Therapy for Trauma, Grief, Anxiety & Addiction
Therapy offers a safe environment where you can heal from stressful situations, traumatic events, grief, anxiety, and addiction. Therapy can help if you are feeling stuck, struggling with a past or current issue, or having trouble reaching your goals.
As a therapist, I am dedicated to helping people make the changes that they want in their lives and supporting people as they heal and grow. I help people who are healing from stressful or traumatic events, grief, anxiety, and addiction:
Healing from abuse, neglect, and other traumatic events: Unresolved trauma gets in the way of truly living life and doing all that you want to do. You can heal and recover.
Healing from sexual abuse/assault: You can feel better and reclaim your life.
Grief counseling: Grief can be so painful and feel very isolating. Grief counseling can help you move more easily through the grief process.
Decreasing anxiety and stress: Anxiety and stress are very common, but can interfere with enjoying life. In therapy, you can learn ways to decrease anxiety and feel calmer.
Recovering from alcohol abuse, addiction, or codependency: You can explore the pros and cons of sobriety, decide what you want, find ways to reduce urges, and make a plan for action.
LGBTQ-friendly: I love working with people who are beginning to explore their identity & people who have been out for years. I enjoy working with people of all sexual orientations and gender identities (gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, heterosexual, cis, trans, nonbinary). I’m also knowledgeable about kink and polyamory.
If you do not see a particular issue listed but like my general approach to therapy, please feel free to call me or email me at stacy@stacyoleary.com. You can also schedule a free phone consultation with me. I can tell you if I have experience with a particular issue and refer you to other Sunnyvale therapists if necessary. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have. (Lic. # LMFT40414)
My Approach to Therapy (EMDR and Other Techniques)
I am collaborative, compassionate, and interactive. I have worked hard to find effective and compassionate ways to help people heal and grow. Because of its effectiveness, I use EMDR therapy more than any other approach. But of course, everyone is different, so different approaches work for different people. I use the following approaches:
EMDR therapy (a way of resolving trauma and other past difficulties) (EMDR is my primary approach.)
Mindfulness exercises (practicing ways to feel calmer and more grounded)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (exploring and changing negative thoughts)
Hypnosis or guided meditation (accessing your own strengths to solve problems & feel calmer)
Therapeutic NLP (actively connecting to your own inner resources & solutions)
Solution-focused talk therapy or counseling (talking about the problem and finding solutions)
I believe that this blend of approaches can help people more fully resolve issues and make the changes that they want in their lives. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can use just one approach or a blend of approaches. I encourage people to explore what works for them. I tailor my approach to each person, based on what he or she wants from therapy. There is more information on my approach to therapy page.
I offer both brief therapy and longer-term therapy. The number of sessions depends on the initial problem and your goals for therapy.
I enjoy working with people who are new to therapy, as well as with people who have been in therapy before. Sometimes deciding to begin counseling can be a difficult decision. If it would be helpful, you can read more about the benefits of therapy.
An Engineer's Perspective on Therapy
I have a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois (1993). Coming from an engineering background has led me to search for therapy techniques with proven effectiveness.
Standard talk therapy, where people talk primarily about their problems, did not seem very effective. So I began looking into how people change and finding approaches that are research-based.
I have a practical and down-to-earth approach to therapy. While I am compassionate, I am also analytical. I've learned a lot about methods that can help people change the habits that they are struggling to change. I've also learned approaches that I think are very effective in helping people heal from traumatic or stressful events.
I'm solution-focused. Of course, understanding the problem is important. But like an engineer, I'm curious about the potential solutions and how best to get there.
My Experience as a Therapist
I have been a licensed therapist since 2003, and I have worked in the counseling field since 1996. I began working in private practice in Mountain View in 2004 and moved my therapy office to Sunnyvale in 2018. Before starting a private practice, I worked with a counseling agency and substance abuse recovery program, at several schools, and with a grief counseling program.
Because I was disappointed by standard talk therapy, I completed extensive trainings in EMDR therapy, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, and NLP. Because EMDR therapy works so well, I use EMDR more than other approaches now.
I love being a therapist. I am grateful to get to do something that I love and that I believe in.
For more information, please see my about me page.
LGBTQ+ Experience & Inclusiveness
I work with people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, races, ethnicities, and religions/spiritualities (or lack of religion/spirituality).
Sometimes, coming out as LGBTQ+ or transitioning is an issue that we focus on in therapy. Other times, being LGBTQ+ is not a therapy issue, but people just want to know that their therapist understands and embraces who they are. For more info, please read my LGBTQ+ therapy page.
I am also knowledgeable about kink and polyamory.
Therapy License Information
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). The license title is confusing because LMFTs work with individuals, couples, and families. Even though I mostly work with individuals, I use a comprehensive systems perspective. I primarily offer individual therapy for adults. (Lic. # LMFT40414)
I am a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. I was a board member with the Santa Clara California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the Santa Cruz California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
Counseling Fees
Please click on the link for more information about fees and insurance.
For health insurance companies, I am an out-of-network therapist. I do not accept insurance or bill insurance. I can give you a receipt, and you can try to get reimbursed by your insurance company. I wrote more information about seeing an out-of-network therapist at the above link. You can also call your insurance company to get a list of Sunnyvale therapists.
Available Openings
Please see my scheduling page for available openings or to schedule a free phone consultation. I am mostly offering online therapy.
Online Therapy - Mountain View & sunnyvale
I primarily see people online. Let me know if you prefer meeting in person in Sunnyvale or Mountain View.
I’ve been surprised at how effective online therapy has been. I got comfortable with it during the pandemic, and I was surprised that many of my clients did not want to go back to meeting in person (largely due to the convenience of online therapy).
To Schedule an Appointment or Ask Questions
Call me at (650) 272-7520 or email me at stacy@stacyoleary.com to ask any questions you have or set up an appointment. You can also schedule a free phone consultation with me.