Hi, I’m Meghan Woods

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #137452, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and a Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician.  I specialize in helping individuals process and cope with complex trauma and PTSD, dissociation, narcissistic abuse, grooming experiences, and stress. With couples, I focus on positive communication, intimacy, and connection.  I believe the past impacts the present, so I help my clients process past experiences, to heal in the present and thrive in the future.  We’ll work together to break patterns that keep you “stuck” and get in the way of having the relationships and life you desire.  With your knowledge of your life and my experience, training, and clinical knowledge, we can work to create safety, joy, and calm.  Everyone has the potential to lead a fulfilling life, and you deserve some peace.

So how does this work?

To start, we’ll focus on developing a relationship of trust, compassion, and self-awareness. For both individuals and couples, it is essential that you feel safe and comfortable being your open, honest, and raw self with me. We’ll work on genuine communication, authentic connections, and how to keep your emotions and body calm during stressful and triggering situations. You should also know that I may be a bit different from other therapists you’ve worked with. I believe in “radical genuineness,” meaning I take a very authentic communication style with my clients. I swear, I use humor, and I can be sarcastic. I’m someone with my own trauma history and use therapy approaches with clients that have helped me in the past. It is my belief that in a supportive and honest therapeutic relationship, the hurt we’ve experienced and held onto can heal.  From there, unresolved life difficulties and relationship problems can be processed and change can occur.  Together, we will look at what is causing and maintaining your struggles and we will work on changing these patterns to create a better life.

Please note, I am a proud supporter of the LGTBQIA+ community. My clients are welcome regardless of immigrant status. I stand by my BIPOC clients and believe Black Lives Matter.

Qualifications

I graduated summa cum laude from Sonoma State University and have been studying the effects of trauma, counseling, and psychology for over thirteen years. I’ve spent thousands of hours working with clients seeking help for a variety of reasons.  My clients tend to have a history of complex past traumas, dissociation, family and parental distress, experiences with violence, trust difficulties, and struggles with intimacy, connection and communication.  I’ve worked with countless clients to heal and manage PTSD, DID, anxiety, toxic stress, relationship complications, abuse, dissociation, infidelity and more.  My clients come from a wide range of backgrounds, allowing me to work with LGTBQIA+ individuals, military personnel, first responders, sex workers, individuals of a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, and couples in open and monogamous relationships.  I’ve spent thousands of hours to ensure I provide my couples and individual clients with the best treatment possible.  I’m a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Certified in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR trained, IFS Level 1 trained, Narrative Exposure Therapy trained, Certified in Domestic Violence Counseling, Emotionally Focused Therapy trained, have a certification in Traumatic Stress Studies, and attend many workshops every year to make sure I can support my clients with evidence-based, scientifically-backed interventions.  We do more than “just talk” in session.  We actively work to heal, develop, and grow.  All of the techniques we use in the room I use in my own life.  I will never ask you to do something that I am not willing to do myself.

My Background

      By now you might be wondering a bit about me.  Before becoming a therapist, I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician with the goal of becoming a firefighter.  I obtained my Associate's Degree in Fire Technology when my work took me on a different path.  I noticed my patients and my coworkers seemed to be struggling on an emotional level, and I wasn’t sure how to help.  It was then that I decided to go back to school and get my B.A. in Psychology.  After graduating with honors from Sonoma State University, I worked in organ and tissue donation where I provided support to grieving families.  I realized then that I wanted to be able to provide longer-term help to people that were struggling and decided once again to go back to school.  I started volunteering on a crisis line and obtained my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Sonoma State University.  Since then, I’ve been studying trauma work and couples extensively to make sure I’m using scientifically supported methods to help my clients.  My path towards becoming a therapist may be atypical, but it has allowed me to work with people from all walks of life and I am very thankful.