Meet Emily Maddox and her Associates
Emily J. Maddox
Who is Emily?
Emily Maddox (her/she) provides a place to explore difficult questions, challenges and sort through life's confusion and conflict, clearing the path to more fulfilling, satisfying experiences. Her approach is supportive, down to earth, and always interested in harnessing your strengths and resiliency.
Emily, with twenty years in the field and a double Masters Degree in Rehabiliation and Counseling and Marriage and Family therapy, comes to each session with a great deal of expertise, enthusiasm, depth, and passion. With this passion for client centered practices, She is considered an expert trainer in trauma informed care, substance use issues, and mood disorders. Emily’s heart for helping others extends past her private practice and has led to awards and recognitions for her advocacy for LGBTQ+ issues, substance use and severely mentally ill populations in the community.
Emily is located in San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach. She does both telehealth and in person sessions. Emily is currently on a waiting list but is more than happy to help you find a therapist on her team that will fit your needs. Please call or text at (559) 362-0676 or e-mail at emily@emilymaddoxtherapy.com to set up a free consultation.
Martha Torkington
Martha Torkington (her/she) is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and Certified Clinical Professional Coach (CCPC) dedicated to supporting individuals and families through life’s most challenging transitions, such as divorce, grief, and other significant life changes. With a compassionate and insightful approach, Martha helps clients navigate these difficult periods with resilience and hope.
Before relocating to the Central Coast, Martha built a strong foundation in working with people experiencing major life transitions. Her extensive experience includes helping clients cope with the emotional complexities of divorce, supporting them in finding stability and clarity during a time of upheaval. She has also worked with families and adolescents, assisting them in navigating the dynamics that arise during times of change.
Martha’s therapeutic style integrates traditional methods with insights from her experience in alternative therapies, providing a comprehensive and supportive environment for healing. Whether working with individuals facing divorce, guiding families through transitions, or helping adolescents and young adults find their way, Martha is committed to helping clients achieve meaningful change and personal growth.
Connect with Martha at Emily Maddox Therapy. She does both telehealth and in person sessions. She is currently accepting patients. Please call or text at (805)-316-3995.
Kristin Cullen
Who is Kristin?
Kristin (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) who graduated from the University of San Francisco with a double Master’s in Counseling Psychology and School Counseling. Kristin has been in the field for over 6 years working in a variety of different settings as a mental health provider. She is passionate about helping teens, families, young adults, and adults heal from difficult life experiences such as trauma, relationship issues, grief, anxiety, and depression.
She works collaboratively with her clients to foster a safe, non-judgmental, and trusting space where clients feel comfortable sharing vulnerable aspects of themselves. She firmly believes that all individuals are worthy of healing. She offers a conversationalist and empathetic style while exploring and processing each client’s unique strengths, challenges, and life experiences. Kristin practices from an integrated perspective, utilizing evidence-based interventions, with an emphasis on DBT and CBT. She tailors treatment to each client’s needs and focuses on both immediate symptom reduction and long-term change.
Kristin does all telehealth sessions for San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. Kristin is currently accepting patients. Please call (805-420-7533 to schedule a free consultation.
April Madden
Who is April?
April (she/her) brings a deeply rooted belief in the inherent uniqueness of every individual she has the privilege of working with. Her approach to therapy is grounded in the understanding that each person's journey is profoundly distinct and deserving of personalized support and interventions. She employs a client-centered approach that emphasizes building trust, fostering emotional expression, and utilizing age-appropriate interventions to address specific needs for all her clients.
With a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling April brings over a decade of human services work to her sessions. Through play therapy, art therapy, positive psychology, narrative therapy, CBT and other creative modalities, she creates a nurturing space where young adults, teens and pre-teens feel comfortable exploring their thoughts and feelings, building resilience, and developing healthy coping skills and new beginnings in the healing processes . With a diverse background spanning issues pertaining to anxiety, depression, trauma and substance use disorder counseling, she approaches therapy sessions with a sense of empathy, wisdom, understanding, and a steadfast commitment to meeting clients exactly where they are in their healing process.
