Find a Therapist in Costa Mesa, CA

I use solution-focused therapy to build on all clients’ strengths with empathy and, occasionally, humor. I connect with youth through their favorite media and pop culture to develop creative solutions for personal and interpersonal success. Dr. Taitz can collaborate with schools, coaches, and doctors to find the best, integrated approach for you and yours. I specialize in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i; the gold standard for insomnia treatment), imagery rehearsal therapy (empirically proven for nightmare reduction), and lucid dreaming therapy (a new treatment using your awareness of being in a dream). As improved sleep helps physical and mental health, we will work together to find the best sleep skills for you.

The decision to begin therapy is often difficult, but it can be the first step to living a happier, more fulfilling, and authentic life. I am a therapist whose personal style is warm and interactive. I utilize humor and directives in our sessions and believe that the key factor to change and progress starts with connection. Does your current therapist understand you? Do you feel comfortable and supported in sessions, and trust that he or she can help you navigate through difficult times? Once connection is established, you will be able to freely express yourself and we can work together on resolving the issues affecting your life and relationships.

If you’re here, something probably feels overwhelming, stuck, or painful right now. You might be tired of carrying it on your own. You don’t have to. When we work together, I create a space where you feel heard, supported, and understood, without judgment. My style is warm, collaborative, and gently direct. We’ll look at what’s keeping you stuck, build practical tools to help you manage what you’re facing, and work toward meaningful, lasting change. Therapy doesn’t have to feel intimidating. It can be a place where you can breathe a little easier and start moving forward with more clarity and confidence. If you’re ready for support, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Practical, non-judgemental, with a goal of moving forward. Are you a struggling couple or individual, feeling stuck and emotionally tired? Are you a couple or individual ready for the next step in your relationship or in life!? I bring a variety of skills and compassion and experience to the room. I aim to help you feel stronger, calmer, and regain a sense of hope for your future, for your relationship, for happiness. I have two main areas of focus: Relationship skills and emotion regulation. For couples, I have been certified in the couples program Mastering The Mysteries of Love. For individuals and their families I have been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, helpful for those struggling with emotional regulation, relationship, and impulse control problems. I work from a goal oriented approach, looking at short term and long term goals, and keeping the focus on solvable issues, or assisting in finding acceptance. I worked in a psychiatric setting for 15 years, and managed the clinical team for 8. I have had a private practice since 2004. I have worked in a corporate setting as a quality coach and management trainer helping businesses and school organizations change for the better.

You may be feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or noticing that experiences from your past continue to affect how you feel and respond today. Maybe you are struggling with anxiety or depression, trying to cope with painful experiences, or finding that substance use has become a way of managing difficult emotions. You do not have to have everything figured out before starting therapy. I work with adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, and co-occurring concerns. I am based in Costa Mesa and provide online therapy to adults throughout California. Together, we can explore what you are experiencing, better understand patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and develop ways of coping that support the changes you want to make. When appropriate, we may also use EMDR to help process traumatic or distressing experiences. My approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and tailored to you. I draw from EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and other approaches based on your individual needs. Sessions can include exploring what is coming up for you, identifying patterns that may be contributing to distress, and developing practical ways to cope and move forward. I am not here to judge you or tell you how you should feel. My goal is to provide a space where you can feel heard and supported while also helping you explore difficult patterns, build on your strengths, and move toward meaningful change.

You don't have to do this alone. If you've experienced trauma, or you're just at a tough spot in your life journey, you may have learned to stay strong, keep moving, or simply get through the day. Maybe you understand what happened to you, but still find yourself feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, guarded, or stuck. Sometimes your body carries what your mind has worked so hard to move past. I want you to know that you don't have to figure it all out before coming to therapy. My approach begins with creating a space where you can feel safe, seen, and accepted exactly as you are. I believe healing happens through connection, trust, and having someone who can sit with you in the difficult places without judgment or pressure. You are not broken. I believe your mind, body, and nervous system have often done exactly what they needed to do to help you survive. Together, we can begin to understand those responses with compassion and create new ways of feeling safe and connected in your life. At J&J Healing Journeys, we draw from eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), somatic experiencing, internal family systems (IFS), Gottman couples therapy, experiential therapy, art therapy, attachment-based therapy, mindfulness, and other mind-body approaches. We choose the tools based on each individual's story, your needs, your strengths, and what feels right for your healing. Sometimes healing means processing something painful. Sometimes it means learning how to calm your nervous system, understand your emotions, set boundaries, reconnect with your body, or finally give yourself the compassion you've spent years giving to everyone else. After 16 years as a therapist, I continue to believe that one of the most powerful parts of therapy is being truly witnessed by another person and realizing, "There is nothing wrong with me. There are reasons I feel the way I do, and I can heal." You don't have to be ready to change everything. You just have to be willing to take one small step. I'll meet you where you are, and we'll take the next step together. If I am not available, one of our amazing therapists will be ready to offer support on your healing journey at J&J Healing Journeys.

