This review is specifically for Jeanette Shepherd of Good Therapy. We see Jeanette at the Sorrento…read moreValley location. She has been providing therapy for a family member for over a year. She primarily does individual sessions, but we sometimes we have family sessions when there is an issue that needs family communication and support. Jeanette is warm, kind and comforting and creates a safe and welcoming environment. She has helpful insights and (actionable) suggestions. It is hard finding a good therapist and it took us several before finding one that was both a good match/fit and helpful. My only dream wish is that Good Therapy accepted insurance.

My sessions have been so helpful and given me so much insight. Angie always makes me feel so…read morecomfortable, asks such insightful questions and provides amazing support. I always look forward to our sessions!

My fiancé and I started seeing Lori during a really important time in our relationship, and we…read moretruly cannot say enough wonderful things about her. We are getting married in June and could not be happier, and Lori has played such an important role in helping us build a healthier, stronger relationship. I've seen many therapists and couples counselors throughout the years, and Lori is truly the best. Lori is the absolute best. She is compassionate, understanding, and creates such a safe and comfortable environment where we both feel heard and supported. You can tell she genuinely cares about her clients and wants the best for them. Her guidance, patience, and insight have made such a positive impact on our relationship and on us individually as well. We are incredibly grateful for all of her help and would recommend Lori to anyone looking for a caring, knowledgeable, and genuinely dedicated couples counselor. Thank you so much Lori!

I was referred to Lori for uncouples counseling when my relationship was ending. It was our…read moreintention to resolve our relationship peacefully as well as understand what had happened and how to work through the next steps as we navigated our separation. She met with both of us twice and individually once. We left the relationship with so much grace. I have since started seeing her to work through some of the relationship issues identified during the uncoupling counseling. She has been amazing. Her ability to listen and hear what is being said between the lines is truly a gift. I cannot recommend her enough.

I found Maria through Yelp in 2015 when I was going through a REALLY rough patch. I had just moved…read moreto San Diego, first time living alone, not doing great in my relationships and was very lonely. Working with Maria helped shape who I am today and gave me a large set of tools that I can use to be more present, show up for myself and others in a meaningful way. In addition to that, I did several groups and a retreat with Maria which really helped with me having a support system and a community for me in San Diego. Over the years, I have experienced many highs and lows and Maria has been a constant coach, therapist, mentor, friend to hold me accountable and continually helping me on this growth path. I cannot recommend her enough! She is AMAZING :)

Inner peace in San Diego is a jewel! A place away from home but close to home somewhere where you…read morecan relax and truly find your inner peace. It's a special place run by special people. I highly recommend it. I highly recommend you going there it's one of those places rare to find but amazing once you find!

We've had a wonderful experience working with Jeanette. She has been seeing our 10-year-old son,…read morewhile also providing parent coaching sessions for me and my wife, and the impact has been incredibly positive for our entire family. One of Jeanette's greatest strengths is her ability to create a safe, supportive space, especially for kids around our son's age. She quickly earned his trust, which is no small feat, and he feels comfortable opening up to her in a way that has truly helped his growth. In addition to her work with our son, Jeanette's parent coaching has been invaluable. She has helped us better understand our child and given us thoughtful, practical guidance on how to approach specific situations. She combines open, insightful discussions with meaningful education, equipping us with tools and perspectives that we continue to use every day. We're very grateful for Jeanette's care, professionalism, and dedication, and would highly recommend her to other families.

Enjoy the feedback I get from Laura, she takes the time to understand the situation and provides…read morestrategies to improve my outcomes.

Occasionally in your life you meet someone who is genuine, insightful and good at what they do and…read moreyou feel safe and supported. This is what you feel when you start talking to Pilar. I had hit a point where I wanted to deal with some of the issues that were leftover from childhood and interfering with my adult life. We have been working together for about a year and I highly recommend her without question. If you are willing to do the work, she will definitely help in figuring out what your issues are and how to work through them and how to live a more peaceful life. Highly recommend her.

PRODUCTIVE, SUPPORTIVE, VALUABLE…read more A relationship coach is the greatest gift that can be given to a marriage. Dr. Placone will listen with empathy and watch with compassion as she guides you first as individuals, then together as a couple. She will translate your intricate emotions, give meaningful validation, and provide realistic and sustainable resolutions for the path to harmony. It doesn't matter if this is your first time in professional therapy or not. It doesn't matter if you're in a relationship or not. If you're asking yourself if you need therapy, you already know the answer.

This is a top tier therapy agency. My longtime therapist, Amelia Scarcella, has been vital in…read morehelping me address my mental health goals, doesn't pull punches but gives be concrete action items and 100% helpful feedback. Can't recommend them enough!

Christa is a lovely, joyful, positive, insightful counselor. We're probably some of the most…read moredifficult clients and she handles it with patience and grace, while being straight forward and no nonsense. Thank you!

