individual & couples Therapist in California

You’re Done with Surface-Level Coping. I’m here to find the Root Issues

Real Solutions. Lasting Change. Stronger Relationships.

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Who this is For

You’re Not Meant to Do This Alone—Change is Possible

I help clients navigate and resolve challenges in the following areas

Breaking Cycles- Self-Abandonment ·Anxious Attachment· People-Pleasing ·Over-functioning · Difficulty with Boundaries · Avoidant Attachment · Disorganized Attachment ·Parentification · Enmeshment · Mother Wounds ·Mother Hunger · Codependency ·Father Wounds ·Inner-Child Healing · Love Addiction · Limerence

Anxiety that just won't stop including health anxiety, relationship anxiety, and high functioning anxiety

Relationships and Love- Healing from toxic relationships · Moving on from an ex · Healing fears and being open to love · Situationships· Putting an end to chronic cheating · Trauma Bonding

Dysfunctional Family Systems- Guilt tripping/Emotional manipulation ·Estrangement from family

Complex trauma or C-PTSD (including what happened and what didn't happen but should have)

Esma Verma, licensed clinical social worker, smiling in her therapy office 
meet your therapist

I'm caring and straightforward.

Clients appreciate that I’m both caring and direct. I’m not cold or overly clinical, and I won’t sugarcoat things or avoid difficult conversations. I help clients get underneath the surface and start making real changes. You’ll feel supported, but you’ll also be held accountable. I believe both are necessary for growth.

More about Esma 
You're Not Alone in This

This Isn’t Traditional Therapy. And That Matters

You're looking to get to the root of the problem and achieve real change.

Here's what brings people to my practice:

I focus on helping people create meaningful, lasting change in ways that can open the door to real possibilities and growth through Brainspotting, IFS, somatic work, and other integrative approaches. If you’ve been feeling stuck or like life isn’t unfolding the way you hoped, you don’t have to navigate that alone.

Many of the people I work with come to me after trying other approaches that didn’t quite get to the root of what they were experiencing. They may have spent years in therapy, done deep self-healing work, or been referred by a trusted therapist or doctor. If that resonates with you, please know you’re not alone, and there are still options.

You deserve real relief, and I’m here to help you find it.

What Brings People Here

What I Work With

I specialize in the patterns that are hardest to see from the inside.

Anxiety

Anxiety often has roots in how we learned to relate, both to ourselves and to others. The overthinking, the tension in the body, the constant vigilance. We work with the nervous system to get to the root of these patterns, not just manage them.

Trauma

Trauma lives in the nervous system, not just in memory. The thing that happened, or the thing that didn't happen but should have. It stays in the body long after the mind has made sense of it. We process it where it's stored.

Attachment

People-pleasing, difficulty with boundaries, over-functioning in relationships, pulling away when things get close. These patterns often circle back to attachment: how we learned to connect early on. We work with them at the level where they formed.

Intentional, Results-Oriented Care

Designed to Support Real Progress and Long-Term Well being

You want an approach that supports meaningful growth and evolving independence over time

Meaningful progress. Not indefinite therapy:

My goal as a therapist is not to keep clients in therapy longer than needed, but to support them in reaching a level of healing where they feel less reliant on ongoing, consistent sessions.

Clients who work with me often find that they are able to make meaningful progress in their healing. As a result, many clients graduate from weekly therapy to biweekly sessions and then to as-needed support. My goal is to help you achieve your goals, so that you can move on.

“My therapeutic approach is one of wholeness. Rather than finding temporary relief of symptoms, I help clients find lasting growth and healing.”

Services

Root level healing for people who are done with surface-level solutions.

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Individual Therapy
Individual Therapy

One-on-one sessions tailored to your history, your nervous system, and your goals. Designed to support real progress and long-term well-being.

Couples Therapy
Couples Therapy

Couples Therapy That Gets to the Root of Relationship Challenges. Resolve the Pattern, Not Just the Problem.

Intensive Therapy
Intensive Therapy

Concentrated therapy sessions designed to create momentum and meaningful change.

Group Therapy
Group Therapy

A curated group experience combining Brainspotting with the healing power of being witnessed. There's something that shifts when you realize you're not the only one carrying this.

My Approach

What This Work Feels Like

Sessions are conversational and relaxed, while still being intentional and clinically guided. We work with both mind and body, getting to the root of the pattern, not just managing it. I attune to what's emerging and adjust the work accordingly, so the pace always feels manageable.

Over time, you notice you're able to pause before reacting. The inner critic gets quieter. Relationships start to feel less charged. You can navigate them with awareness and choice rather than just trying to survive them. The changes feel lasting because they're rooted in the body, not just in understanding.

From the blog

Thoughts on Therapy & Healing

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Couples Therapy for Trust Issues: Healing Relationship Trauma Through Brainspotting and Relational Self-Awareness
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Couples Therapy for Trust Issues: Healing Relationship Trauma Through Brainspotting and Relational Self-Awareness
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Most couples aren't fighting because they don't care — they're fighting because old wounds get activated. How Brainspotting and relational self-awareness help partners move from blame toward understanding.

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Group Therapy From Your Living Room: Why More People Are Choosing Support From Home
Group Therapy
Group Therapy From Your Living Room: Why More People Are Choosing Support From Home
Group Therapy

Many people are curious about group therapy but feel unsure about where to start. Online group therapy often makes that first step feel more approachable.

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Four Signs You’re Healing from Insecure Attachment and Relationship Trauma
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Four Signs You’re Healing from Insecure Attachment and Relationship Trauma
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Healing isn't a straight line. But there are moments that signal real, meaningful change.

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Five Gentle Reminders When Navigating Unhealthy Family Relationships
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Five Gentle Reminders When Navigating Unhealthy Family Relationships
Family & Relationships

You are allowed to set boundaries, even with people you love.

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What Is Brainspotting and How Can It Support Healing?
Brainspotting
What Is Brainspotting and How Can It Support Healing?
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Most of us were taught that success means pushing through, staying busy, and never slowing down. But what if the version of success you're chasing was never actually yours to begin with?

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