Child Therapy (6 years and older)
Child therapy has been shown to be greatly effective for children facing a variety of challenges. A child may suddenly develop emotional and behavioral issues, appearing to be withdrawn, worried, aggressive, or act out in an attempt to be noticed or heard. Children can also suffer from loss or stress. This could be due to changes in the home or school, such as a divorce or difficulties in school. But unlike adults, children have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings verbally. Sometimes, deep emotions are more effectively identified and treated through art or play therapy. This approach can help a child gain new ways of feeling, thinking, and relating. Whatever the reason might be for the sudden change in your child's mood or behavior, I can help you identify if he/she is going through a normal developmental stage or if there is a need for further intervention. Due to specialized trainings, I am also particularly skilled in addressing the unique needs of children with abuse/neglect histories and/or who have been through family separation, family loss, custody disputes, foster care, and adoption.
Adolescent Therapy
An adolescent will experience the developmental task of searching for an identity. They may begin to see themselves as separate from their parents, attempt to distance themselves from them, and challenge boundaries. While this can be a sign of a normal stage in their development, some teens might engage in risky behaviors or develop other serious problems, such as teenage depression, suicide thoughts, poor self-esteem and body image, addiction, or anger and bullying behaviors. Adolescents can benefit from traditional “talk therapy” to help them through minor issues and transitions in their lives. I can help you determine if counseling and the use of proven effective treatment methods will benefit your teenager or if other suggestions, such as family work, group therapy, or other referrals, are needed.
Adult Therapy
Whether you seek individual, couple, or family therapy, we can work together to improve your relationships, overall mood, and wellbeing. The treatment direction will be goal-oriented with an emphasis on problem-solving and achieving balance. Depending on the issues being addressed, I use a variety of approaches to help clients increase self-awareness and to gain an understanding of the thoughts, behaviors, and underlying emotions that might be causing difficulties in daily functioning. I believe in a collaborative relationship with my clients and apply treatment planning as a formalized process in their care, which helps measure progress and maintain focus on the most effective treatment to use for specific concerns. I also work with those who seek therapy due to legal compliance, but achieving the desired outcome in this situation will highly depend on the client's internal motivation for growth.
Therapeutic Supervised Visitation
A non-custodial parent and child may be ordered by the court to have therapeutic visitation. The goal of this visit is to strengthen the parent-child relationship and for family members to have productive visits. I can provide a safe environment to help the child and parent appropriately express his/her feelings. A combination of parent training and assistance for an open dialogue can also help address the current problems. A progress report can be prepared if requested.
Parenting Education Classes
Children bring so much joy to parents, but raising children takes a bit of work and can be a challenge. If you need guidance and direction to help empower you in this journey, I offer a course modeled after the court-recognized Breakthrough Parenting Classes. If you are mandated to complete a parenting program, I can provide you with a completion letter.
Anger Management Classes
The expression of anger can take on many forms. The emotion expressed can either have harmful or beneficial effects. Expressing anger in negative ways can lead to emotional or physical consequences while expressing anger in positive ways can help a person acknowledge his/her own feelings or resolve conflicts more appropriately. If you need the skills and techniques to understand and manage your anger, classes are available. I facilitate a weekly Women-only anger management classes for adults. The safe context of a Women-only group helps enhance the interactive process between participants and fosters the confidence to engage in dialogue. This type of supportive environment also allows for the emotional and behavioral expressions from the variability of interpersonal and communication styles conveyed by women.
Free Therapy Sessions
Is gambling disrupting your life and negatively impacting you and your loved ones? Free confidential therapy is being offered to problem gamblers and/or their affected family members through a state-grant funding. I have specialized training in the treatment of gambling disorders and a California State-Authorized provider listed with 1-800-Gambler. I can provide free counseling in my office and also phone counseling at no-cost for this specific concern.
Therapy Services
PsyD, LCSW, LPCC
LCS# 24616 & LPC# 391
***Disclaimer: Dr. Camille Ortanez cannot predict the outcome of treatment and cannot guarantee treatment success nor express or imply that personal problems presented by a client can or will be resolved. Treatment length and outcome may vary for each individual. The exploratory nature of psychotherapy is an organic form, not a product or item; therefore, client's interpretation, perception of an intervention, use of recommendation, and how information is processed is their responsibility alone. Please be advised that this website or any links to social media is held to copyright and any opinions, written blogs, or articles, are written for informational purposes only and not a substitute for psychotherapy or a replacement for medical advice.