Kate Nicholson has been a trusted and reliable colleague of mine since 2022. Over the years, I have…read morebeen constantly impressed by her clinical insight, professionalism, and genuine dedication to her clients. Throughout our graduate program, our professors were consistently highlighting Kate's excellent combination of strong clinical skills and authentic compassion. She has a natural ability to attune to her clients, and builds trust effectively and organically with a foundation of respect, understanding, and safety. Her warmth and presence allow her to connect with people in a meaningful way, while still maintaining the professionalism and structure needed to facilitate growth and change. As a fellow AMFT, perhaps what I admire most about Kate is her commitment to continued learning and excellence in this field. After graduate school, she pursued additional certification in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), reflecting both her passion for helping clients and her dedication to providing evidence-based, high-quality care. Out of our graduating cohort of 30+ individuals and only a handful being presented with awards, I vividly remember how appropriate our classmates agreed it was that Kate was selected for the "Outstanding Clinical Skills" award. She approaches her work thoughtfully and intentionally, always seeking ways to deepen her skills and better support the individuals who she works with. Kate's passion for therapy is evident in every aspect of her work, and I would confidently recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled, compassionate, and dedicated therapist. I highly recommend Estes Therapy, and I highly recommend Kate Nicholson.

Excellent, kind and caring therapists. I've only seen them remotely, but have had wonderful…read moreexperiences over the past year. The front office is also really responsive to any billing requests which is appreciated when insurance is being a PITA.

I sought couples therapy hoping for a balanced, trauma-informed, forward-looking space. Instead, I…read moreexperienced sessions that felt biased, invalidating, and emotionally unsafe. We worked with Julie. From early on, I felt positioned as the "problem" in the relationship, even while being told, "you're not the problem." Rather than helping us examine our dynamic as a couple, the therapist repeatedly focused on my upbringing and behavior while minimizing or overlooking my partner's role. Much of the guidance relied on oversimplified communication tropes ("your partner isn't a mind reader") and outdated gender stereotypes, including extended commentary about women expecting to be treated like "Disney princesses." This framing felt dismissive and unprofessional. When I raised feeling dismissed by my partner, instead of addressing his defensiveness, the therapist redirected the conversation into hypotheticals about how I'd feel if he made a female friend and didn't tell me. This felt inappropriate and avoided the real issue. The therapist also leaned heavily on the "love languages" framework, assigning each of us a category(a reductive, non-evidence-based approach that sidestepped deeper work around accountability, repair, and emotional attunement). Throughout sessions, I felt cornered when expressing legitimate concerns. My accountability was repeatedly reframed as a lesson, while my partner's behavior was softened or excused. I left the final session feeling labeled, scolded, and emotionally impacted. Couples therapy should foster mutual accountability, safety, and understanding. This experience did the opposite. I would not recommend this therapist to anyone seeking equitable, trauma-informed couples work.

As a long time colleague of Jennifer's, I can tell you without question that she is a phenomenal…read moretherapist and subject matter expert on relationships. Whether you are thinking about getting married, expecting a baby, and/or been married for what now seems like a lifetime; Jennifer can/will help you. Jennifer takes her work as a therapist very seriously and is highly effective at creating stronger emotional connections. My first-hand observation is her clients stick with her because of her style, ability and insights. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for someone who can make a positive difference where two are willing to do the work of the therapy.

We were looking for faith based family counseling in San Diego..... my wife found him and scheduled…read morean appointment. We are so happy to have found Mark. He's got us to focus on the issues, giving step by step instructions to identify our blind spots. We weren't necessarily on the verge of divorce.....but definitely needed help in communicating and understanding each other! I couldn't recommend Mark any more.... We thank God for him!

I was looking for help to regain perspective and mend my marriage that was in trouble after…read moremultiple counts of infidelity over the years (caused by a significant difference in libido with my partner). Alas, after explaining my situation in detail, we did not receive any useful advice. Mark did not really want to understand the origins of the marital problems nor did he give any suitable advice. He has bad judgement as evidenced by him refusing to get a covid vaccine and still meeting clients in person w/o masks. Also, he feels it's ok to take personal calls while in session. He failed to follow up with us after a few sessions, so it looks like he's not really interested in helping. He actually made the situation worse. We are now both with a new counselor who is listening, understanding and non-judgemental and truly interested in helping to get a good outcome. Don't waste your time with Mark

Transgender people beware! Under current management CRF has become a TERF-magnet institution. They…read moreused to be reasonably gender-friendly, but no more. They also have major problems retaining medically-trained employees, reportedly because they don't respect their input. The place is run by psych majors whose heads have been stuffed with junk science, and who think they "understand people". Well, they certainly don't understand transgender people or have any empathy with what transgender people go through. My excellent psychiatrist of 14 years left the place in frustration at the grinding idiocracy of the psych majors, and not long afterwards they began kicking me out. They don't have a clue about their clients: they just look at how many psych hospitalizations you have had, and if you haven't had enough in recent years, they use that as an excuse to purge out the trans client. It doesn't matter to them that you are very likely to become homeless again. It won't be their problem, so they don't care.

I have worked at CRF for 4 years. I have been treated fairly and with respect. We do great work and…read morehelp the underserved populations of San Diego.