Family therapy and counseling in Santa Cruz, CA

Please note that although I enjoy working with couples, I will no longer be able to offer couples therapy due to insurance reimbursement issues.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC II) with over 25 years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families as they navigate life and the concerns that arise. I specialize in addiction, trauma, and co-occurring mental health challenges. I bring a deep commitment to meeting people where they are in their process. In my practice, I offer a warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed space where clients feel seen, heard, and supported. I believe meaningful change happens when we honor each person’s lived experience and work together toward self-identified goals at a pace that feels safe and manageable. I meet clients where they are, whether they are just beginning to explore change or looking to deepen their healing and personal growth.

I'm an open minded individual and welcome any topics in treatment

Pamela Hughes received her Undergraduate Degree in Psychology and her Masters Degree

in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, California.

Pamela has worked with individuals, couples and families improving their relationships

using the Collaborative Communication Skills as an Instructor. Pamela specializes in Addictions, ADHD, Family Systems and Hoarding.

I have been practicing for 40 + years, in the Southbay, Torrance area. I am a psychologist with a Ph.D. I specialize with young children, adolescence. I also work with couples, families and am practized in depression, anxiety, psychosis, and divorce. I utalize cognitive/behavioral and psychdynamic therapies. I match my approach to the personality and needs of thebpatient.

We can all feel overwhelmed by persistent sadness, anxiety, or racing thoughts. Major life shifts—like a career change, relationship end, parenting, or new phase of life—can be difficult to navigate. You do not have to figure it out alone.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) dedicated to helping adults break free from painful emotional patterns and reclaim a sense of control. My practice specializes in treating mood disorders and guiding individuals through challenging life transitions.

You may be someone who looks capable on the outside but inside feels anxious, overwhelmed, self-critical, or stuck in patterns you understand but can’t seem to change. Maybe you’ve gotten very good at holding things together, taking care of others, or pushing through—even when something inside you is asking for a different way.

For more than a decade, I’ve helped adults navigate anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, relationship and attachment difficulties, people-pleasing, boundaries, and the lasting effects of experiences that continue to shape how they feel about themselves and relate to others. I also have extensive experience supporting LGBTQIA+ clients and understand how important it is to have a space where your identity and relationships don’t need to be explained, defended, or translated.

I earned my master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles, with specialized training in LGBTQIA+ affirmative psychotherapy. I’m an EMDR Certified therapist and have advanced training in mindfulness and trauma-focused care. My professional background includes both private practice and treatment settings, giving me experience working with a wide range of concerns and levels of distress.

My style is warm, engaged, curious, and down-to-earth. I won’t just sit back and nod. I’ll listen closely, ask questions, offer observations, and help you look at things from different angles. I believe therapy works best when you feel genuinely understood and supported, while also having someone willing to gently challenge the patterns that may no longer be serving you.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Sonoma County with six years of clinical experience working with young people and families. I've worked across a range of settings including intensive residential treatment, county behavioral health, and outpatient care, and I bring that breadth of experience into my private practice. I specialize in navigating anxiety, trauma, identity, family conflict, and life transitions.

I support deep-feeling individuals in gaining self‐knowledge, confidence in their own intuition and voice, and practical tools to navigate challenges when they resurface. My work is collaborative and person‐centered; I see therapy as a process of guiding you back to yourself, rather than telling you what you should do.

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Together, we explore how past experiences may be impacting your life today, build awareness of your nervous system, and create space for clarity around your purpose and goals.

I am LGBTQIA+ and multiculturally informed and welcome diverse communities into my practice.

We all reach seasons of life that feel bigger than what we expected to carry.

Maybe becoming a parent has felt more overwhelming than you imagined. Maybe your baby spent time in the NICU, and life after coming home hasn't looked the way you thought it would. Maybe you're a new dad trying to find your footing, feeling anxious, disconnected, or unsure of where you fit. Maybe you're worried about your child's development, or maybe you're navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, or a major life transition of your own.

I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families, with specialized experience supporting early childhood mental health, developmental differences and neurodiversity, pregnancy and postpartum, and families navigating NICU stays and medically complex journeys.

Whatever brings you here, my goal is to help you better understand what's happening, feel more confident moving forward, and create meaningful change that lasts beyond the therapy space.