Relational Trauma Therapy for guarded, capable adults
When relationships have taught you to stay alert, shut down, or carry too much, we make room for that here. We work online with adults across California who want a steadier way of being with themselves and with others.
What people bring us
People often come in after years of feeling on edge with partners, family, or close friends. They may seem fine on the outside but carry a lot of second-guessing, caution, or anger underneath. Small misunderstandings can feel loaded, and it can be hard to trust what is happening in the room with another person. Some notice they pull away before anyone else can get close. Others keep overexplaining, apologizing, or managing everyone else’s feelings.
- I keep waiting for people to disappoint me.
- I know how to hold it together, but I stay tense.
- I shut down when things get too close.
- I leave conversations replaying everything I said.
We pay attention to how protection once helped and still costs you now.
How we work with it
Our work stays concrete and attentive. We listen for patterns in how you protect yourself, what gets activated in connection, and what your body is doing while you talk. Cognitive strategies can help us sort through the meanings you make of other people’s actions, while somatic tools can help us notice the body’s cues before things feel overwhelming. For some people, the work is about close relationships; for others, it is about family contact, trust, boundaries, or the loneliness that comes from keeping everything contained.
- Cognitive Strategies
- We use this to slow down the story your mind is telling and notice what it is based on. In this topic, that can help separate present-day interactions from older expectations that still get activated.
- Somatic Tools
- We pay attention to what shows up in the body when closeness, conflict, or distance gets stirred up. That can help you notice bracing, tension, or withdrawal in real time.
What the first sessions look like
We start by understanding what has been happening in your relationships and what feels hardest right now. You do not need to have the story organized before we meet; we can work with what feels immediate and what keeps showing up.
We offer a free 15-minute consultation. We respond to inquiries as soon as we can, usually within 1-2 business days.
Questions people ask
Why do I keep reacting so strongly to small things in relationships?
Often, small moments land on older experiences of being misunderstood, dismissed, or hurt. We can look at what gets activated for you without forcing it into a simple explanation.
Do I have to talk about everything that happened to me?
No. We go at a pace that feels workable, and we can begin with what feels most present now.
What if I seem fine but feel awful inside?
That is something many people recognize in themselves. We can pay attention to the mismatch between what you show and what you carry.
Can you help with family patterns that still affect me?
We can make room for family dynamics, roles, and expectations that still shape how you move through relationships. The work can include noticing what you learned to do in order to get through.
The practical details
- Fees
Individual therapy sessions cost $200 for 50 minutes.
If you think you may qualify for reduced therapy rates, please visit openpathcollective.org for information and eligibility.
An Immigration Mental Health Evaluation and Report costs $900, with an additional $200 rush fee for reports needed within 2 weeks of the last evaluation session.
- Insurance
We are out-of-network but provide superbills for possible reimbursement. Please check your out-of-network benefits. We have partnered with Thrizer to handle the out-of-network process automatically for you: Thrizer automates out-of-network claims so you pay only your copay after deductible, saving about 70% upfront. For more information, see the Client Infographic and the Thrizer Pay Example.
- Availability
We are accepting new clients.
Omar Anthony BocoboLCSW
Talk it through with Omar
We offer a free 15-minute consultation.