About Alex
Hi! I’m Alex.
I’m a licensed psychotherapist, lifelong learner, and perfectly imperfect person. I’ve always been interested in how people think, how we make sense of our experiences, and why certain patterns can feel so hard to shift, even and especially when we’re trying our best.
The people I work with often feel like they’ve been carrying a lot for a long time. They’re thoughtful, capable, and self-aware, yet feel overwhelmed by their inner world or unsure how to steady themselves when things feel like too much. Many have tried to manage on their own for years, pushing through discomfort, overthinking their way forward, or holding themselves to impossible standards.
I know what it’s like to struggle internally and feel alone in that experience, even when things appear fine from the outside. That understanding shapes how I work, but my role in therapy isn’t to offer reassurance or tell you everything will be okay. It’s to help you slow things down, make sense of what’s happening, and develop a more supportive and sustainable way of relating to yourself.
You don’t need the right words or a clear plan before you begin. I’ll meet you where you are, and we’ll take it from there.
Get To Know Me
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I come back often to curiosity and honesty. I try to stay open, even when things feel uncomfortable, and to take risks that feel supportive rather than self-punishing. I value vulnerability in relationships and remind myself that it’s okay not to be okay.
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What happens to us and how we interpret our experiences are not the same. Life can be painful, but much of our suffering comes from the way we relate to what’s happening rather than the events themselves.
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Learning to be more present with myself. Acknowledging how I feel instead of pushing past it. Paying attention to where my inner experience and my outer life feel aligned, and where they don’t.
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We can never predict or know everything. The best we can do is make the most honest choice available to us at the time and meet ourselves with compassion afterward.
Background
My journey toward becoming a therapist began during my undergraduate education, when I became interested in the impact mental health can have on our physical well-being and daily lives.
As someone who has struggled with anxiety for much of my life, learning about the mind helped me change my relationship with parts of myself that once felt overwhelming or difficult to understand. Being in therapy myself also had a meaningful impact on my sense of self, awareness, and internal steadiness. Those experiences ultimately led me to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.
As a therapist, I feel honored to sit with people as they navigate difficult moments in their lives. I care deeply about helping clients work through what’s hard rather than pushing past it, and about creating a space that feels supportive, thoughtful, and real.
During my psychotherapy training, I worked with LGBTQIA+ identifying individuals and co-led a weekly Transgender Support Group.
Outside of the therapy room, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, practicing yoga and pilates, making art, and reading.
Qualifications
M.A., Clinical Psychology | Pepperdine University
B.A., Psychology | University of California, Santa Barbara
Practicum Placement: The Pacific Pride Foundation
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 149756
I work with clients both in-person at my Santa Barbara office and remotely throughout California.
If You’d Like to Work Together
Get started by completing this form below or scheduling an initial consultation.
Follow me on Instagram! @therapywithalexg
