Jon Stenson, PhD
Licensed Psychologist in the state of California (PSY16497)
My inspiration for becoming a therapist stems from my own struggles as a child and adolescent. I experienced a great deal of confusion and emotional pain and began to gain an understanding of the undiagnosed and untreated mental illness that existed in my community largely due to the traumatic events that myself, family, and friends were exposed to. The stigma that exists in society and lack of access to services, especially those that are culturally sensitive, also influenced my career choice and path. My twenty five year career has been spent providing trauma informed, high quality mental health services to marginalized populations.
I have worked in a wide variety of settings including community mental health clinics, schools, inpatient units, and crisis clinics for both county governments and community based organizations. Having the opportunity to work with diverse populations has helped me develop the compassion and clinical skill necessary to support people of all ages and backgrounds as they face life’s challenges.
My work is guided by psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral principles. I also utilize other approaches such as motivational interviewing and solution focused techniques as indicated. In addition, I strongly believe that therapy needs to be client centered and strength based no matter what modality one uses. These principles and values allow me to build strong therapeutic alliances and fosters the development of a safe, nonjudgmental space where people feel empowered and healing can take place.
I have experience in addressing the following issues:
- PTSD
- Depression
- Life transitions
- Anxiety
- Family issues
- Anger management
- School problems
Let’s work together so that you can make positive change and achieve the personal goals that will lead to a more satisfying, less stressful life.