Meet the team
Our compassionate therapists are here to help!
Not sure who’s a fit for you? No problem. We will help you choose the therapist for you when you reach out.
Jessica Anne Engle, Director
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (#81850), Registered Drama Therapist - she/her
Why I do this work: Highly-sensitive introverts have so much to contribute. I take great delight in supporting others to feel secure so that they can express their unique gifts. Or, as Howard Thurman said, "because what the world needs is people who've come alive."
Why I'm good at this work: My extensive academic and clinical experience, personal transformation from shy child to confident teen via drama and theater, and naturally calming persona.
Specialties: Drama therapy; attachment-based therapy; social anxiety resulting from childhood trauma.
Style: Insightful, perceptive, and empathic.
Liora Rahel Abrahams-Brosbe
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (#53921), Registered Drama Therapist - she/her
Why I do this work: Our society rewards extroverts. I'm passionate about helping shy introverts live fully regardless of temperament, psychological issues, or past wounding.
Why I'm good at this work: I employ expressive arts approaches in a warm, collaborative environment to help my clients achieve their goals. I utilize my extensive work with traumatized children and adults to support clients who remain blocked in relationships due to difficult past experiences.
Specialities: Drama & expressive arts therapy; trauma; grief & loss; women's issues.
Style: Genuine, playful, and attentive.
Laia Pedreño Mateu
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (#106526) and EMDR practitioner - she/her/ella
Why I do this work: Connection is as necessary as food or water. I want you to enjoy friendships and gatherings, be it at work or in your personal life.
Why I'm good at this work: I’ve struggled with anxiety myself, and I am always reading a book or learning some new ways to tackle or soothe it.
Specialities: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); adult children of parents with personality disorders or mental illness; removing blocks to find love.
Style: Warm, direct, cheeky and expressive.
Allison Major
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#121506) - she/her
Why I do this work: I wholeheartedly enjoy helping others.
Why I'm good at this work: As a client-centered therapist, I'm dedicated to following your lead. Together we'll adjust the amounts of structure, challenge, and comfort in sessions to develop the most effective treatment possible.
Specialties: Diversity (BIPOCs welcome); cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); dialectical behavior therapy (DBT); eating disorders; trauma.
Style: Positive, open, flexible, and contained.
Daniel Cody Gould
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#125485) supervised by Julie Ann Patton Barr, MFT (#39369) - he/him
Why I do this work: I love supporting those with anxiety to build joyful lives and meaningful relationships.
Why I'm good at this work: My unusual combination of high energy and mindfulness. That, and my commitment to centering your needs and goals above all else.
Specialties: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); drama therapy; solution-focused therapy; individuals with chronic mental or physical health conditions; elder adults.
Style: Enthusiastic, gentle, affirming, playful.
Julie Ann Patton Barr
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (#39369) – she/her
Why I do this work: I find great purpose in working with humans, especially humans who simultaneously yearn for and fear relationships. Nothing thrills me more than helping shy individuals build self-esteem, learn how to be assertive, and improve their social skills so that they can enjoy more meaningful connections.
Why I'm good at this work: I can be vulnerable in a way that is professional yet humanizing. I know when and how to open up about my struggles so that others feel comfortable sharing hard things without fear of judgment. And I’m able to help my clients see their patterns clearly with compassion, not shame or fear, which in turn enables them to identify a way forward and take concrete actions.
Specialties: cognitive behavioral therapy including trauma-focused CBT; role-playing; social skills; LGBTQIAP2S+ individuals and couples/triads; attachment lens.
Style: kind, supportive, good-natured (and honestly – I just love other humans!)
Josh Van Vliet, Chief Operations Orchestrator
Professional certified coach - he/him
Josh Van Vliet recognizes the courage it takes to reach out for help, particularly for shy introverts. As such, he’s honored to guide clients through our intake consultations, where he takes great care to match clients with the best clinician and service possible.
Josh brings a compassionate, gentle, and forthright presence to every interaction thanks to years of experience as a professionally-trained coach and mental health case manager.
And as our COO, a lifelong systems enthusiast, and dedicated detail wrangler, Josh delights in finding the place where exceptional client care meets ethical business practices.
Josh Van Vliet holds a Professional Certified Coach credential through the International Coaching Federation. He is also a songwriter, tea enthusiast, and proud plant papa.
Erica Jasmine Gibbons
REGISTERED ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST (#134655) AND EMDR PRACTITIONER SUPERVISed by JULIE Ann Patton BARR, MFT (#39369) - SHE/HER
Why I do this work: I believe in the healing power of being seen and wholly valued. My mission is to help marginalized individuals, especially BIPOC and LGBTQIAP2S+ folks, feel deeply cared for and appreciated in their relationships.
Why I'm good at this work: Thanks to my personal experience overcoming trauma, I bring empathy, warmth, and compassion. Using gentle yet action-oriented approaches, I help my clients build confidence and cultivate self-acceptance so they can finally enjoy deep, healthy relationships free of fear.
Specialties: BIPOC; LGBTQIAP2S+ folx; shy singles; childhood trauma survivors: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); mindfulness-based approaches; and neurodiversity-affirming therapy.
Style: Warm, compassionate, and kind with an unwavering commitment to social justice and radical joy.