April is located in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. She does both telehealth and in person sessions. She is currently accepting patients. Please call or text at (805) 674-5029.
Aysia Riewaldt
Who is Aysia?
Aysia (she/her) creates a safe and comfortable space for you to relax and truly be your authentic self in the presence of an empathic, kind, and caring counselor. Her knowledge and expertise in her field demonstrates her dedication to those she serves. With over 10 years in the mental health field, Aysia has worked with adults and adolescents to reduce crisis situations, demonstrating her commitment to walking with any individual through any issue. Her hope is to join in your journey in relaxing, regrouping, and releasing the challenges/barriers that have held you back from living a rich and fulfilled life.
Aysia has a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health and wealth of experience and knowledge in helping her community in non-profit settings, group homes and a variety of other agencies. Aysia is experienced in crisis management and has exceptional skills in providing calm and direction during a crisis. She specializes in anxiety, depression, youth, PTSD, and trauma-related issues. Aysia is both Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo for both telehealth and in person sessions. She is currently accepting patients. Please call of text at (805) 268-7436 to schedule a free consultation.
Yeji Lee
Who is Yeji?
Yeji (she/her) is passionate about providing you with a safe, nonjudgmental, and warm space to express your needs. She believes in you being the expert on you, and therapy being a partnership where she can support, guide, and challenge you where you need it. With over 10 years experience in both non-profits and behavioral health facilities, Yeji comes to each session with passion excitment and tenacidy for what therapy can bring to her clients.
With a double Masters Degree in both Psychology and Social Work, Yeji specializes in working with families, teens and young adults in crisis. Her theorical base draws from a client centered approach that has been shown to be very helpful for individuals struggling with feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and aidings in buildling confidence and positive selfwareness. and self worth She, also specializes in trauma, depression, anxiety, LGBTQI and cultural challenges and issues. She currently works in partnership with Santa Maria’s School District Counseling troubled youth.
Yeji is located in Santa Maria an does both telehealth and in person sessions. Yeji is currently accepting patients. Please call or text at (805) 266-0618 or email yeji.lee@emilymaddoxtherapy.com to schedule a free consultation with Yeji.
Karina Mendoza
Who is Karina?
Karina Mendoza (her/she) understands how difficult it is to ask for help and embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and growth. She is here to say it’s okay. And provide a welcoming and supportive space.
Karina has a Masters in Social Work and has worked in a variety of settings as a mental health provider. This invaluable experience has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by individuals, as well as the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment for their well-being. It has further honed her ability to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds, providing her with a strong foundation in empathetic and effective communication.
Karina is also certified as an Intuitive Eating Counselor where she helps people struggling with disordered eating to make peace with food and create a healthy relationship with eating, mind and body. She also utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy to help individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, grief and/or overwhelmed with life.
Karina does telehealth sessions for both San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. She is currently accepting patients. Please call or text at (831) 308-2424 to schedule a free consultation.
Eliza Kimmel
Who is Eliza?
Eliza (she/they) is the kind of therapist where you can be yourself in the session. She loves to get to know her clients and hear their stories. She brings a mixture of lived experience and clinical expertise to the conversation. Eliza provides a kind and non-judgemental environment to collaborate on working through the challenges life can bring. Eliza uses a strength-based approach designed to encourage clients in achieving their goals.
Eliza has a Master’s Degree from Antioch University in Clinical Psychology. She has at least five years of experience helping people with depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, mental health disorders, and daily stressors. She has worked with a variety of cultures and populations, including children and teens, the LGBT+ community, people with disabilities, and people struggling with substance abuse. Eliza has been trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and also specializes in narrative, artistic, and musical interventions. She understands that beginning the healing journey with a new therapist can be a big leap, and she is honored to be there every step of the way.
Eliza is located in San Luis Obispo. She does both telehealth and in person sessions. She is currently accepting patients. Please call (805) 242-2013 to schedule a free consultation.
