Find a Therapist in Santa Barbara, California.

My style of therapy is Humanistic and Integrative Psycotherapy which is based on the principle of the therapeutic relationship. Many of us have had experiences in our pasts that have been difficult and can leave us with false beliefs about ourselves and our worth. We very often are not even aware of the source of our difficulties, but they can impinge on our lives and relationships. Through the therapeutic relationship problems can be explored in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential setting. The therapeutic relationship can provide us with a "corrective emotional experience" where by feeling truly heard, understood and accepted, we gain a new awareness of ourselves and of relationship.

Therapy is not a one size fits all experience. Though I extensively trained to understand specific theories of practice, I utilize a "prescriptive" approach. This means I will adapt to your needs in treatment. Therapy is co-created, it is relational, and it is in the therapeutic relationship where we seek personal growth to apply outside the therapy room. I work with adult individual clients who are grieving a significant loss, LGBTIQ+ adults, adults with creative blocks, neurodivergent adults, people pleasers, those recovering from trauma, and adults burnt out about their work.

Are you interested in getting relief and finding solutions? Would you like to feel good about your life and relationships? I use empirical research and science across multiple disciplines to show clients just like you how you can get real-world, tangible, time-tested, and long-lasting, results that lead to optimal mental and relational health. Mental and relational health is not just a reduction in symptoms and problems. Instead, they are increases in self-control and empowerment, as well as acceptance, freedom, kindness, compassion, safety, and understanding - for yourself and others.

My approach to psychotherapy will help you gain a greater understanding of who you are underneath the dictates and even the more subtle influences of your family of origin, as well as of the greater culture. I use a number of different tools such as exploring your dreams, journal writing, art work and/or EMDR to discover your psyche's true calling. Living in integrity with one's dreams and contributing from a place of authenticity can feel highly rewarding.

In laymen's terms, psychotherapy is the opportunity to talk about and process your problems or challenges with a trained therapist. Sometimes, we don't need someone to try to fix our problems for us, which is what most of our friends try to do when we talk about them. Sometimes we need someone who will listen and be a sounding board so we can think through and process for ourselves. I want to support you with your goals and your needs and we can make a therapy plan (psychotherapy or other types) that you feel will best suit your needs. Most importantly, I provide that safe environment for you to be able to be vulnerable, talk about, and process whatever is on your heart and in your mind.

I work with an entire person--the mind, emotions, body, spirit, relationships. I offer an alternative approach to traditional psychotherapy because sometimes we are stuck beyond our thoughts. I believe we are often stuck beyond how we think about something, but by how our body holds and remembers the experiences. After all, we feel the anxiety in our chest, shoulders or stomach. When we are depressed, we struggle to move, sleep, concentrate etc. I work to remove the block from wherever it is stuck. My clients come to me after years of ineffective therapy. They are looking for more than talking about their struggles or identifying how they think about them in favor of a change in living.

I use an integrative approach to therapy which means that we will work together to discover and use the tools that best fit your needs, strengths, and goals. It is most important that you feel safe and comfortable, and we will start with getting to know each other and developing a sense of safety. Then we will explore what feels right to your inner world. I believe each person has a natural impulse toward healing, and often that impulse feels covered over by the stressors of life. We work together to gently peel back the layers and uncover your authentic self. Techniques that we can use are mindfulness, EMDR, and expressive therapies like sand tray, drawing, or writing.

My approach to therapy is grounded in the belief that by uncovering the source of our problems, we can work together to heal and find a sense of confidence and clarity. I provide unique and tailored psychoanalytic therapies to help my clients make sense of their lives and better understand the source of their issues. When the source is identified, a path to wellness can be established. My goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment, free of judgment and pressure, where my clients can look into their emotions, experiences, and behaviors to gain insight and clarity. I believe that understanding our emotions is the key to unlocking our potential and finding relief and healing.

James Hillman once said, "We've had a hundred years of psychotherapy and the world is getting worse." While there are many occasions where the validation and listening endemic to psychotherapy makes sense, there are times where we over assume that "feeling better" and "changing behavior" are the same. Grey Matters International, Inc. goes after the forgotten brain laws to behavior change that therapists miss when processing hours and hours of dialogues with people. Utilizing a cutting edge technology to facilitate the emotional process of change, we can make the therapy process way more effective, faster, and with less money spent. Contact kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.