Jennifer has experience working with individuals, couples, families, adolescents, and children presenting with a wide variety of issues. She approaches her clients with a psychodynamic framework to gain understanding and build rapport based on creating a very warm, empathic, collaborative, and safe environment. Additionally, Jennifer integrates several treatment approaches such as CBT, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Solution Focused, and Systems Theory. Jennifer has been a clinical supervisor for the past 15 years and has helped trained a number of marriage and family therapist interns as well as social work interns. Her approach is based on a reciprocal process whereby she models her interventions for interns in their supervision so that they can then apply similar styles in their work with their own clients. Jennifer's experience initially began in the field of Foster Care and Adoption. She was previously the Clinical Director of a non-profit agency that specializes in court ordered therapy. While in this capacity, she worked with issues such as anger management, victims of crime, substance use, and parenting. Jennifer received her master's in Social Work from USC with honors. Jennifer is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.

Depression, anxiety, building better relationships, boundary setting. Anger Management classes for adults interested in learning better coping skills. Pet Loss Support for pet lovers dealing with the loss or anticipated loss of their pet. Individuals struggling with codependency issues. Individuals struggling with another's self absorbed behavior. Assessments and Referrals available by appointment.

Depression. Anxiety. Relationship and career problems. These very real difficulties of living represent potent opportunities for growth and transformation. This is not always easy to see, however. A key step is developing insight, combined with a willingness to accept increasing levels of personal responsibility. As a therapist and coach, my orientation is holistic. I incorporate a whole-person approach that emphasizes physical, mental, emotional, and interpersonal factors. I view human experience as an inherently creative process, and work to empower clients to harness their innate potential to create meaningful and fulfilling lives through committed action based on personal values. I offer a diverse background in therapy, assessment, and coaching. I am most experienced in addressing clinical issues related to depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, and parenting, as well as broader concerns of meaning, growth, and personal potential. I work with children, adults, and couples from a variety of backgrounds. I have practiced since 2004, and recently extended my expertise by completing a PhD in clinical psychology. I have a background in psychological research, and my work has been published in peer-reviewed scientifc journals. Clinically, I have been affiliated with the Rehabilitation Institute of Southern California, Straight Talk Inc., Summa Health System, and, most recently, the Cleveland VA Medical Center.

Life can be stressful and overwhelming. Are you losing interest in things which used to bring excitement or enjoyment to your life? Perhaps you’re feeling out of control, lost, stuck, your emotions are harder to manage, or your sleep is suffering. In relationships you’re arguing with loved ones, repeating destructive patterns, struggling with boundaries, or maybe you don't feel heard. You're not alone, and in finding me you have already taken action to restore balance and change your life. I'm here help you understand where your issues come from, and learn how to use real-world tools to work through them. I use evidence-based techniques when we work together to help you achieve success in therapy. The most important part of therapy is finding the right therapist. My role is to listen to you, and to provide an empathic, open, and warm space for you process your experience and learn tools to work through your issues. I am compassionate, objective, and non-judgmental. If this sounds like what you're looking for, please call or email me for a free consultation.

Relationship problems? There is still hope! When your relationship isn't going well it can impact your whole life! Are you arguing a lot? Not feeling like your partner understands you? Couples therapy can really help! More harmony and tranquility could be yours! Let's find better ways to relate to each other. Let me help you find your way back to that loving place again... I am conveniently located in Center Stone Plaza at the corner of Barranca Parkway and Culver Drive in Irvine. I also offer telehealth for clients who prefer that. Call me today at (562) 477-2530 for a complimentary confidential phone consultation and let's get started.

Hello, I am Dr. Nanci Carter and I am dedicated to working with adults — across the lifespan — who are seeking to make changes in their lives and improve their relationships. If people understood the important changes that depth work can create, it would help them make a meaningful choice for themselves. But that is often the problem, isn't it? Our difficulties can seem overwhelming and repetitious. Perhaps you wonder why you can't speak your truth. Maybe you experienced abuse or neglect as a child. You may tell yourself that “it’s all in the past", yet it is somehow woven through your current dilemmas and troubled relationships — and continues to cause you pain and distress. Because our memory is shaped through emotional experience, insight alone does not go deeply enough to make the desired changes - feeling your experience with another goes hand in hand with understanding. Our ways of being with others, laid down in childhood, can be understood and re-structured within the psychotherapy relationship.