Occasionally in your life you meet someone who is genuine, insightful and good at what they do and you 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. read more

PRODUCTIVE, SUPPORTIVE, VALUABLE 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. read more

Some may wonder why I added a picture from my wedding to this post, it's because we owe the happiness that is shown in that photo to Pilar. She saved my relationship. We had been together for 12 years, knew we wanted to keep it going with one another but our communication and trust in one another was so broken. Pilar helped us see through the fog into what was really in front of us. She helped us get back to the power couple that everyone saw us as. Fighting with my, now, husband was so draining and was putting a strain on my household and our son. We were about to completely call it quits before we decided to give counseling a shot. See Pilar was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made. She's real, she funny, she doesn't sugar coat anything but she was exactly what we needed. Pilar is truly one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. I can't thank her enough for saving my family and leading me to the point where I was able to plan the wedding of my dreams. read more

Pilar Placone, PhD, MFT - First Dance - Counseling & Mental Health Near Me - San Diego, California

Pilar is a wonderful source of support and guidance. Highly recommend.

Pilar has been my therapist for treatment of bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression since 2005. Through cognitive therapy, mindfulness, and physical health awareness, Pilar and I have developed a partnership for effective bipolar management, as well as minimization of anxiety and mood fluctuation. As a therapist and a person, Pilar is insightful, empathic, non-judgmental and informed. read more

Pilar is funny, compassionate, intelligent, diplomatic, well-read, open to dissenting opinions and beliefs, plus she likes dogs. My partner and I needed new tools to resolve conflict. Over the past few years the frequency of conflict increased and we were stuck. Our mutual desire to improve led us to Pilar. Each of us also counseled with her one-on-one. If I wasn't committed to couples counseling I would work with her on my own character issues and growth. From my opening sentence you can guess how I feel about the results. Hint: "...dogs." The counseling space, a warm sunny room in an old house converted to offices is perfect. Her flexibility and patience around my fluid work schedule is a bonus. I can't recommend her highly enough. Try an hour and you'll know if it's a fit. read more

Pilar is an angel in my book. Coming from the business world, I feel like I can spot right away when people are doing exactly what they are meant to be doing and that she is! Pilar is the ultimate professional and has so many years of experience making a difference. She is present, insightful, honest, compassionate, challenges you and listens without any judgment. You feel it, she has wonderful energy. I have recommended her to some of my closest friends and family based on her reputation and results. Pilar helped me through a really difficult time period and continues to be someone I can check in with and get insight on this beautiful and crazy thing called life. She's the best and I will be forever grateful for her help and support. read more

There aren't enough words to describe how incredible Pilar is. She has an unbeatable amount of empathy that radiates in each session. I always feel listened to and cared for. She has shown that she is there whenever she can be, giving me a call while running errands if I need to talk. I have seen her off and on for five years. She was really a lifesaver through my college years and has helped immensely since then. I have seen many therapists throughout my life but never have I found one that I felt really understood me. Thank you Pilar! read more

Who do you call when you're ready to make a change, solve a problem, or want to make sure your internal compass is accurate? Pilar Placone. Pilar is excellent at helping you learn to navigate the complexities of life and develop the skills you need to negotiate your way! read more

I've been seeing Pilar for about 10 yrs now. I felt comfortable and safe to talk about anything from the very beginning. These days, I check in with Pilar to give me guidance when a road block presents itself. Pilar is insightful, funny, knowledgeable and compassionate. I would highly recommend Pilar. read more

Pilar has been an invaluable resource in my life. She is empathetic, a gifted listener, and has this amazing ability to summarize and explain things in the most practical, thoughtful ways. I feel like she completely gets me. She is truly present and engaged and has helped me manage and maneuver some difficult times. She is someone I trust and can see myself leaning on continuously throughout my life to help navigate through the ebbs and flows of life. I highly recommend her for individual one on one therapy as well as couples therapy. Thank you Pilar! read more

At a time in life when I was battling anxiety, I found my visits to Pilar to be a safe place to let go of all that I was holding inside......sometimes I would drive there having no idea what to discuss yet she would gently guide me through a process to help me find my way back. Such a relief to find a warm and comfortable place to let out so much emotional stress and receive guidance and wisdom to redirect my thoughts in a healthier way. I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me each time I drove home from my sessions with her. I continue to value and use the things I learned to this day. I am forever grateful for this experience with Pilar and how much it improved the quality of my life. read more

It's pretty easy to find mental health professionals who will go for easy fixes: medication (yes, that can be important; and ...), CBT (sure it helps a lot of people; but ...) and so on. Pilar goes way beyond all that (although she can play in those fields, too, as and when appropriate). She's sensitive but super-strong, skillful in all the relevant ways, extremely dedicated, and above all, caring. As a neuroscientist and spiritual voyager who's gone through more than my fair share of dark nights (my own, and others'), you could say I'm now an extremely-picky consumer of psychological support. All I can say is: Pilar makes the grade (and then some). Of course, you need to find out if you click with her. But I'd recommend you make that call, if you're looking for someone who can encompass the ordinary and the extraordinary ... read more

Pilar has been such an incredible guide, mentor, confidante and friend. I have worked with her on and off for about 4 years now, and always know I can call on her to help me work through any issues, ideas, or questions that come up along my journey. I no longer live in San Diego, but still call on her whenever needed! She truly is a gift -- so insightful, caring, knowledgeable and KIND. And she loves my dog, so what more could I ask for?! read more

Pilar is truly exceptional. She is extremely knowledgeable, insightful, and wise, yet very real. Her authenticity has created a comfortable environment where my husband and I have been able to explore the origins of our issues and our behaviors. We were struggling to see eye-to-eye on virtually everything by the time we started seeing Pilar. She helps us navigate through a very layered and complex history which led to awareness, acceptance and eventually to behavior changes that made a world of difference. We are so thankful we found this very talented and compassionate therapist who I credit with saving us from doom. thank you Pilar! read more

Pilar provides a comfortable environment along with smart thinking, wisdom and support. She has given me tools, we have rehearsed dialogue and had conversations that really lead me to examine how I handled situations. I appreciate the feedback from someone who I have taken on my journey of being the best parent I can be for my kids, and her guidance has really helped me to be a better, well-rounded mom. read more