Emily Perez (she/her)

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #126512 & Lead Clinician

CLINICAL APPROACH

Being a teenager in this day and age can be such a challenge. I love being able to help my teenage clients navigate the day-to-day stressors on top of whatever mental health concerns they come in with. Along with supporting teenagers, I enjoy working collaboratively with parents to offer support and strategies for tackling tough situations. I particularly enjoy supporting clients who are struggling with anxiety disorders, grief and loss, and major life transitions.

I practice person-centered and cognitive behavioral therapy; I believe the client is the expert on their own experiences and that the way we think about things can affect feelings and behaviors. Through therapy, I hope to help my clients increase awareness of their own thoughts and feelings and find new ways to solve problems. In addition to my primary modalities, I also have training in DBT, ACT, and motivational interviewing. While I prefer evidence-based therapy and am scientifically minded, I like to keep my communication style with clients informal and like to use humor when it’s appropriate. In sessions with clients, I enjoy learning about my client’s hobbies, interests, and strengths. I believe it’s important to get to know a person, not just what their problems are. I think especially for teens, this is a critical component in therapy.

ABOUT ME

I am a therapist because I love connecting and supporting others. I get genuine joy helping my clients and spending focused time with individuals and families. I have always felt my purpose in life was to help others live happier and healthier lives and in this role, I am able to accomplish that. I am guided by the belief that compassion and self-compassion are the keys to happiness. It’s been working well for me so far!

In my time away from work, I can be found spending lots of time with my husband and our pets (one cat and one dog). I am a total nerd and enjoy playing video games, watching horror movies, doing puzzles, and playing card games with friends. In the past I volunteered rehabilitating wildlife, so I also enjoy bird watching and spending time outside.

SERVICES I OFFER

In-person & virtual sessions for:

  • Individual Therapy (Teens)

  • Family Therapy

  • Parent Support Therapy

THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES & PRACTICES I USE

  • Gender Affirmative Clinical Model

  • Humanistic Therapy

  • Mindfulness

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Person-Centered Therapy

  • Solution-Focused Therapy

  • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (trauma-informed)

  • Crisis Intervention

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  • Family Systems Therapy

SPECIALTIES

  • Death of a pet

  • Life Transitions

  • Anxiety Disorders

  • Grief & Loss


AREAS OF CONCERN I WORK WITH

  • Impulsivity

  • LGBTQ+ Concerns (Anxiety, Coming Out, Depression, Discrimination from Family/Friends/Community, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity Exploration, Gender Incongruence, Interpersonal Connections, Romantic Relationships, Sexual Orientation Exploration, Transitioning)

  • Life Transitions

  • Loneliness

  • Neglect

  • Perfectionism

  • Personality Disorders

  • Pessimism

  • Phobias

  • Procrastination & Motivation

  • PTSD

  • Relationship Problems

  • School Avoidance

  • Self-Esteem

  • Self-Harm

  • Sensitivity To Rejection & Criticism

  • Sexual Assault (Survivor)

  • Shyness

  • Sleep Problems (Nightmares, Night Terrors, Insomnia)

  • Social Skills

  • Stress & Stress Management

  • Suicide (Attempted, Ideation)

  • Trauma

  • Trust Issues

  • Video Game Addiction

  • Abandonment

  • Abuse (Emotional, Verbal, Physical, Sexual) (Offender)

  • Abuse (Emotional, Verbal, Physical, Sexual) (Survivor)

  • Academic Problems

  • Adoption

  • Anxiety (Generalized, OCD, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder, Social)

  • Attachment Issues

  • Attention Problems/ADHD

  • Bipolar

  • Blended Families

  • Body Dysmorphia

  • Body Image

  • Bullied By Others

  • Bullies Others

  • Communication Difficulties

  • Cultural Concerns

  • Death & Preoccupation with Death

  • Death of a Pet

  • Depression (Major, Seasonal)

  • Discrimination

  • Disordered Eating (Binging, Orthorexia, Purging, Restricting)

  • Divorce (Supporting Teens)

  • Domestic Violence

  • Family Conflict

  • Grief, Loss & Bereavement

  • Health & Medical Problems

  • Identity Exploration

  • Illness Within the Family

* Areas of concern in bold are areas I'm particularly passionate about working with

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Education:

  • M.A. in Counseling

  • B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Human Development

Work Experience: 

  • Therapist at Teen Therapy Center (2019-present)

  • Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee/Associate at the YWCA Silicon Valley; provided individual and family therapy at the clinic and individual therapy to students at Willow Glen Middle School. (2018-2019)

  • Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee at Bill Wilson Center; provided individual, family, and group therapy for adults, teens, and children. (2017-2018)

  • Volunteer Sexual Assault Counselor at Rape Trauma Services; provided crisis intervention and support counseling on a 24-hour hotline and during post-assault medical exams and forensic interviews. (2015-2017)