Molly Tavernese

Hello! My name is Molly and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), based in San Diego, California. I work with clients statewide via telehealth. I work with adolescents and adults supporting a variety of issues noted below in my Bio.

My approach

I work with a variety of therapeutic modalities based on the goals of each individual. I most frequently use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy but also pull from Person-Centered Therapy, along with utilizing a Strengths-Based Approach, and Mindfulness. We can explore your goals and identify a treatment plan that will help you feel safe, collaborative, and supported.

My focus

My style is a good fit for both adolescents and adults. I feel everyone has times in their life when social, emotional, and relational challenges (to name a few), can make us feel stuck, scared, and unheard. Issues of anxiety, depression, life transitions, eating disorders, self-worth, anger management, stress, and substance abuse can really impact us in a negative way. Gaining the skills you need to move forward can have a life-changing outcome that will help you to feel better and enable you to have better relationships with others and with yourself.

My communication style

I'm here to be an active listener regarding your concerns and issues and to take a non-judgmental stance, allowing us to be a "team" and form an alliance. Let's take a few deep breaths together while we get to know each other so we can be relaxed and authentic. Additionally, there is nothing wrong with using humor if we can! Therapy does not need to be doom and gloom!

My journey to mental healthcare

It always felt like many of my friends, or new people I would meet, would confide in me with their stories and their challenges. I thought I was lucky to be able to hear their stories and offer my ear to listen and sometimes offer some guidance. Being able to see people gain skills, perhaps view the situation with a new perspective, and work toward goals - I find you to be inspiring and brave in your journey to be a better you!

My goals for you

My approach to working with you will be to build trust by getting to know one another, asking questions, and setting goals that we can track with measurable progress. I'm here to listen to you and be supportive of you, but we also want to make sure we are making tiny (or large), steps towards helping you to feel better!

My first session with you

During our first session together we will spend the majority of our time with me listening, so you can tell me about how you've been feeling lately. I will be asking questions and making some brief notes. Our first session will focus on getting to know each other and building a connection and maybe getting some information on things that have worked or not worked for you in the past. We will work at a comfortable pace and figure out the best plan for you moving forward. I will also give some brief information on confidentiality, etc.