Virtual Therapy for High-Functioning Adults Navigating Anxiety, Trauma, and Chronic Stress in California
Before We Get Started, Here’s a Little About Me
A quick look at the person you’ll be sitting across from
Hey, I’m Nicole
I’m a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist providing therapy in Pasadena and throughout California, and I’ve been working in mental health for over ten years.
My career started as an in-home therapist supporting families of children on the Autism Spectrum. I later became a program coordinator supervising therapists and helping families develop behavioral and emotional support plans.
That work taught me something I still see in therapy every day: people are far more resilient than they realize. They’re often just carrying too much at once.
I later earned my Master’s in Marriage & Family Therapy from San Diego State University, where my clinical training focused on community-based programs supporting underserved families.
Today I work primarily with thoughtful, capable adults navigating anxiety, trauma, overthinking, and chronic stress—the kind that quietly builds when you’re used to being the responsible one.
How I Ended Up Doing This Work
My interest in therapy isn’t just professional.
Growing up in a multicultural family (American, Puerto Rican, and Guatemalan) I saw early on how culture, identity, and expectations shape how we understand ourselves.
Like many people I work with now, I’ve had moments where I questioned who I was and what I wanted for my own life. That process of figuring things out, sometimes gracefully, sometimes not—sparked my interest in helping others explore those same questions.
It also inspired the kind of therapy space I try to create today: one where people can step outside the expectations they’ve been carrying and reconnect with who they actually are.
My Professional Background
Over the years, I’ve worked in several clinical settings including Rady Children’s Hospital and community mental health programs supporting families through complex challenges.
I’m also a Certified Trauma Professional and integrate trauma-informed approaches (including EMDR when appropriate) to help clients process experiences that still affect how their mind and body respond to stress.
Many of the adults I work with are insightful and self-aware. They understand their patterns.
What they’re often looking for now is something deeper than insight.
They want those patterns to stop running the show.
That’s where approaches like trauma therapy, nervous system work, and EMDR therapy can help.
My Approach to Therapy
I don’t believe therapy should feel like a lecture about how to fix yourself.
Instead, I see therapy as a collaborative space where we slow things down enough to understand what’s actually happening beneath the surface, whether that’s anxiety, trauma responses, or nervous system patterns that developed years ago.
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful and analytical. They’ve done the reading. They’ve reflected on their experiences.
But insight alone doesn’t always change how the body responds to stress.
So our work focuses on helping both your mind and your nervous system process what you’ve been carrying.
That’s usually where real change begins.
Therapy Values
At the core of my work is creating a therapeutic space that is thoughtful, honest, and actually helpful, not just supportive in theory. Here’s what you can expect when we work together.
Non-Judgmental, Safe Space
You get to show up exactly as you are. That includes the messy thoughts, the contradictory feelings, and the things you’re not sure you’re “supposed” to say out loud.
Therapy works best when there’s space for honesty, not perfection.
Comfortable Tone
Therapy doesn’t have to feel overly clinical or painfully serious all the time. Yes, we’ll talk about important things. But there’s also room for humor, curiosity, and moments where we acknowledge that being human is occasionally weird. Sometimes a little dark humor is exactly what helps people look at difficult patterns more clearly.
Self-Discovery
Many of the people I work with are used to solving problems quickly. But lasting change often comes from understanding the deeper “why” behind patterns. Our work focuses on helping you develop insight, self-compassion, and a clearer understanding of who you are and what you actually want for your life.
Personalized Care
There’s no one-size-fits-all version of therapy.
We’ll work together to shape sessions around your goals, pace, and what actually feels useful for you.
Whole-Person Care
Emotional challenges rarely exist in isolation. Anxiety, trauma, relationships, identity, culture, and life circumstances all interact with each other. My goal is to understand the full picture so we’re not just treating symptoms, we’re addressing the deeper patterns underneath them.
Goal-Oriented Growth
Insight is important. But insight alone isn’t enough.
We’ll also identify practical goals that support the kind of change you want to see in your life and work toward them at a pace that feels sustainable.
A Little More About Me
I was born and raised in the South Bay of Los Angeles and later spent time in San Luis Obispo and San Diego while earning my undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Eventually I found my way to Pasadena, where I now live and practice.
Like many people, 2020 gave me an unexpected opportunity to slow down and spend more time alone with my thoughts, which, as it turns out, can be both enlightening and slightly uncomfortable.
That period pushed me to travel once the world reopened, and those experiences ended up shaping many of my personal values around curiosity, independence, and the importance of creating a life that actually feels meaningful.
Outside of therapy, I recharge through nature, thrifting, singing, animals, books, art, and cooking, things that help keep me grounded and connected to the world outside the therapy room.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I provide therapy in Pasadena and virtual therapy for clients throughout California.
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I am not in-network with any insurance company but I offer my clients a few options to ensure therapy costs are manageable and insurance benefits are being utilized.
I have a billing concierge service that I work with. This service takes care of superbills on behalf of my clients. Their service also includes extra support with any/all insurance-related needs.
I provide my clients with superbills to submit themselves and offer any additional guidance if necessary.
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Please inquire about fees through email or over the phone. Fees can be paid using debit cards, credit cards, and HSA cards. Sliding scale is available if necessary.
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You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.