THERAPY FOR DOCTORS IN SAN DIEGO

You take care of others. We’ll help you take care of yourself.

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WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

People depend on you to stay calm, make decisions, and keep going when the stakes are high. You carry difficult conversations, long hours, unexpected outcomes, and the pressure to get things right. After a while, that kind of responsibility can start to follow you home.

Maybe you’re tired in a way that sleep and the rare vacation don’t seem to fix. You may feel more irritable with the people you love, disconnected from your work, fatigued by achievement expectations, or unable to stop replaying a difficult case after your shift ends. The various trauma and systemic pressures feel insurmountable, and the job you once felt called to do, may now feel like something you’re simply trying to survive.

Reaching out for support can feel complicated, too. You may worry about confidentiality, your reputation, or whether getting help could affect your career. You may also look around at colleagues who seem to be handling everything and wonder why you’re struggling.

The demands of medicine add up. Therapy for doctors gives you a place to talk honestly about what you’re carrying without having to stay composed, take care of someone else, or rush to the next crisis.

WHERE WILL YOU GO?

You want to feel more like yourself again, in better balance, not just getting through the day, but actually being present for it.

Maybe that means leaving work at work more often. Coming home with enough energy for your partner, your kids, your friends, or simply yourself. You may want the self-doubt to quiet down, the vices to calm, the tension before a shift to ease, and the parts of medicine you once found meaningful to feel accessible again.

You also deserve a space where you don’t have to be the expert. In therapy for physicians, you can talk openly without having to be perfect, solve the problem, or take care of anyone else in the room.

The goal isn’t to simply make you better at pushing through it all. It’s to help you feel more grounded, connected, and supported while navigating the intense demands of your work and life.

HOW WILL YOU GET THERE?

You don’t need another person telling you to “just slow down,” take time off, or look at the bright side of life. You need support that understands how complicated it can be to build a better work-life balance when people rely on you every day and you’re preceded by a trail of silent expectations.

Our therapists work with you to look at what is happening underneath the burnout, stress, or disconnection. That may include perfectionism, self-criticism, emotional shutdown, secret vices, relationship strain, or coping strategies that helped you get through difficult seasons, but no longer work as well.

Your therapy for medical professionals may include:

Individual therapy for burnout, resentment, moral injury, anxiety, depression, and difficult cases that continue to stay with you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to work through perfectionism, rumination, and harsh self-criticism.
Trauma-informed therapy for losses, critical incidents, and devastating experiences you haven’t had space to process.
Mindfulness and body-based practices to help your nervous system settle after prolonged stress.
Support for substance use or other coping behaviors that have become difficult to manage.
Couples and family therapy when the demands of medicine are affecting your relationships at home.

You spend a lot of time taking care of other people. Therapy for doctors can be one place where the focus is finally on you

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Meet our San Diego therapists for doctors

Breanne Dargon, LMFT

I spent 15 years working in long-term residential treatment, moving from therapist to clinical supervisor and clinical director before growing Pathways, so I understand what it means to carry responsibility, make difficult decisions, and keep functioning when a lot is being asked of you. As a therapist for doctors, my systems-based approach looks beyond individual symptoms to the relationships, work pressures, and environmental factors affecting your well-being.

Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist # 99204
Specialty Areas: Burnout and compassion fatigue, trauma, anxiety, depression, career and stage-of-life transitions, leadership stress, relationship strain, supporting physicians whose family members live with serious mental illness.

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Jeff Williams, LCSW

I’ve worked in behavioral healthcare since 2002, and my style is warm, analytical, non-judgmental, yet direct. For physicians who spend all day making decisions and carrying responsibility, a more straightforward approach can feel like a relief. My days managing the logistics and growth of Pathways, amidst routine client care and a myriad of personal family responsibilities, helps me better understand physicians’ experience. My 300+ hours of Structural Family Therapy training helps me look at how stress and environment affects not just you, but your relationships and home life.

Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker # 28894
Specialty Areas: Existential and identity dilemmas, mid-career reevaluation, depression, anxiety, anger, trauma, couples and family therapy, substance use concerns, balance, and boundaries between work and home.

