Alisha Boley, CA LMFT 52447, TX LMFT 204517
Owner/Therapist "As Owner, I wanted to provide a place where people in distress could get quality counseling from experienced and caring therapists. Each therapist on my team was selected for her/their passion for creating a safe space to share in each clients' journey towards change." Through the challenging experiences that she has acquired from the various work environments throughout her career, she has developed knowledge providing effective therapy to a diverse population of clients. Her experience includes providing effective therapy to clients of African American, Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern ethnic backgrounds; and clients from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, age, disabilities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. Her career includes experience working in an inpatient setting with serious mentally ill adults; private practice setting working with individual adults and adolescents, and couples; non-profit agency working with families, individual adolescents in a school setting, and providing community outreach; working with foster kids in a group home; providing substance abuse therapy to adolescents and adults in a residential setting; providing individual therapy to foster kids in foster home placements; and group counseling to young adults (18-25)through an IOP program.At the beginning of 2015 she opened Thrive Family Therapy to continue to provide quality counseling services to adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Alisha's personal interests include being artistic, camping, connecting with friends and family, and creating memories. Pronouns: she/her(s) |
Kristin Smith, AMFT 135811
Associate Therapist “As a compassionate guiding helper, I encourage clients to be the experts in their own lives so that they are empowered to find their way through difficult life experiences. I provide a warm, inviting, non-judgmental environment for client healing where we can co-create a space for their transformation into learning and growth.” Kristin earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Santa Clara University and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Jose State University. She completed her clinical training at YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley, where she treated survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and complex trauma, as well as provided on-site school counseling to teens suffering with a variety of mental health issues. Kristin’s top specialties include: PTSD and Complex Trauma; Attachment and Relational Issues; Abuse Survivorship and Intimate Partner Violence; Family Systems and Parenting; Anxiety and Mood Disorders; and Teen Mental Health Issues. Kristin utilizes an integrated relational approach when collaborating with clients that is flexible to each individual’s care. In addition to her clinical experience, Kristin has invested a substantial amount of time volunteering with various Bay Area non-profit organizations with emphasis on supporting and advocating for youth, community outreach and psychoeducation, and crisis counseling. Since 2012, she has assisted underserved populations of diverse ages, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and socio-economic backgrounds with improving their psychological well-being. These acts helped her to develop valuable counseling and outreach skills and expanded her personal attributes as an empathetic and supportive aid to others. Ultimately, these experiences inspired her career as a psychotherapist so that she could continue the meaningful work of helping those in need within her community. Kristin feels most grounded in her love of anything creative, active, and interpersonal. Her love of music, dance, art, nature, and travel has been embedded in her soul since childhood and she continues to enrich her life with these passions. Last but certainly not least, she is a proud mother of 2 daughters, one grandson and 4 cats, all of whom she adores. “Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud. |
Mel Yourd, AMFT 129754
Associate Therapist "As a queer and non-binary therapist, I prioritize creating a safe, accepting, and affirming environment where my clients can explore their true selves in-depth. I work from an attachment-based, trauma-informed, and culturally curious approach. Building a trusting relationship with each client, and hearing each client’s perspectives on their unique intersections of identity, are deeply rewarding aspects of this work for me." Mel (they/them/theirs) received their Master’s degree in Counseling from Palo Alto University with an emphasis in Marriage, Family, and Children. They also hold a Bachelor’s in English with a minor in Gender & Queer Studies from the University of Puget Sound. Mel has three years of experience working as a school-based therapist at public schools in the South Bay Area, with significant experience working with LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive clients. In addition to providing therapy focused on depression and anxiety, they have done substantial work with clients who experience OCD symptoms, disordered eating, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, verbal processing difficulties, and selective mutism. Utilizing a person-centered approach, Mel often uses narrative therapy, CBT, DBT, and art therapy exercises to explore presenting concerns with clients. Mel has taken multiple courses focused on Emotionally Focused Therapy, for use in both couples therapy and individual therapy. Mel is passionate about trying out different therapeutic techniques to find what may resonate best with each individual client. In their personal life, Mel enjoys reading, crafting, spending time with loved ones, and singing with their choral group. Pronouns: they/them/theirs |
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