Hi, I’m Taylor Barragan

My Style

• I balance providing enough space for processing and “getting it all out" while also being honest, direct, and forthright.

• I’m not a therapist who will avoid giving you an opinion. I’m not a therapist who will turn questions back on you and not provide an answer. 

• I am a therapist who will give you direct feedback that is based on what I’ve deeply come to know about you through our work together. My feedback will be informed by evidence-based research and interventions to back it up. 

• I take a holistic approach to your mental health care - including therapy, your body’s mechanisms, your nervous system, and the impacts of physical illness on what you may be struggling with

  Together we will explore how past experiences impact your current life, challenges, relationships, and patterns that you may not be aware of. However, in my experience therapy is most helpful when practical action follows insight, and so therapy will allow you to try on new beliefs and practice new ways of being in the world, ultimately helping you not only heal but grow. Mindfulness is woven into the work to provide you with some solid yet gentle tools to better cope with the challenges you may be facing and to look at what is already thriving in your life amongst what is difficult.

Education

• Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University

• Master of Nursing from Case Western Reserve University

• Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science and a minor in Business from San Jose State University

• Current MSN Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner student (graduation expected December 2023)

  I have found that many of my clients struggle to find a prescribing provider when in need of psychotherapeutic medications, which was part of my inspiration to return to school. When I graduate in 2024, dual licensure as a psychotherapist and psychiatric nurse practitioner will allow me to offer a range of services to clients both psychologically and medically based, in hopes of increasing access to health care. Additionally, I hope to limit the number of providers my clients have to see to receive different types of care. I aim to collaborate effectively with clients and other care providers and incorporate my understanding of how medical trauma or health conditions, such as chronic pain and illness, birth trauma, diabetes, sleep apnea, and cancer can impact someone’s mental health.
  
  

License and Certifications

• Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California, Oregon, Ohio, and Florida

• Registered Nurse (CA and OH)

• Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). I have always had an interest in antepartum and postpartum mental health, but my obstetrics rotation in nursing school opened my eyes to just how difficult newborn feeding can be for parents. Studies show that challenges with breastfeeding and lack of support can contribute to the development of postpartum depression. I support and counsel clients through the emotional challenges related to feeding their newborns.

Experience

• adults who have experienced trauma and symptoms of anxiety, depression, dissociation, and PTSD

• couples in various relationship phases experiencing challenges related to intimacy, communication, and parenting

• college-aged and young adults experiencing performance issues and discovering their sense of self through coaching and equine-assisted learning

• youth experiencing symptoms of trauma, depression, and anxiety in a community-based, intensive, wraparound program

• children as young as 5 in a school setting using play and art-based therapies