https://www.merissamathews.com/blog daily 0.75 2021-03-06 https://www.merissamathews.com/blog/2019/3/11/zrmanja-falls-croatia-f3exm-brgnz monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.merissamathews.com/blog/2019/3/11/haauknee-slabs-az-sntak-lc4f9 monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.merissamathews.com/blog/2019/3/11/echo-range-mx-2rxcs-9l2sp monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.merissamathews.com/blog/2019/3/11/monmouth-glacier-ak-sy7cd-5yabk monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.merissamathews.com/blog/2019/3/11/misty-mountains-me-menex-ajwsw monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.merissamathews.com/blog/2019/3/11/ahi-point-wa-2xhzd-jffar monthly 0.5 2019-07-10 https://www.merissamathews.com/home daily 1.0 2025-09-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1623688602510-JDIJ0UA3XXD1XPJM4SBI/EMDR+thearpist+San+Diego.jpg home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/16f71967-2ede-4bc5-bbd8-5eb096ce3b27/unsplash-image-Mg2iKRWpiCk.jpg home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1621789665198-KNEH04VVCXNWHUUBCEEB/San+Diego+Therapist home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625343804297-SLMCT6JSDT496G0J8BTA/EMDR+SD+therapist+.jpg home - Merissa Mathews, LCSW As a therapist, I am passionate about supporting my clients in finding their path, removing the things that don’t serve them, and finding what empowers them. https://www.merissamathews.com/about daily 0.75 2025-09-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1615046498041-WOV5H090OC4224ZZR49O/Merissa-Headshots-January2020-7.jpg About Merissa Mathews, LCSW https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625344700204-FGZQ1H3EBFVBQAJMXJEL/thearpy+den.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625344314861-2P9SLISY18ELW5MPL785/inclusive_therapists_members_badge.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625344419700-ACQ2W5MFLN673YQQGKPG/LBGTQ%2B+affirming+SD+thearpist.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/41253de4-98ca-43d7-8e51-6beca2327f95/unnamed.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.merissamathews.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-07-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625370425889-2FOAYVNSAIS4I9TT7CUW/thearpy+den.png Contact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625342492475-QY68PFGY9RLA56ZQNJ8J/inclusive_therapists_members_badge.png Contact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625342852583-AIZZRZ6G33OCZKTM0ISS/LBGTQ%2B+affirming+SD+thearpist.png Contact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625342791759-L8A24R0SC939V9U5APKT/Psychology-Today-Verified.png Contact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.merissamathews.com/faq daily 0.75 2021-11-13 https://www.merissamathews.com/psychotherapy daily 0.75 2024-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1623689884846-77SV6U2WZ0U8V6A6IWYU/San+Diego+Therapist+Anxiety.jpg Individual Therapy - Why? Therapy can help people overcome obstacles that block them from their full potential in life. It can increase positive feelings, such as compassion and self-esteem. People in therapy can learn skills for handling challenging situations, making healthy decisions, and accomplishing goals. People learn about themselves in therapy and a therapist can help make connections and offer guidance. It’s important to know that you do not have to do this alone and that there is help. Some benefits of therapy are on-going knowledge of ways to cope with stress, breaking unhealthy patterns and replacing them with healthy ones, how to have effective relationships, and how to have meaning and purpose in life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625334826278-GQPMCO0E41XH8MZ1FAZF/therapy+San+Diego Individual Therapy - My approach. My approach is having a nonjudgmental, compassionate environment in which someone can process their struggles, insecurities, and their fears. My approach is to empower my clients to help them remove shame, guilt, and uncover their truth. I work with adults and teens, in helping them reach their goals and keep reaching higher. https://www.merissamathews.com/emdr daily 0.75 2021-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1623640090011-1XO1E13P4O0PKRS8OZKF/EMDR+certified+thearpist+San+Diego.jpeg EMDR - What is EMDR? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), is and integrative psychotherapy that is extensively researched and has shown to be effective in treating trauma and other distressing life circumstances, including PTSD, panic disorders, anxiety, and depression. The EMDR approach believes past emotionally-charged experiences are overly influencing your present emotions, sensations, and thoughts about yourself. As an example: “Do you ever feel worthless although you know you are a worthwhile person?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1623640179529-F4WZNV6Z94KP0T3UV57T/EMDR+therapy+SD.jpg EMDR - EMDR can help with: Chronic and persistent personal negative beliefs Present day trauma Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Anxiety and panic attacks Depression Phobias Racial Trauma Complicated grief Disturbing memories Low self-esteem Stress reduction Addictions Bulling not being accepted for being LBGTQ+ Perfectionism Childhood trauma including emotional neglect Performance Anxiety Sexual/physical/emotional abuse ongoing and/or in your past https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1623690013712-44RFS5GACOL7SG5PXHR1/SD+therapist+addiction.jpg EMDR - How it works. Based on neurobiological research, we know that when you get very upset, your brain cannot process process information as it does ordinarily. A moment can become "frozen" in time and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells and feelings have not changed. Such memories have a lasting effect that interferes with the way you may see the world and the way you relate to other people. EMDR has a direct effect on the way that your brain processes information. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically based therapy that helps you see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1616384570636-LQJG9K9NJLVSBA34GD2O/EMDR-brain+scan EMDR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1623639391637-93U0KVOTKT4JBCIJQSXU/EMDR+therapy+San+Diego.jpg EMDR https://www.merissamathews.com/emdr-consultation daily 0.75 2021-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625239901063-1RKT1FRN79J82EBG02WM/EMDR+consultation+San+Diego.jpg EMDR Consultation - EMDR Consultation for Therapists If you have completed a basic training and have started the process of using EMDR on clients, it can be overwhelming with more complex trauma cases. Finding a good consultant that you can consult with is so important in your learning process, especially in the beginning. I get it and understand how there are so many questions that come up in your work and down the road. Get one on one consultation and obtain hours towards your certification as an EMDRIA certified therapist. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6033fff6f17e1e08adff784e/1625239989867-9PKD9I18ONVUC4F3AMDQ/Merissa+Mathews+EMDR+thearpist.jpg EMDR Consultation - I can help. I am a Certified EMDR therapist, an EMDRIA approved Consultant in Training and member of EMDR International Association. I am a huge believer in EMDR and very passionate about the work that I do. I have completed ample hours of consultation. I have completed basic training twice, once through EMDRIA approved EMDR Institute (in 2019) and the second time through EMDRIA approved training at EMDR Education and Training Center (in 2020). I consulted under Kara Nossardi, LMFT who was trained at the Sonoma Psychotherapy Training Institute with Andrew Leeds, PhD. Kara has extensive experience and is the Founder and Director at EMDR Training and Education Center. She trained me to look at the client with an attachment based lens, while utilizing Parts Work with more complex dissociative clients. I have also received my own EMDR therapy which I highly recommend for anyone becoming an EMDR therapist. If you are looking to do an EMDRIA approved basic training I would highly recommend: EMDR Education and Training Center. https://www.merissamathews.com/get-started daily 0.75 2021-05-23