Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Santa Cruz, CA covered by Cigna

Welcome—glad you made it here!

I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience in crisis mental health and private practice. I help adults and adolescents work through anxiety, stress, trauma, and relationship challenges. I understand the impact of high-stress roles where you’re expected to stay in control, even when things build up over time. My style is direct, grounded, and focused on what actually works in real life. I provide a space where you can be honest, feel understood, and be challenged in a way that leads to real change.

You don't have to arrive here put together. Whatever you're carrying right now belongs in this space: anxiety, grief, relationship stress, a shifting sense of who you are, or something you haven't quite found words for yet. I work with adults and older adults navigating the full range of what life brings, with a particular passion for supporting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities and people who are questioning or deconstructing their faith. My work spans trauma, identity, women's issues, OCD, depression, and the anger or sadness that accumulates when you've been holding too much for too long.

Feeling overwhelmed, stuck or needing to focus? I enjoy partnering with my clients on their journeys to improved wellness. In our time together, we will celebrate your strengths and develop goals to maximize your wellness, together. While we can't change our past, we can work together to process our story’s strengths and struggles. We can talk through your current challenges and quiet the noise around you. We can explore the barriers that may get in the way of enjoying life to the fullest. We can identify ways to find joy again. I look forward to meeting with you to plan how to achieve your goals.

Welcome to your search for a therapist. I know this process can be challenging and long, but you are worth the time, effort, and investment! My goal is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space to empower you to work through issues you are currently facing. I am a strong believer in that each person has the strength to find their own way to happiness and healing. Please feel free to contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we are the right fit!

Suenia Villa has a Masters in Social Work and

more than 17yrs experience in a variety of

settings, including community agencies,

government agencies and running her own nonprofit. She has many years of experience in

counseling a variety of populations and in

Spanish.

Prior to starting my private practice, I practiced for several years at a mental health agency. I accumulated experience working with children, adolescents, and adults while using individual therapy, couples therapy, and family therapy in an effort to meet each client's needs and allow for maximum growth and overall well-being. I’ve always wanted to help individuals around me evolve and overcome difficult situations that life puts people in and felt that marriage and family therapy was the field that encompassed most of the practices I wanted to expand on. I am certified in several evidence-based practices (EBP), which is the concept that occupational practices ought to be based on scientific evidence for maximal progress and successful outcomes. I am certified in the following EBPs: Cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, positive parenting, and managing and adapting practices.

Hi, I'm Mitch — a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University. San Diego has been home since 2020, when the Navy first brought me here.

My background includes pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, inpatient psychiatry in Nashville and San Diego, crisis stabilization, and outpatient mental health care. I’ve worked with veterans, college students, LGBTQ+ individuals, people experiencing homelessness, and patients navigating anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, trauma, substance use, and severe mental illness.

I primarily provide psychiatric evaluation and medication management while integrating supportive therapy, psychoeducation, and practical coping strategies into visits. My approach is collaborative, direct, and grounded in helping people improve day-to-day functioning and quality of life.

I look forward to getting to know you.

I am dedicated to helping teens struggling with trauma and self-harm behavior. My experience working with Orange Unified School District, running groups from grade 6-12 for students struggling with emotional and behavioral problems has given me unique insight into not only helping teens, but also working with the families, schools, and community to provide more effective treatment. I have partnered with Western Youth Services in helping at risk teens and low income families in helping adolescents to overcome academic barriers and families cope with serious defiance and drug use.

I have spent over 13 years in clinical practice at the locale, federal and community level. In this time I have developed an expertise in trauma treatment working directly with veterans, first responders and trauma survivors.