Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapists & psychiatrists in La Jolla, CA

Hello! I work with adult clients, ages 18-64 years old, who have medication management needs for their mental health conditions. Clients should have appropriate acuity in the mild-to-moderate range for telehealth care. Certain conditions or symptom severity levels may need a more intensive care setting than telehealth. Same week appointments available.

For over 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of helping individuals untangle the weight of trauma, stress, and life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to navigate this alone. Whether you’re feeling on edge, disconnected, overwhelmed, or stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, therapy can be a place to finally exhale.

I entered into this field to help individuals to learn, grow and heal at their own pace. I fundamentally believe that we are the experts of ourselves and our experiences. My role through my education, learning and experience is to support clients’ in unlocking their awareness of patterns to increase the clients’ ability to access the tools within them to facilitate their learning, growth and healing through a collaborative process.

As a Black/African American woman, I am passionate about working with people of color (especially people of color who identify as LGBTIA+) in destigmatizing mental health in our communities and identifying how systemic racism/systemic oppression affect our mental health.

My strengths as a therapist are rooted in fifteen years of experience working in the field as a mental health clinician in a variety of settings. I have supported individual’s ability to access their inherent tools to overcome struggles connected to trauma, grief & loss, depression and general anxiety. Over the course of my experience I have developed skills in providing therapy to underrepresented, underserviced families, children, individuals, and couples. I also have a wealth of experience supporting youth involved in the juvenile justice system, oppositional teens, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

I'm Candice Jeffers, a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with an unusual background—I spent nearly a decade in cardiovascular critical care before dedicating myself to mental health. That ICU experience taught me something crucial: psychiatric crises deserve the same urgency, expertise, and unwavering support as any cardiac emergency.

For nine years at Ascension Seton Medical Center's Cardiovascular ICU, I supervised teams through impossible situations. I learned to stay steady when everything felt uncertain, to read the subtle signs others might miss, and to offer hope when families needed it most. Those years shaped how I practice psychiatry today—with precision, presence, and profound respect for what you're facing.

I completed my Master of Science in Nursing at University of South Alabama in 2024, immersing myself in over 600 clinical hours spanning outpatient clinics, inpatient psychiatry, and crisis intervention. My pediatric nursing background adds another layer—I understand how early experiences shape us and how differently mental health shows up across ages.

My practice centers on thorough psychiatric evaluations, personalized medication management, and crisis intervention for all ages. I specialize in suicide risk assessment, trauma-informed approaches, and evidence-based treatments that actually fit into real lives. I'm MOUD-trained and licensed for telehealth in Texas, California, Arizona, and Florida.

Here's what matters most: I approach mental health as someone who's held space for both miracles and heartbreak. I know seeking help requires tremendous courage. I know healing rarely follows a straight line. And I know you need a provider who won't flinch, no matter what you share. My work blends critical care decisiveness with deep compassion—because you deserve both.

Overwhelmed, stressed-out everyday? Feeling over-burdened? You could be suffering from anxiety, depression or something THAT IS TREATABLE! I believe in the potential of every human being to grow and change, with love, care, support, and knowledge.

I have helped people for over 20 years to manage their lives better and cope with anxiety, depression, and other disorders.

Do you feel like something is wrong with you? Do you wish it would all just stop and go away? Is your child acting out and you don't know why or what to do? If you have had any of these thoughts, then you're in the right place! My practice is based around what happened to us, not what is wrong with us. I am here to support & guide you in processing thoughts and feelings, reflect on experiences, learn new coping skills, and figure out next steps. I will listen, teach, brainstorm, guide and help you build tools to meet your goals.

Vanessa Diaz is a board-certified, licensed provider who offers expert mental health care for anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, stressful life events, and many more conditions. Her goal is to help her clients live their best lives using modern, evidence-based solutions.

After graduating from New York University with a BFA in drama, I moved to Los Angeles and taught drama and English literature at an L.A. public high school for nearly 20 years. My experience working with teenagers and their families taught me that, all too often, kids' barriers to learning are not academic in nature, but rather emotional challenges stemming from adversity and trauma. I became more and more interested in learning how to help teenagers and adults alike navigate these obstacles and come out stronger in the long run. So, I went back to graduate school to pursue a new career as a therapist so that I could help in a different way. My training and experience has focused on treating anxiety disorders (including OCD), PTSD and Complex-PTSD, and also couples - helping them to navigate challenges and triggers so that they can reset and reconnect.