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Connor Seidler, LMFT

Perfectionism probably helped you get through medical school. It may also be what keeps you replaying a difficult case long after the day is over or what keeps you just beyond emotional reach in your closest relationships. As a therapist for medical professionals, I work especially well with high-achieving people who are hard on themselves and may struggle with the intimacy of relationships, helping them separate healthy accountability from relentless self-criticism. My background in couples and family therapy also makes me a strong fit for physicians whose work stress is affecting their relationships, communication, or ability to feel connected at home.

Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist # 146060
Specialty Areas: Self-criticism and perfectionism, imposter feelings, anxiety, depression, trauma, high-crisis situations, impulsive acting out, couples work and communication repair.

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What sets our practice apart from other therapists for medical providers

Private-pay care with more privacy. We don’t bill insurance, so there are no insurance authorizations or diagnoses submitted to a third party. If you want to seek PPO reimbursement, we can provide a monthly superbill and let you decide whether to use it.
Therapists who understand high-pressure clinical environments. Our team has extensive experience in residential and long-term treatment settings, so we’re familiar with high-acuity work, difficult outcomes, and the emotional weight that can come with caring for others.
A systems-based approach. Stress and burnout rarely stay at work, and it’s not always work that’s the culprit. We look at how your career affects your relationships, family life, routines, and overall well-being, while also recognizing family-of-origin and personal needs, so therapy can address the bigger picture.
Support without unnecessary pathologizing. We understand that exhaustion, anxiety, irritability, vices and disconnection can be understandable responses to sustained pressure. Our goal is to understand what’s happening and help you respond to it, not reduce your experience to a diagnosis.
Individual, couples, and family therapy in one practice. You may come to us for yourself, your relationship, or someone in your family. We can support physicians individually, as well as the important people in your life.
In-person and virtual options. We offer in-person sessions in Sorrento Valley and Chula Vista, along with telehealth for clients across California.
Clear fees from the beginning. Individual sessions are $200, couples sessions are $250, family sessions are $300, and group sessions are $100, so you know what to expect before you begin.

Frequently asked questions

How can therapy help physicians?

Therapy for doctors gives you a place to talk openly about the parts of your work that are difficult to carry alone, life outside the office, or to make time for the health of the person beneath the scrubs. Therapy can help with burnout, self-criticism, difficult cases, relationship stress, or disconnection from yourself after years of endless achievement or putting other people first. Therapy can help you understand what is contributing to the stress, develop healthier ways to respond to it, and feel more present at work and at home.

What kinds of issues do you help doctors with?

We provide therapy for physicians dealing with a wide range of personal and professional concerns, including:

Burnout, compassion fatigue, decision fatigue, and emotional exhaustion
Depression, anxiety, and panic
Moral injury and difficult clinical experiences
Perfectionism, rumination, and imposter syndrome
Substance use and coping habits that are hurting more than helping
Relationship strain, family conflict, and disconnection at home
Career transitions, questions about identity, and reevaluating your future in medicine

You don’t need to fit neatly into one of these categories to reach out. If you’re unsure whether we’re the right fit, we’re happy to talk with you about what you’re experiencing and help you determine next steps.

Is therapy confidential?

Yes. Your therapy sessions are confidential and protected by law, with limited exceptions that your therapist will review with you. Because Pathways is a private-pay practice, we don’t submit diagnoses or treatment information to an insurance company for authorization.

If you would like to pursue PPO reimbursement, we can provide a monthly superbill. Whether you submit is completely up to you.

Do you help loved ones of doctors?

Absolutely. The demands of medicine can affect more than the physician. Partners, spouses, children, and other family members may also feel the impact of long hours, unpredictable schedules, stress, and emotional exhaustion.

We offer individual, couples, and family therapy, so support doesn’t have to depend on everyone being ready for therapy at the same time. If the doctor in your family isn’t ready to come in, you can still reach out for support yourself.

What is the depression rate among doctors?

Depression and burnout are common among physicians, even though many doctors may hesitate to talk about what they are experiencing. According to the AMA, depression rates vary depending on specialties, with the highest rates of depression in urology and emergency medicine, at around 38%.

Statistics can help show how widespread the problem is, but you don’t have to wait until things feel severe to ask for help. A therapist for doctors offers a confidential space to address stress, mood changes, burnout, or other concerns before they become harder to manage.