Amber Gambel
Who is Amber?
Amber (she/her) is skilled at creating a supportive hopeful environment that will allow you to explore your relationship to life's challenges. Her approach draws on strategies that are tailored to meet you where you are and to focus on your individual goals and needs. Amber's hope is to be a sounding board, provide clinical insight into your current difficulties & assist you in building the tools necessary to overcome whatever is standing in your path. She is excited to assist you in your journey of overcoming obstacles and reaching your goals.
Amber is a Lisenced Clinican with a Masters of Science in Clinical Social Work from the University of Southern California and has been in the field for over seven years. She has spent years advocating for families in crisis, as well as serving individuals with disabilities develop skills to live independent, rich fulfilling lives. Amber specializes in depression, anxiety, DBT and LGBTQ+ issues. Amber is certified in EMDR, which is the leading treatment for PTSD and trauma related issues.
Amber does all telehealth sessions for San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. Amber is currently accepting patients. Please call or text (805) 835-9406 to schedule a free consultation.
Cari Pillo
Who is Cari?
Cari (she/her) provides a therapeutic space that is warm, welcoming, and non-judgmental - you can be your whole self with her. She will walk with you along your path of self-discovery, celebrating your triumphs and supporting you when you stumble. She is not afraid of going “deep” with you and really wrestling with life’s big questions.
With a Masters of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Cari has specialized training in a therapy approach called Somatic Experiencing and EMDR therapy. Somatic Experiencing allows us to access connection with the body in order to understand your experiences at their most fundamental level; by working with the mind, heart, and body all together as parts of one greater whole, Somatic therapy has been shown to be helpful in impoving stress management, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Cari is also versed in both multiculural issues as well as LGBTQ+ issues.
Cari does telehealth sessions for both San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. She is currently accepting patients. Please call or text at (805) 242-6060 to schedule a free consultation.
Michele Leong
Who is Michelle?
Michele (she/her) knows both the frustration of not being able to process complex ideas/feelings and the relief of having the space to do it. Because of this, she loves to provide a supportive, non-judgmental place for people to come and say all the things that have gone unsaid. She values collaboration on identifying areas of hurt, and is quick to affirm strengths and successes while also gently exploring areas of growth. She strongly believes in self-compassion holding an important role in starting the growing journey. One of her goals is to help develop clients’ abilities to interact with themselves and the world around them in ways that are healing and honoring to each individual.
Michele graduated with her Masters in Psychology from Cal Poly SLO and has 3 years of counseling experience working with a range of settings, from high school districts to community groups to private practice. She specializes in anxiety, depression, identity and belonging, cultural issues, and boundary setting. Her experiences in and out of therapy work have helped her strengthen her understanding of people with differing backgrounds, and she values meeting you where you’re at and walking with you to each next step.
Michelle is located in San Luis Obispo. She does both telehealth and in person sessions. She is currently accepting patients. Please call or text at (805) 242-1438.
Monique Hickmon
Who is Monique?
Monique (she/her) provides individual psychotherapy services to teens and young adults, giving them a space to feel heard without judgement. Allowing room for healing and change when we experience a greater insight into ourselves and our familial influences. Her mission is to encourage and support individuals to transcend debilitating emotions and thoughts to develop effective relationships and coping skills to feel happy and healthy in daily life. She gently challenges her clients to look inward and face any obstacles holding you back by adjust what isn’t working and receive accountability for what is working.
With a double Masters in Counseling and Psychology from Pepperdine University and working as a social worker for nearly 10 years Monique has expansive knowledge around issues pertaining to domestic violence and family issues. Her experience expands to clients battling substance abuse issues, depression, anxiety, and individuals exposed to complex trauma. She is trained in CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, and certified in issues surrounding ADHD issues. With her training and experience each client has their own tailored approach to treatment. Her goal is to offer you a seamless customized therapy experience with a deeply empathic and intuitive therapist.
Monique does all telehealth sessions for San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. Monique is currently accepting patients. Please call (310) 499-4549 to schedule a free consultation.
