Anny Eastwood MA, MFT - Santa Barbara Psychotherapist

 
A call to grow often comes to us through crisis: health issues, sudden loss, natural life transitions--endings and beginnings, struggles in our relationships, chronic anxiety, feeling isolated…  Therapy can help.

While multi-tasking and being overwhelmed by our schedules, it is easy to feel disconnected from our true feelings, from quality contact with loved ones, from our own bodies and the very ground we walk upon.  How do we parent--let alone keep up with-- children who are so impacted by media and technology?   With no time to "stop and smell the roses", we become vulnerable to addictions of all kinds. Our demanding lifestyles lead to questions I hear so often like, " What's the point?  What am I doing all this for?"  In other words, how do I regain a life that has meaning and purpose?

About Therapy

Therapy is a way to cultivate self-acceptance, deepen understanding and find our authentic voice.  This leads to healing.
Effective therapy is a special kind of relationship that provides sanctuary, a safe place to learn how to build trust with another while staying grounded in our own authenticity.  Within this relationship we can begin to explore options that feel risky, to solve problems and also develop our own direct access to an inner kind of peace that is not dependent on feelings, thoughts or outer circumstances.  By growing awareness, therapy helps us transform symptoms (mental, emotional, and physical) into valuable messages that move us toward wholeness and self-empowerment.
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The Way I Work

I help clients identify the patterns of thought, hidden shame, inner power struggles and addictive behaviors that undermine self confidence and leave us feeling drained. Understanding the impact of trauma often supports this process.  When we feel safe enough to be honest with ourselves at deeper and deeper levels, doable choices emerge and we naturally make more satisfying choices.

There are many ways I empower clients to access their own resourcefulness.   Paying close attention to thoughts and emotions is an essential part of our dialogue. I also assist clients in learning how to interpret their own signals and clues through body awareness, exploring dream images, and spontaneous writing.  Imagination is a powerful tool we all possess and can be a great ally on our journey of coming home to ourselves.

I see myself as a guide and guardian while clients come back into balance ---as individuals as well as in their relationships.  For a while clients borrow my trust in the process.  At a safe pace together we learn about aspects of you that may have lost their voice or needs that have had to be abandoned in order to adapt and survive.  As we learn to hold ourselves more kindly, this process often includes letting go and grieving, right along with honoring strengths and gifts already possessed.

 I work with families, couples, and adults who want to improve their relationships, feel passion and purpose in their lives, release the pain of the past, stop destructive behaviors, build self trust and find inner peace.

 Finding a therapist can take some time.  I welcome your call or email so we can talk about how I can help.   If my services are not a good fit for you, I will gladly do my best to connect you with other resources.

ANNY EASTWOOD, MFT
aeastwood(at)cox.net
805-682-7006