Michelle Sandoval (They/she)

LMFT 90117
Accepting Clients

Hello! I am Michelle Sandoval and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California!

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California

Services
  • Individual
  • Adolescent/Teen

About My Clients

I work with neurodivergent teens and adults as well as provide parent consultation to adults raising neurodivergent kids. My private practice, Bounce Mental Health, focuses on teaching my clients tools to bounce back from the challenges they face everyday. We achieve this by using body and brain based approaches, somatic work and trauma informed techniques to not only address the mental symptoms but the physical as well.

My Background and Approach

My approach looks and feels different from other therapy models or experiences with other therapists that you may have had. Befriending our nervous systems is the key to understanding and dealing with things like anxiety, meltdowns, frustration and many other symptoms. Our bodies often get stuck in fight/flight or freeze and we get stuck there with no information or skills to get us out. Talk therapy, CBT, DBT and other therapy models are not a one size fits all. Neurodivergent folks have different needs in therapy that these methods might not be able to support. By using techniques such as befriending the nervous system, using nervous system mapping to gain understanding of how each unique nervous system operates, regulation techniques, and somatic awareness, we are able to get to the core of the symptoms faster and come up with practical solutions. This is beneficial to those who have tried talk therapy before and it didn't work or people who struggle with communication in therapy.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I strongly believe that addressing social justice issues are critical to ethical mental health care. I approach this in my work by continuously and consistently educating myself on the impacts of racism, ableism, homophobia, and all other forms of discrimination on the people around me. I engage in cultural humility which includes de-centering whiteness and de-colonizing practices in my work with clients and by supporting anti-oppression and anti-racist operations to help insure that each person I see feels safe and seen. I am also a big supporter and ally to the LGBTQAI+ community and understand the complexities of mental health struggles they face. I also embrace sex positivity, am alternative lifestyle and kink informed, embrace body positivity in all aspects, and always stay curious and open to my client's life styles.

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Somatic Therapy: Body-Based Healing for Emotional Trauma Trauma Therapy
Other Techniques
  • Anger Management Therapy
  • Biofeedback
  • Culturally Sensitive Therapy
  • Eclectic Therapy
  • Family Systems
  • Solution Focused Brief Therapy
  • Somatic Therapy: Body-Based Healing for Emotional Trauma
  • Person-Centered (Rogerian)
  • Internal Family Systems
  • Trauma Therapy

Issues I Treat

Specialties
ADHD Therapists Anxiety Autism Spectrum Disorder
Other Issues
  • ADHD Therapists
  • Anger Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Bipolar
  • Chronic Pain or Illness
  • Depression
  • Gender Identity Therapy
  • Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma
  • Infertility
  • Learning Disorders
  • LGBTQ-Friendly Therapists
  • Men's Issues
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
  • Parenting
  • Physical Disability
  • Polyamorous and Open Relationships
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Systemic Oppression Therapy
  • Teen Issues
  • Women's Issues
I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 15 years of practice
  • Languages: English
  • Rate: $200 - 240/session

Reach out to Michelle