Monica Huston, LMFT

  • 5 years of Experience
  • United States
  • Irvine, California
  • Visit Website

Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions

Specialties

Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions

Languages

English

Age Group Focus

Children, Adolescents, Adults, Seniors

Treatment Approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-based, Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Emotionally Focused, Gestalt, Gottman Method, Jungian, Mindfulness-based (MBCT), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative, Person-Centered (Rogerian), Person-Centered Therapy, Play Therapy, Psychoanalytic, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic, Relational, Short-Term (Brief Treatment), Solution Focused Brief (SFBT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Somatic, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Issues

Academic issues, Addiction, Adoption, Aging, Anger Management, Anxiety, Attachment Disorders, Behavior Issues, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Caregiver Stress, Child or Adolescent, Codependency, Coping Skills, Coping With Medical Issues, Depression, Developmental Disability, Dissociative Disorders, Divorce, Dual Diagnosis, Education/Personal Development, Faith Transition, Family Conflict, Goal Setting, Grief, Immigration Issues, Immigration/Newcomer, Infertility, Infidelity, Internet Addiction, Interpersonal Relationships, Introversion, Learning Disabilities, Life Transitions, Marital / Premarital, Memory Problems, Military, Multicultural Issues, Neurological, OCD, Oppositional Defiance, Parenting, Phobias, Physical Illness/Impairment, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Prenatal, Racial Identity, Relationship Issues, Selective Mutism, Self Esteem, Sensory Processing Disorder, Sex Drive - Low, Sexuality Issues, Sleep or Insomnia, Spirituality, Stress, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma / PTSD, Video Game Addiction, Workplace Stress

State License

California

About Monica Huston

My experience as a witness to the joy and hardship of others began in my childhood. As one of 7 children in a large family, I found myself hoping and praying that my siblings would achieve their greatest happiness. As I grew older, I discovered that the journey to reach my own potential for happiness was not a "straight and narrow" path, but a windy road with misleading signs and false appearances of accomplishment. I was inwardly lost and I longed to feel a sense of belonging my own skin. It amazed me how the eyes of my body could see miles ahead, but the eyes of my mind and spirit could not see the wounds I carried. After a great deal of soul-searching in my spiritual, social and academic domains, I have been blessed to find lost pieces of my lost self and discover a career which allows me to act on my deepest hopes and prayers for others--that is, the practice of psychotherapy which allows me to work with those seeking to understand who they are. I give thanks to my faith which offered me a generic goal; my family which helped carry me along the way during times when I faltered; my professors who nourished my reason- the "captain of my cognitive-ship" in the ocean of knowledge; and my therapists who helped me overcome psychological barriers obstructing my ​progress. Today, I feel a source of energy within me that radiates positivity, joy and hope. For me, this is my healing. I became a therapist so I could work with others who want to discover what healing is for them. From my personal and professional experiences, I recognize a few patterns which inspire my journey as a therapist. First, I notice individuals tend to carry “emotional baggage” with them (unresolved conflicts with loved ones, lingering disappointment from personal failures, etc.) This needs to be addressed. Individuals need "emotional freedom" by transforming this emotional baggage into a deeper realization of self and a dedication to make empowering choices. I can help with this. Second, individuals internalize messages from their upbringing which communicates that they are unlovable, "not good enough," or incompetent. From their negative self-concepts, they develop world views which influence their relationships and career choices. This needs to change. Individuals benefit enormously from self-esteem. This can be bolstered by taking risks, enduring challenges, overcoming adversity and reflecting on progress. By replacing past unhappy experiences with new ones, individuals can develop justifiable pride in themselves and make choices which reflect understanding of their inherent dignity. Feelings of unworthiness must not go unchallenged. I can be the one who challenges their place in your life. Finally, it can be difficult to discover our purpose in the world. Without purpose, we don't know how to relate to the world in a way that will bring meaning or value to our lives. Lost and frustrated, we grab at anything to fill the void, sometimes developing addictions and making terminal decisions in the process. This can change by fostering a greater imagination for happiness in our relationships to one another. Relationships are the answer, and I would like to work with others to cultivate “life-giving relationships” where mutual trust and empathy for others produces within us a sense of worth, zest, clarity, productivity and desire for ongoing, deeper connection with others.​

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