Life can get overwhelming sometimes, and everyone has an opinion on how you should manage it. No matter what you’re dealing with, someone always suggests a quick fix— anxiety: “just calm down;” depression: “just be happy;” or disordered eating: “just eat.” The reality is, if it were that simple, we would all be perfect people and never struggle with anything in our entire lives. That’s just not human nature. So if that’s not the answer, how do we grow and change? How do we resolve the deepest, most wounded parts of ourselves?

There’s a quote by Christine Langley-Obaugh that I love, which says, “We repeat what we don’t repair.” We have to sit with those uncomfortable parts of ourselves—our anxiety, depression, disordered eating, grief—and figure out when and why it showed up. What is it trying to tell us about ourselves and our experience?

That’s what the therapeutic space is for. We put other pieces of our lives on hold for an hour, to sit and listen and process. From there, we can establish a different way for the brain and body to communicate with one another; a way that allows for expression without overwhelm. It’s a process that can take some time, but it is oh so worth it.

Dealing with life’s many obstacles alone can be challenging. My hope is that I can help support you along that journey. Togetherness is described as a strength and courage. As an associate marriage and family therapist with a multicultural background and first a generation American I have been educated in a multitude of life’s perspective views. With over five years of experience working with CBT, PCT, SFBT, and narrative therapeutic modalities I’ve successfully worked with substance use disorder and behavioral health. My therapeutic process is person centered my goal is to walk along the side of you in support of your journey.

My formal education focused on psychology and clinical social work. My professional experiences have been in public schools, hospitals and outpatient clinics, the Military, international nonprofits, universities and various community settings. I currently have a private practice with offices in Napa, in addition to my virtual office, where I provide "teletherapy" to clients in both California and Texas.
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My therapy training began in public schools with special education, K-12. I counseled children with mental health concerns and led life skills groups. I worked intensively with adolescents (and their caregivers) in alternative school programs burdened by emotional concerns.
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I spent most of the next decade working in hospitals, both pediatric and adult, assessing and responding to a variety of issues including devastating diagnoses, chronic health conditions, end of life issues, infertility and pregnancy loss, postpartum depression, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and mental health crises. During this time, I taught and supervised students for the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Social Work. After ten years, I shifted out of the hospital setting to therapist lead of an integrated behavioral healthcare network where I helped build a program for providing mental health and case management to a pediatric and family medical practice serving 30,000 low income families.
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An opportunity led me to England for two years, where I managed a prevention and education campaign related to new parent support and family violence prevention. I educated US Air Force members and families on topics such as stress and anger management, PTSD, resilience, healthy dating, couple's communication and parenting, while co-facilitating support groups on chronic medical conditions. During this time, I also worked with Airmen and families on managing stress before and after deployments and transitioning to civilian life after a military career.
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After a brief return to the U.S. to study Spanish at the Defense Language Institute of Monterey, I moved to South America and worked for the U.S. Embassy while volunteering with a Chilean nonprofit. During this time, I researched advances in counseling and coaching methodology. Although I have a working knowledge of Spanish, I do not provide services in Spanish at this time.
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In 2014, I relocated to Napa, pregnant again after experiencing pregnancy loss. After treating parents for postpartum depression and anxiety, I experienced it first-hand and became aware of a need for expanded maternal mental health support in my community. So I added services to my private practice that would address infertility, pregnancy and postpartum mental health support, Moxie Motherhood, and co-founded a pregnant and postpartum peer support program.
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For almost two decades, I have honed my clinical expertise from problem-focused to possibility-focused. I remain current on research and active in the professional dialogue of wellness, balancing my time between counseling, coaching, teaching, volunteering and parenting. Read more here.
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I welcome the opportunity to support you.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over seven years of experience working with children, teens, and parents. "Enter into children's play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet." -Virginia Axline. I specialize in Child-Centered Play Therapy, a developmentally appropriate treatment modality for children that utilizes their natural mode of communication, play. I also utilize Expressive Arts, Family Systems, Strength-Based, and CBT.
I work primarily with children, teens, and young adults experiencing stress and anxiety, executive functioning deficits, identity confusion, mood disorders, grief and loss, and life adjustment challenges (i.e. separation/divorce). By providing a safe, non-judgmental environment, clients can effectively express, explore, and process their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I believe every client is equipped with a unique set of strengths and skills that can help them overcome adversity. By helping clients rework negative perceptions of events in their lives or of themselves, clients can move to a more regulated state.

Hello, I'm Charita with Serenity Thoughts LLC. I'm currently accepting new clients struggling with depression, anxiety, parenting, anger, self-esteem or other life stressors and trauma. I aim to work with the BIPOC community, but of course all are welcome.

I believe learning about our mental health only helps us to get to know ourselves better, so we're better equipped to navigate life's challenges. Please reach out and let me help you step into your Serenity Thoughts!

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision and am an ACS approved supervisor. I am the Assistant Dean of the School of Counseling at Richmont Graduate University. I am a CSAT and work extensively with sexual identity issues, sexual addiction issues, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. I specialize in working with men within the LGBTQ+ community, men in mixed orientation marriages, and men who experienced childhood sexual abuse.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist that specializes in working with eating disorders, body image, depression, anxiety, and trauma. I use evidence-based treatments to help with various concerns and provide an empathetic and validating environment. I work hard for my clients and help hold them accountable to their goals. I work with clients starting at 13 years old and older and I am accepting of clients of various different backgrounds. I am currently accepting new clients both in-person and via Telehealth.

Anna is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Georgia. In 2018, she opened a private practice, Elevate Counseling + Coaching providing individual therapy and supervision. She is a generalist, but has a lot of experience working with with anxiety, depression, life transitions, and eating disorders. Prior to Elevate, she spent eight years as the Director of Upper School Counseling for a small private school.

She has a passion for working with people. In therapy, Anna’s approach is generally cognitive behavioral therapy mixed with solution-focused techniques. The goal is to challenge you, but for you to leave feeling empowered and capable of controlling your own life. In addition to traditional therapy, she has a lot of experience with leadership development, personal development, and health and wellness and she often weaves those into individual therapy sessions.

My goal is to help every client be the truest, healthiest version of themselves. Career challenges, stage of life transitions, relational conflict, and social circumstances can all be sources of stress and produce feelings of inadequacy and isolation. Addressing these challenges not only increases self-awareness; it bolsters self-esteem, fuels empathy and increases our capacity for healthy interpersonal connection. Ultimately, these are the elements that allow us to weather the challenges life sends our way and to thrive in both personal and professional settings.