DENISE NEELEY, LICENSED MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST
MA, LMFT
Have a particular life obstacle you’re trying to overcome? Sometimes, seeking help from a certified expert is the best way to put things into perspective. As a committed, professional Marriage and Family Therapist, your well-being and mental health is my number one priority. I’m here to guide you through all of life’s challenges with the attention and care you deserve.

ABOUT THERAPY
Many of us, as individuals and in relationships, have become stuck in patterns that make us feel like our life is just not working and we don't know why. Through use of a safe, supportive therapeutic environment, we find ways together to create a life that makes sense and functions with satisfaction and freedom. My hope for every individual or couple that I work with, is that the development of a stronger and freer sense of self will result in a wider range of choices that will lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life and more satisfying relationships.
I specialize in treating adult individuals and in relationships for addiction/co-addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma/PTSD, compulsive disorders, and adults molested as children.
NEED SUPPORT?
Alcohol Abuse
Anger Management
Codependency
Depression
Divorce
Drug Abuse
Grief
Impulse Control Disorders
Infidelity
Life Coaching
LGBTQIA+
Mood Disorders
Parenting
Peer Relationships
Sexual Abuse
Spirituality
Substance Abuse
Trauma and PTSD
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TREATMENT APPROACH
Your well-being is my ultimate concern. Since 1994, I have provided patients in the Orange County area a wide range of psychological and counseling services to suit their needs. Whether you’re an individual, a couple or a family looking for help - my therapy sessions are designed to strengthen your self-awareness, confidence and ability to be connected, and assist you in the healing process.
ATTACHMENT-BASED
Attachment-based therapy is form of therapy that applies to interventions or approaches based on attachment theory, which explains how the relationship a parent has with their child influences development.
PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY
Psychodynamic theraoy focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in the client's present behavior. The main goals of psychodynamic therapy are client self-awareness and understanding of the influence of the past on present behavior.
EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an approach to therapy that helps clients identify their emotions, learn to explore and experience them, to understand them and then to manage them. Emotionally Focused Therapy embraces the idea that emotions can be changed, first by arriving at or 'living' the maladaptive emotion (e.g. loss, fear or shame) in session, and then learning to transform it. Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples seeks to break the negative emotion cycles within relationships, emphasizing the importance of the attachment bond between couples, and how nurturing of the attachment bonds and an empathetic understanding of each others emotions can break the cycles.
RELATIONAL
Relational life therapy offers strategies to combat marital dysfunction and restore harmony in relationships. Couples--those recovering from affairs, traumatic events, or a lull in passion--can find RLT helpful. To repair discord, the therapist identifies the main conflict upsetting the couples' emotional intimacy. Once the partners see how they both contribute to the problem, the therapist teaches them skills to improve the ways they relate to each other. Couples may see a change in their relationship within three to six months.
YOUR FIRST VISIT
I can answer any questions you might have at our first session. When you arrive at my office, please have a seat in the waiting room and I will come out and get you at our appointment time.
During our first appointment, I would like to hear your story, and I can share with you how I work. We should have an idea at the end of the session the direction we will go in future sessions, and after a few appointments, I can generally share with you an idea of how long therapy will be depending on your goals. I prefer that the first four weeks of therapy, you come weekly. We can talk more about those options in session.
I know that coming to therapy can be difficult and emotional and I aim to help create a safe environment for you to explore even the most troubling issues.
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MY CREDENTIALS
LICENSED MFT
27 years of counseling individuals, couples, and families
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
MA: Marriage & Family Therapy (1994)
LICENSE AND STATE
MFT 34633 California
PRICING
Cost per Session: $195/individual, $210/couples, $295/family
Sliding Scale: Yes
Pay By: American Express, Cash, Check, Mastercard, Visa
Office Hours
Mon 9:30am - 7:30pm
Tues 11:30am-7:30pm
Wed 11:30am - 7:30pm
Thurs 9:30am - 6:30pm
Fri 11:30am - 4:30pm