My Psychotherapy Approach
In your weakness, there lies your strength sleeping.
~ Ada Coil ~
As a therapist who helps people find relief from anxiety, depression, trauma and phobias, I take a gentle, supportive approach. From our very first session, I make your sense of safety and comfort my number one priority. I will help you establish clear, healthy boundaries, especially if a traumatic experience has breached your boundaries and made you feel unsure of how to advocate for yourself. Then, I will work at your pace, providing gentle encouragement and staying attuned to your feelings as we foster deep healing in your body, mind and spirit.
In sessions, I will offer you unconditional positive regard, creating a nonjudgmental space that is all about you, what you feel and what you need. I am perceptive, compassionate and respectful, and I know that each client has a unique way of healing and a unique understanding of what it means to feel safe. Depending on your personality, experience and therapy goals, I will draw from a variety of approaches to create an individualized treatment plan that helps you address and relieve painful memories and sensations.
As appropriate, I may utilize attachment-based therapy techniques or cognitive behavioral therapy, which can help you shift patterns that might be keeping you stuck. Because trauma is held in the body, Somatic Experiencing® is a central part of my therapy work. This unique, body-centered approach can help you feel grounded and secure, allowing you to move toward the edges of the traumatic memory and return back to a place of safety.
Cultivating mindfulness is also key to my practice. As you learn to recognize and compassionately accept the emotions, thoughts and sensations arising for you in the present moment, you can begin to enjoy a greater sense of relaxation and relief.
I also offer hypnotherapy to help with fears, phobias and intergenerational trauma and self-actualization work to help you discover your life purpose or passion or explore your own unique spirituality.
Regardless of the particular psychotherapy approach we take, I will always be there at your side, asking for your feedback. I can guide you through moments of discomfort and pull you back from the edge of overwhelm. As your nervous system becomes more adept at recognizing the source of discomfort and finding a path toward healing, you can build greater confidence and balance. Most importantly, you can trust in your ability to find safety within your own body.
In sessions, I will honor your short- and long-term goals. If you are unsure what your goals are, I will help you reveal and define them. As you begin to get unstuck and experience healing, you’re likely to discover a new wide range of possibilities and opportunities. I will help you let go of limits and move toward the life you want.
Find Healing With Trauma-Informed Care
I’ve come to believe that life revolves in a circle of transformation. We all face moments when we question our identities, our limits and our beliefs. To continuously move forward as our most authentic selves, each of us must go through a series of changes. Sometimes, these changes are wanted and sought after—we set goals and pursue them. Other times, we are thrown into a state of change that we did not ask for and did not want.
During an overwhelming event or experience, you likely felt that your boundaries were breached, and that your sense of the world and your place in it was turned upside down. Suddenly, you are forced to redefine who you are and what you believe. You can become overwhelmed, stalled and stuck in a state of confusion and fear.
Although you did not ask for your world to change, it has. Although you didn’t consent to or deserve this experience, you have survived. Trauma or crisis can be thought of as an opportunity for positive transformation. With help, you can believe that healing from trauma is possible and feel empowered to transform on your terms. You can come out on the other side with a new sense of safety and self, along with greater resiliency and insight. You can emerge radiant and whole.
Discover Your Strength
No matter what you are struggling with, I believe that my unique psychotherapy approach can help you become the person you most want to be. If you are a survivor of trauma or are struggling with anxiety and/or depression, I invite you to call 408-357-3736 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. My office is located in Los Gatos, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Moria Collett, MFT, SEP has over twenty years of experience counseling individuals, families and children. She is a certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner with nine years of advanced training in trauma, accumulated stress, anxiety and depression. She received a master’s degree in counseling psychology with an emphasis in holistic healing from John F. Kennedy University. She holds a certificate in clinical hypnotherapy from the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners. In the past, she has worked as a marriage and family therapist, clinical hypnotherapist and as a director of education. She regularly speaks publicly on philosophical subjects with inspirational messages. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time outdoors and with her friends, family members and neighbors in her community, who continue to remind her that love and compassion are the most important things in life.