Rose Carbal, AMFT
When I graduated in May 2017 with a degree in Christian Ministries from California Baptist University, I had no clear vision of my path. If you had told me then that I would become a therapist, I would have replied, "Absolutely no way!" This is because I experienced childhood trauma, including sexual abuse and domestic violence, which resulted in over 35 years of therapy and at least seven therapists. The very idea seemed inconceivable to me. Yet, as Providence would have it, here I am!
I keenly understand how trauma can get "under your skin." I understand the debilitating darkness inside the soul, like a cold wind that relentlessly sweeps through the heart without any sense of hope. I understand the deep emotional pain and despair that gnaws at your every waking breath. I understand the sense of complete loneliness that comes from experiences no one seems to understand. It is a brutal existence, but it need not be!
I am also aware that, as social beings, we need one another for support and guidance. While it is true that some can hurt and injure us, others come alongside us
and help us heal. I am eternally grateful for those who opened my dark world to light and am honored to help others experience hope and healing. You have not realized your intrinsic value and strength. You can do this!
I generally work from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) perspective but include other modalities depending on my clients' needs, such as John Bowlby's Attachment Theory, Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory (Genograms), and Minuchin's Family Systems Theory. I use trauma-based assessments to better understand my clients' responses to trauma and often reference "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk during sessions. I will tap into your intrinsic worth and strengths to lead you toward your therapeutic goals through homework assignments, teaching coping skills, and gentle challenges. I will use my compassion, experience, and education to help my clients reduce their sense of hopelessness, shame, and guilt, and move toward a sense of empowerment.