Who takes care of the person everyone depends on?

Hi there! I’m Stephanie Gonzalez, M.A., AMFT, and I work with people who are used to being the strong one. You may be the person others call when something goes wrong and the one who gets things done, cares for everyone else, and keeps moving even when you’re running on empty. From the outside, you seem to have it handled. Inside, you may feel anxious, overwhelmed, resentful, or unsure of how much longer you can carry it all.

My work as a therapist has taken me into many different rooms. I have worked in school-based programs, community mental health, private practice, an OCD treatment program, and intensive outpatient and residential treatment settings. I have supported children, adults, couples, and families through anxiety, OCD, grief, depression, relationship challenges, family conflict, major transitions, and some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Each setting has given me something different. Community mental health taught me how to meet people where they are and understand the systems affecting their lives. School-based work showed me how much a child’s emotional world is connected to their family, school, and community. Intensive outpatient and residential treatment strengthened my ability to remain grounded when situations are complex or urgent. 

My work with OCD deepened my understanding of anxiety and the courage it takes to face what your mind tells you to avoid. Together, these experiences have given me a strong set of clinical skills without allowing me to lose sight of the person in front of me.

My approach draws from evidence-based practices like TF-CBT, ACT, CBT, ERP, EFT, attachment-based therapy, family systems, and the Gottman Method. Still, I don’t believe people fit neatly into one theory. I want to understand your story, the relationships that shaped you, the culture you come from, and what life feels like for you right now.

I’m warm and compassionate, but I’m also honest and practical. We’ll make space for what hurts while also working toward meaningful change. I want you to understand yourself more deeply and leave with tools you can actually use outside of our sessions.

Education is also an important part of who I am. I teach graduate-level clinical psychology courses at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Teaching keeps me curious and connected to the evolving nature of our field. It has also strengthened my belief that theories should help us ask better questions, not place people into boxes. No textbook or diagnosis can fully explain a person’s life.

Outside of therapy and teaching, I volunteer with the San Fernando Valley chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. That work speaks to the advocacy muscle in me. I care deeply about supporting developing clinicians, strengthening our profession, and helping create a field that is more ethical, responsive, and connected to the communities we serve.

You’ve spent a long time becoming who other people needed you to be. Therapy can be the place where you begin making room for who you are and who you’re still becoming.

I am currently providing both in-person and Telehealth therapy sessions.

Please message me to set up a free 15 minute consultation today.