in-person Therapy in carmel and online across california

Your story matters
and so do you

Schedule Free Consultation
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You’ve been pushing through for so long, you almost didn’t notice when things got this hard.

Does this sound familiar? You…

  • Feel like too much and not enough, sometimes in the same moment.

  • Spent so much time being who others need you to be that you've completely lost track of who you actually are.

  • You've become an expert at managing everyone else's emotions while yours eat you alive from the inside.

  • Every emotion immediately hits your tear ducts first- happy, sad, frustrated, touched- and you're exhausted from apologizing for it.

  •  "Stop being so emotional" has been said to you so often that now you say it to yourself before anyone else can.

  • The ways you learned to protect yourself growing up, like never asking for help or always being "fine", are now pushing people away.

  • Said yes to avoid disappointing them, but now you're furious at yourself for disappointing you.

Therapist, Ali Rodriguez LMFT, with long brown hair, wearing a coral long-sleeve shirt, sitting on a wooden bench by the seaside, smiling at the camera with green plants and the ocean in the background on a cloudy day.

Hi, i’m ali.

Your emotions feel overwhelming because you’re treating them like problems instead of information.

I believe they aren’t the enemy, they’re the map.

I'm a therapist who's been through my own messy journey, and I help people understand what their feelings are actually trying to say, because once you can read the map, you can finally stop feeling so lost. This isn't about being “fixed”, it's about becoming your own guide. Together, we'll build the tools you need to navigate any emotional terrain, not just the current storm.

Learn more about me
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How I can help

I specialize in…

  • Sometimes you're drowning in "what-ifs," sometimes you're too numb to care about anything. Whether your brain is racing or checked out, you're exhausted from never feeling okay in the present moment. We'll work on understanding what your anxiety is protecting you from and what your depression is telling you about your needs — then build real strategies for both the spinning and the stuck.

  • Stop the cycle of people-pleasing, losing yourself, or pushing people away. We'll decode your relationship patterns and help you build connections that actually feel good — starting with the one with yourself.

  • Senior year. Freshman year. Final year. They all come with their own special brand of overwhelming. Add in imposter syndrome, academic pressure, and trying to answer "what's next?" when you can barely handle "what's now?", and no wonder you're exhausted. I work with students from high school through grad school to find solid ground in all this uncertainty.

HOW IT WORKS

  1. Schedule a free consultation.

    We'll chat for about 20 minutes to make sure we're a good fit. You'll ask your questions, I'll ask mine, and we'll both get a feel for if this could work. No pressure, no commitment. Just two humans figuring out if we vibe.

  2. We do the work.

    We start meeting weekly or biweekly to figure out what's really going on. This is where we decode your patterns, make sense of your emotions, and start building actual tools you'll use. Some weeks are heavy, some are lighter, all are useful.

  3. Build Momentum.

    Progress isn't linear, but you'll start trusting yourself more. The spirals get shorter, the patterns make sense, and life feels less exhausting. We'll adjust as you grow because therapy should evolve with you.

You found your way here.

I’ll help you find your way forward.

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Flexible options because life is complicated enough.

I offer both in-person and online sessions

Pick what works best for your life. Love the ritual of coming to an office? Let's meet in person in my cozy office in Carmel. Prefer the convenience of therapy from home? Virtual works great. We can meet from anywhere in California. Both are equally effective, it's just about what fits your style and schedule.

You’re not alone.

The story you’re trying to hide? That’s the one that needs to be heard.

Get Started Today