*Currently accepting clients for online group therapy and live individual chat therapy only.
Live Chat Therapy
Live chat between you and a therapist is an option that I currently offer – in 30-minute increments (or longer as requested) which helps make therapy more cost-effective. Think of this as similar to text messaging but through a more secured channel. There is evidence that live chat therapy are helpful and several of my clients have shown great improvements via live chat. For instance, two studies found chat therapy was a helpful addition for depressed clients who also received other kinds of support, including phone sessions, therapy homework, and access to group therapy chats.
If you are curious and interested in learning more on how this can help you, please reach out!
Online Group Therapy
This group will be a here-and-now, process-oriented group where you and other group members have the freedom to share personal issues and decide on group topics and process together. Group will typically meet weekly or bi-weekly for 90-minutes with 10 or more sessions total – this is tailored to group needs. Please reach out for more information if you are interested. Group therapy is an effective standalone treatment or supplement to your current treatment. Once we have our group of committed individuals signed up, the group will begin.
A significant piece of group therapy is relationally-focused – helping clients connect more with their here-and-now emotional needs and get better at fulfilling those emotional needs during each group session. In group therapy, we call attention to he dynamics created by the conglomeration of our identities, cultural upbringing and current social norms/expectations. We explore personal responsibilities. And as a group leader, I acknowledge my identities and try to explore my biases and potential blind spots to model vulnerability and help create a group climate of willingness to address difficult topics. I strive to raise the collective awareness to any unconscious biases, micro aggressions, and implicit reactions that could cause harm while we also work towards reparative and corrective experiences.
**Must be a resident in the state of California.
***By offering group therapy, this increases availability, affordability and accessibility of mental health care.
——- More on my my work below:
One of the bravest things that you can do is to begin to understand your own story and accept yourself for who you truly are and where you came from. This is a necessary step before you can become the person you want to be. From trauma to depression to anxiety, every challenge is not an isolated event, but a story that is connected to your past, present and future. And these challenges can make you feel stuck, lost, angry, afraid and sad.
I believe that we are all on a journey that aims at being our best selves. And in that pursuit, it’s natural that we come face to face with challenges. This is your testing ground – LIFE. And I’m here to tell you that there is always HOPE – that you are not ALONE. And most importantly, you are ENOUGH.
Many people think therapy as a one-sided conversation, with little chance for getting to experience each other as real human beings. I can promise you that I am as real as it gets! Therapy is a process that is most effective ONLY through authenticity – so I will never expect anything from you that I don’t for myself. I am ambitious and passionate in my goals in assisting you – because I consider myself a fellow traveler in your life’s journey. So, I want to help you achieve the solutions, impact and changes you are looking for, while also enjoying the journey to experience yourself in newfound ways.
Life is too short to surrender to a dreadful job, hold grudges, let anxiety/anger control us, and being frustrated all the time. I’m not here to give you a magic wand that will take away all your negative emotions because that’s not realistic – I’m here to help you leverage and embrace the natural seasons of your life, just like the weather – to not only harness your innate survival skills, but to empower you to thrive in the face of challenges. I want to help you live a life that feels worthwhile – to be free of debilitating emotional pain and feeling capable to deal with life – and while you’re at it, I hope to support you in finding, defining and redefining meaning, intent and purpose in work, family, friends, and spirituality…and just about every aspect of life that matters to you.
With 10+ years of being a therapist, I have helped people from all walks of life to build more understanding with themselves and ailments, alleviate their stresses, and find healing. I strive to create and hold a warm, inviting and safe space to encourage my clients to keep it real with me. I believe no one is “broken” just “beaten” – so my work also revolves around empowering my clients and holding them accountable while helping them realize their superpowers so that they can leverage their natural abilities to overcome roadblocks towards success. I provide gentle nudges when necessary and challenge you as needed because I truly BELIEVE in you. I’m not only a therapist, but a fellow human being, who have walked my own path of desperate situations and dire struggles. And I stand by the power of POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH – You CAN and WILL become stronger in the places that made you feel defeated. I am big on “practicing what you preach.” I believe that modalities of therapy should be based on the individual. Some of these which I implement are Narrative Therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Solution-Focused, Brief Therapy, Mindfulness-based approach and Existential Therapy.
I have also had the privilege to work and learn alongside Stanford experts in treating patients and I am highly trained and am a certified LEVEL 2 CBT practitioner under the revolutionary TEAM-CBT method designed and created by Dr. David Burns, professor at Stanford School of Medicine. And with more than 20+ years of martial arts experience, I believe in building harmony with a strong mind and body, so I work to integrate research-based methods, along with holistic practices to address life problems from multiple angles.
You deserve to live a life that leaves you excited and eager to wake up every day, don’t you think so? Because, I do.
You deserve every chance at life.
Let’s talk, and get to know YOU, together.
I work with individuals of all ages and provide identity affirming therapy – meaning, I am affirming of cultural, gender and sexual diversity and proud of it! I accept you as you are – so come as you are!
My clients have ranged from Google/Facebook engineers and executives to CEOs and business owners to elite athletes and high performers to the homeless population and people previously incarcerated and/or on parole. I have also supported and worked with children and youth in foster care, juvenile probation, and children in the hospital with chronic medical conditions. So, believe me when I tell you – come as you are.
If you’re ready to take that first step towards a better you and a better life, email or visit www.optimindcounseling.com to schedule a free 15-minute consultation today. Schedule an initial session with me by emailing me at albert@optimindcounseling.com
