Integrative Psychotherapy • CaliforniaYou’re Done with Surface-Level Coping. I’m here to find the Root Issues
Together we can heal the underlying wounds that created them.
Who this is ForYou’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
Anxiety that just won't stop including health 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)
Meet EsmaI'm Esma Verma, LCSW
I'm an integrative psychotherapist based in California, and I specialize in working with sensitive, high-functioning people who look fine on the outside but feel stuck on the inside.
My approach isn't about surface-level coping skills or generic frameworks. We go to the root — using Brainspotting, IFS, and somatic work to access the parts of yourself that talk therapy alone can't reach.
I believe healing happens in relationship. My job is to create a space steady enough to hold whatever comes up — and brave enough to go where it matters.
I’m not afraid of hard conversations, and I won’t tiptoe around the things that matter.
Clients appreciate that I’m both caring and direct. I’m not cold or overly clinical, but I also won’t sugarcoat things or avoid difficult conversations. I help clients get underneath the surface and start making real changes.
You're Not Alone in ThisThis 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 HereWhat I Work With
I specialize in the patterns that are hardest to see from the inside.
Intentional, Results-Oriented CareDesigned 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.
How I workTherapeutic Modalities
I don't use just one approach. I pull from multiple evidence-based modalities based on what the moment calls for.
Brainspotting
A powerful, brain-body approach that accesses unprocessed trauma and emotional material by using your visual field to locate and process "brainspots" — points where the body holds activation. It bypasses the thinking brain to access what talk therapy often can't reach.
ACT, CBT & DBT
Evidence-based frameworks that build concrete skills — identifying thought patterns, developing distress tolerance, and learning to act from your values rather than your anxiety. I draw on these as needed, woven into the deeper relational work.
Internal Family Systems
IFS works with the "parts" of you — the protector who people-pleases, the inner critic that won't shut up, the exile carrying old pain. We get to know them, understand their role, and help them update to the present.
Somatic Approaches
Your body keeps the score. Somatic work means paying attention to what your nervous system is doing — the tightness, the numbness, the activation — and using that information as a doorway into deeper processing.
“My therapeutic approach is one of wholeness. Rather than finding temporary relief of symptoms, I help clients find lasting growth and healing.”
Services
Depth-oriented therapy for people who are done with surface-level solutions.
Individual Therapy
One-on-one sessions tailored to your history, your nervous system, and your goals. We work at your pace — and we go as deep as you're ready to go.
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Couples Therapy
For couples ready to move beyond surface-level fixes. We work with the patterns underneath — the ones that keep showing up no matter how many times you try to talk it through.
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Intensive Therapy
A focused, immersive approach for people whose lives are too full for weekly sessions. Dedicated time to go deeper — with momentum, depth, and care.
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Brainspotting 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.
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My ApproachWhat 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.
Whether through individual sessions, Brainspotting Group Therapy, or a combination of both, the work is steady, intentional, and grounded in relational safety.
Therapy that feels human — and helps you grow.
Real support. Clear conversations. Lasting change
From the blogThoughts on Therapy & Healing
Take the First StepReady to Stop Managing
and Start Healing?
You don’t need to have it all figured out. If what you’ve read resonates, let’s talk.