost parts of ourselves, to master early fears, or to win love from someone with the same limitations as those who once failed us. Sometimes this works—when a safe partner helps us heal. But often, we end up in painful reenactments, chasing resolution in all the wrong places. There is no blame here. No one escapes childhood unscathed. As Winnicott said, the goal isn’t perfection, but being “good enough.” Our parents were shaped by their own wounds, just as we are by ours. Why Therapy? Therapy is a space where these deeply embedded patterns can be explored, understood, and transformed. In a safe, attuned therapeutic relationship, the unconscious becomes conscious. People reclaim lost feelings, rebuild a coherent sense of self, and develop the ability to care for themselves in new and lasting ways. At Keil Psych Group, therapy is not symptom management—it’s deep, transformational work. Yes, symptoms like anxiety, depression, panic, loneliness, and dissociation can and do improve. But real healing involves something more: The dismantling of self-defeating patterns The emergence of a more authentic self The ability to dialogue with yourself in the way your therapist once did with you A new relationship with your emotions, thoughts, and relationships Our patients leave therapy with greater self-awareness, confidence, and clarity. They feel more present, more connected to others, and more capable of living a life that reflects their values and desires. Who We Help We work with adults, young adults, and teens who are struggling with: Anxiety Depression Trauma and PTSD Addiction Relationship Issues Grief and Loss Our approach is psychodynamic, systemic, and mindfulness-based. We aim to help people develop deeper understanding, access more of their emotional life, and build new, healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. A Note from Dr. Keil Helping people as a psychologist is my soul’s work. I’m a lifelong learner and passionate about mental health, philosophy, and healing. I care deeply about the people I work with and consider it a profound privilege to be invited into their stories. If you’ve read this far, thank you. This was written straight from the heart and draws from years of training, personal work, and clinical experience. I hope it gives you a sense of who we are and how we think about this work. Whether you're struggling with something specific or just feeling off and not quite sure why, we’re here. We’d be honored to walk with you on your path toward healing, insight, and meaningful change.