Hello. My name is Jamie Hood, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California. I graduated with a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Hope International University in 2013. I have been working in the mental health field since 2012 and have gained some incredible experience in the places I have worked. I have worked in several private practice settings working with individual, couples, family, adolescents, and children with a range of presenting problems such as, anxiety, depression, phase of life problems, relationship issues, and self-esteem. I worked for three years at a pregnant and homeless women’s shelter providing individual and group therapy for women who were about to have babies, homeless, and dealing with many distressing issues, like drug abuse, domestic violence, anxiety, depression, and codependency. I also worked in a school-based MediCal-funded program through the YMCA in the San Diego area called TIDES offering counseling services to youth ages 5 to 18 and their families who were struggling with emotional and behavioral problems. I also worked closely in this program with school personnel and community agencies providing case management, support, crisis management, and medication monitoring. In my work with clients, I tend to use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy. By using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, I seek to find the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that usually stem from our childhood and past and seek to challenge the negative cognitions that so often get in our way. When using Solution-Focused therapy, I like to stay in the present moment and focus on creating goals to get you where you want to be. I also use attachment, existential, and mindfulness techniques to relieve symptoms, increase self-esteem, and help you be the best version of yourself. As a therapist, I believe it is important to be educating yourself on a consistent basis to stay up-to-date with changing policies and mental health diagnoses. I have been trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and am a certified marital and premarital therapist through Prepare and Enrich. I have also completed many trainings, like Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, Trauma, Anorexia, Play Therapy, Prepare and Enrich, and Law and Ethics. I am also a recently diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic and continually research chronic disease to educate and empower myself and others to deal with the physical, mental, and emotional toll that comes with it. When I am not in the therapy room, I love to run, exercise, rock climb, and read. I am a military wife, and I love to play with my two young children. I went into this field because I wanted the people that I work with to have a safe and comfortable place to express themselves, process the difficulties that they are going through, provide a sense of hope, and help others be the best versions of themselves that they can be. I would be honored to partner with you in this journey.