Aletta Gonzales

Aletta Gonzales

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #150550

Santa Cruz Office

Medi-Cal & Insurance provider

I am a dedicated therapist who is passionate about helping individuals on their journey towards personal growth and emotional well-being. With a compassionate and nonjudgmental approach, I strive to create a safe and supportive space for clients to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. My approach focuses on helping clients identify patterns of stuckness, work towards liberation and change, and find relief from anxiety and depression. 

My therapy practice involves working with individuals, couples, and families. Together, we will determine goals for therapy and utilize an integrative approach to meet those goals. I draw from various therapeutic modalities, including Emotionally Focused Therapy, Relational Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Family Systems Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy. 

In couple’s therapy, I help clients identify negative cycles in their relationships and learn new ways of relating with understanding, empathy, and productive problem-solving. I believe that addressing the deep roots of these patterns can lead to a rediscovery of intimacy and fulfillment in relationships.

I am also certified in Sex Therapy for adult individuals, and within romantic partnerships (dyads, triads, and polycules). Sex therapy can help clients find their own sense of sexual well-being, relieve distress, heal shame, and many other aspects of sexuality. Sex therapy is hands off in the same way traditional therapy is. I work with clients to determine their goals for therapy. My focus is on promoting sex positivity, addressing diverse sexual experiences, desire discrepancies, and sexual satisfaction. I am committed to creating a safe and inclusive space where clients can openly discuss any aspect of their lives, including erotically marginalized or oppressed identities.

Request an Appointment

To Request an Appointment at Shine a Light or NPCC, please fill out this form. We respond to inquiries Monday through Friday. All inquiries we receive on the weekends or holidays will be processed the next business day. Thank you for your patience. If you need immediate services, please call 911.

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This form is for agency information. If you want information about counseling for yourself or your family, use the other form. Thank you.

New Office in San Francisco!

Shine a Light Counseling Center is please to merge with New Perspectives Center for Counseling. NPCC has been serving the San Francisco community for thirty years. Now NPCC is transitioning to become the San Francisco site for Shine a Light. NPCC will retain its name, character and history. For information about NPCC or counseling in San Francisco:

 

New Perspectives Center for Counseling (link)

Emergency Contact

Shine a Light does not provide crisis services. If you have a mental health emergency, call 988 or 911. Or  click here  for more Crisis Resources

Telephone Contact

You can call Shine a Light at 831-996-1222, but we encourage you to use the email forms to the left. If you call, please leave the following:

  • Phone number
  • Preferred location
  • Best times to meet
  • Issue you want help with
  • What insurance you have (if any)

FAX us at: 831-417-0443

Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your therapy sessions will cost. Your fee will be set according to a sliding scale, in collaboration with your therapist, prior to your first counseling session. Total costs depend upon the number of sessions you choose to utilize.

If you have private health insurance and we are not in-network with your plan, please be aware that your costs for therapy may be less by using an in-network provider. This will depend upon your plan's deductible amounts and co-payments. In some cases, counseling at Shine a Light is less costly than using private insurance.

If you hope to use "out of network" benefits through your private insurance, please be aware that many plans will not reimburse for services provided by trainees. Please request an Associate level therapists for out-of-network billing.

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Shine a Light Counseling Center

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