Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood. George Orwell

Therapy is a conversation that can change your life. Talking things through with your therapist can lead to new perspectives on your situation, an increased sense of personal choice, and a richer connection with yourself and others.

Guzel Safina, Psychotherapist. I offer online and in-person therapy for individuals and couples in California.

WHAT'S TROUBLING YOU?

Unpleasant Emotions

Depression, loneliness, resentment, frustration, shame, anger, and other feelings that you can’t shake-off can bend your whole life out of shape. Talking to a therapist could free you from the grip of powerful emotions.

Anxiety & Stress

Fear can act as a barrier between you and the life you aspire to live. It often manifests subtly yet persistently—through self-doubt, avoidance, procrastination, perfectionism, or a profound fear of failure. Therapy can help you to explore what your anxiety is signaling, uncover its origins, and develop practical tools to respond with purpose rather than react out of fear.

Relationship Issues

Relationships can be life-enhancing but sometimes they can be hard work, too. Difficulties and conflict within relationships occur normally and can provide the impetus for change and growth, but this can be a very painful process. Relationship therapy can help when conflict arises within partners of various kinds - couples, ex-partners, friends, colleagues, adult siblings, parent and grown-up child. It can also be useful for couples considering separation.

Destructive Habits

Sometimes we do things that are bad for ourselves but we can’t stop doing them. Therapy can help you with substance addiction, sex addiction, negative body image and other self-harming patterns. It offers tailored strategies to rebuild a healthier life, and find lasting recovery.

Low self-esteem

If you think very little of yourself and expect that others have no time for you, then you might have low self-esteem. A therapist can help you discover the roots of your negative self-image and help you build a more realistic sense of self.

Personal development

Do you have a big decision to make? Are you feeling stuck, lost meaning in life or noticing a dip in your creativity? Therapy can help you see the way forward, and give you the tools to live your life vibrantly and unleash your creativity with new ideas and fresh outlooks.

GUZEL SAFINA
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, NCC

My practice is informed by my personal therapy, formal training, clinical internships, and professional affiliations. I am a fully trained and registered psychotherapist, a National Certified Counselor, and hold postgraduate degrees in Psychology.

The approach I use is based on psychodynamic, relational, and developmental perspectives, which means we look at how your past experiences, relationships, and patterns might be shaping how you feel and respond today.

At the same time, I bring in practical tools from Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These approaches can help you manage overwhelming thoughts and emotions, build resilience, and move through life with more clarity and self-compassion.

I remain committed to ongoing professional development to ensure my work is grounded in current, well-informed clinical practice.

WHAT IS PSYCHOTHERAPY?

The beliefs we hold about ourselves, others, and the world shape how we live and how we respond to challenges. Often, these beliefs aren't entirely our own - they may be shaped by early caregivers, life experiences, or the expectations others have placed on us. Sometimes we end up living according to someone else’s idea of who we should be, without even realizing it. We might sense that something feels off but struggle to name exactly what it is. And even when we know we want change, it can be hard to figure out what needs to shift or how to begin.

Therapy is talking about, and reflecting on, your thoughts, feelings and relationships together with a therapist. Through therapy you become more aware of unconscious feelings and assumptions, which actually shape the way you feel about yourself and others, and which may cause negative cycles to repeat in your life.

Through therapy you can learn to know and value yourself better and have more choice and clarity in how you think, feel, and respond.

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WHO NEEDS THERAPY?

When something in your life needs to change and you’re unsure how to move forward. If you’ve noticed unhelpful patterns repeating in your relationships, work, or personal life, psychotherapy can help you understand their roots, why they persist, and discover new ways of relating to others and solving problems. It can also bring a greater sense of ease and make things feel more manageable, while helping you discover strengths you didn’t know you had.

As many as 1 in 4 people experience some form of mental health difficulty each year. With the right support, the intensity and duration of psychological distress can be significantly reduced. While medication can be helpful for some conditions, psychotherapy has been shown to be just as effective in the short term and unlike medication, its benefits often continue long after treatment has ended.

You don’t need to be in a crisis to benefit from therapy. You can begin when you’re feeling curious, stuck, or simply in need of a bit of support.

FINDING A THERAPIST...Deciding to seek help and then choosing a therapist can be a daunting prospect and feel vulnerable, especially if you are already in emotional distress. It’s completely normal to feel unsure about where to start or what to expect. Finding a therapist you feel safe with is essential - your connection with your therapist plays a key role in how productive the work will be. The better the relationship between you and your therapist, the more you are likely to benefit from psychotherapy.

NEXT STEP

I hope this website offers helpful information. Still, no site can fully capture what a conversation can. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to talk things through.

If you feel ready to start therapy, please reach out to schedule a therapy session. Alternatively, we can start with a complimentary 20-minute consultation to discuss your current situation and explore how therapy might support you.

I work in both a long-term, open-ended way and also on a short-term, time-limited basis.