Meet your Therapist

Stephanie Sandbergen, LMFT:

I have over 10 years of experience working with clients from various backgrounds, including adults, the elderly, children, couples, families, and LGBTQ clients.

I have a passion to learn and have attended dozens of training courses on various topics such as compliance training, art therapy, narrative therapy, spirituality, support group facilitation skills, anger management, working with LGBTQ clients, and ethical decision making.

I work from humanistic and systems approaches which includes helping the client gain a healthier understanding of self, helping gain meaning in life, and exploring the client's roles in the systems they are a member of.

I genuinely care for my clients and show them care, acceptance, and empathy with a sense of humor. I focus on the entire person: physical, mental, social and spiritual.

I utilize a variety of approaches such as mindfulness, expressive arts, journalling, and nature while also challenging my clients and modifying my approaches to be more eclectic depending on what is helpful for the client.

I specialize in depression, anxiety, loss, grief, attachment, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and mindfulness.

Licensed in California

Fun Facts:

SuperPower: To allow for silence when needed.

Proudest Moment: Becoming a Mom! “I cried during the last moments of childbirth - the nurse thought I was scared. I said no, I'm so happy.”

  • I have a Bachelor's Degree in Social Psychology and Computer Programming from UCLA. I have a Master's Degree in Psychology from St. Mary's College.

    I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California.

  • As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a therapist. I have found that being an attentive listener, especially those that haven't felt heard or validated can make a difference. Working with children and families together improve the chances of making positive change for the individual and the family system. When people can learn things such as how to identify their triggers, how they think in distorted ways, and how they communicate in unhealthy ways, it's the first step in creating new ways of thinking and being.

  • To allow for silence when needed. "We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.”

What families are saying about Stephanie

 

“Manatee is a beautiful experience, where kids can be themselves and someone understands them, and then as parents, the therapists help us better understand our kids. Our Manatee therapist has a great talent speaking with kids. She has the patience that as parents we often don’t have. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend it because its so practical (you can do it at home) and because kids need a space to be able to vent.”

— Manatee mom

“She’s not really anxious anymore. She has learned what to do when she is worried and has stopped picking her hair. She is also learning to stand up for herself and make better friends :)”

— Manatee dad