Monika Martynska

Psychotherapy / Counseling

  LMFT, CNC Certified Nutrition Consultant

Online and in person / sliding scale

Many insurance plans accepted including:

Carelon and United Behavioral Health.

Licensed Marriage

and Family Therapist  

LMFT 104545

Biography

I grew up under a communist regime in Gdansk, Poland. In 1981 my parents emigrated to the United States in pursuit of a better life and in 1983 I was finally allowed to join them. This was a very difficult transition for me because I did not speak English and I greatly missed my family and friends left behind.  It also turned out to be a defining experience of my life because it set me on a path of discovery of what it takes to develop emotional resilience under very challenging circumstances.

My healing path then led me to the study of yoga and meditation and I spent a year as a resident of Gampo Abbey, a Buddhist monastery in Nova Scotia, Canada under the guidance of  Pema Chodron, a wonderful  Buddist teacher and author of many books on Buddhism and Eastern/ Western psychology including When Things Fall Apart.  The year I spent there was one of the most important and meaningful years of my life. It allowed me to deepen my meditation practice and develop a sense of compassion for others, along with a profound peace, joy and community connection that I was previously unaware of. At that time, I also committed myself wholeheartedly to a personal therapy dealing with my own childhood and family issues.

My path also led me to becoming a Certified Nutrition Consultant (CNC), and a graduate of  Bauman College in Santa Cruz, CA. I then worked at a fitness center where I assisted people in weight management, creating  a healthy diet and lifestyle. This work as a nutrition consultant made me aware that many of the issues related to food had psychological roots and I wanted to find more ways to overcome those issues. I had also had a life-long  interest in Buddhism and the the intersection of Western Psychology and Eastern Spirituality and how we can bring forth the best of both to help people thrive.  I therefore  set out to pursue a degree in Counseling Psychology at CIIS in San Francisco, a school that had a corriculum rooted in both Western and Eastern philosophy.

While in San Francisco I trained at the Gestalt Institute and also completed a training in Hakomi, a mindfulness based somatic therapy. In addition to private practice I spent 2 years working with people with drug addiction and severe mental illness in a hospital-like setting, and another 2 years with children and adolescents in the school system. Currently I am in private practice in Santa Cruz, CA where I see people for individual and group therapy.