Hello and thank you for visiting my profile! I am happy to get started with you! My name is Julia Mendoza, and I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California. I have a master's degree in counseling and have been working in the mental health field since 2008. I have experience working with all ages, in the areas of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, LGBT+ issues, OCD, personality disorders, family problems, relationship and partner conflict, and traumas. I truly enjoy helping others and I have been told that I am funny, genuine, open-minded, and a good listener. I know that sometimes starting with a new therapist may feel embarrassing or even intimidating, but please know that it is my duty to not judge, to be respectful, and to help you on your mental health journey. My approach to counseling will be focused on our therapeutic relationship and I place a strong emphasis on creating an environment where you will feel safe, supported, and challenged to become your best self. I will check-in with you regularly throughout this process to ensure that we are meeting your expectations and that we are moving in your chosen direction. Persons of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, communities, and spiritual traditions are welcomed into therapeutic connection with me. As we begin, I would like to find out more about you. I would like to explore who you are, what brings you to therapy, and what challenges you are having in managing these issues. Given that information, I would like that together we establish a treatment plan to address your concerns, and set clear goals. I want to examine what is working for you, what effective strategies you've used in the past, as well as what has not worked and how we can tailor it to fit you better. As your therapist, I wish to guide you to meet those goals, teach you skills to navigate your improvement and self-change, and getting yourself back on course. Lastly, I am flexible and will move and flow at the pace that you like or need. I think together we can make great strides to your self-improvement, and I can not wait to get started!