About Erik
Erik Tootell is a California psychologist with four decades of experience helping people manage stress and anxiety. He offers calm, steady support for those dealing with grief, depression, trauma, and problems with focus and memory. His approach is straightforward and practical, aimed at helping people make real changes in daily life.
He creates an open space where clients can say what they’re feeling without judgment. Sessions focus on identifying what’s getting in the way and testing small changes that add up over time.
Background and approach
Erik emphasizes clear goals and realistic steps rather than long, abstract explanations. Over 40 years he has worked with people facing a wide range of concerns, including the effects of abuse, loss, and chronic health issues. He also brings experience with attention challenges, communication problems, and adjustment after major life events.
That breadth helps when problems overlap or don’t fit a single label. Erik uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques and adapts them to each person’s needs. He will listen first and then recommend approaches that match a person’s goals, strengths, and day-to-day routine.
Progress is measured by changes in functioning and comfort, not by jargon. Sessions are offered in English from California and available in several online formats. Taking the first step can feel daunting, and Erik aims to make the process as clear and manageable as possible.
Approaches that guide online care
Erik commonly draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical skills and problem solving. One approach emphasizes identifying patterns that maintain anxiety and testing small behavior changes to reduce symptoms and increase coping. Another method targets processing grief, trauma, or painful memories by helping people tell their story at a pace they can handle and build new ways to manage intense feelings.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist listens to a person’s goals, symptoms, and daily routine, then suggests methods that fit those needs. Together they monitor what helps and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. Video calls let people meet face-to-face when visual connection matters. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging provide ongoing support between sessions and can be useful for brief updates or practicing new skills in real time.
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Traumatic brain injury
- Trichotillomania
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
- Experience
- 40 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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