Dr. Judith Dickey

Dr. Judith Dickey is a seasoned therapist who frames the therapeutic relationship as an alliance for health and growth. She acknowledges the courage it takes to seek help and intends to support clients as they work toward their goals, using the information they share to shape individualized treatment and periodically evaluating progress together.

She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California (CA LMFT 24294) and has been licensed by the State of California since 1988. Her academic background includes a master’s degree in family therapy from the California Family Study Center (now Phillips Graduate Institute) and a doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She has also received additional training in Emotional Freedom Techniques, often called EFT or Tapping.

While familiar with a range of therapeutic methods, including cognitive behavioral approaches, Dr. Dickey favors a psycho-spiritual orientation. She blends family therapy with depth psychology—notably Jungian and archetypal perspectives—to address relationship concerns on multiple levels. In this work she helps individuals and couples improve communication, navigate transitions and losses, and manage conflicts constructively. Depth psychology in her practice supports emotional stamina and the discovery of hidden aspects of self and the narratives that shape relationships, honoring both rational and intuitive dimensions as part of becoming a more whole person. Although her approach is psycho-spiritual, it is not based on any particular religious teaching.

Dr. Dickey incorporates Emotional Freedom Techniques when addressing trauma, describing how traumatic events can become held in the body and how EFT-Tapping can help shift that energy. EFT uses the body’s acupressure points and guided tapping on specific events to reduce distress and ease the effects of trauma, with clients tapping on themselves while receiving verbal guidance.

She also works with people struggling with addiction, viewing it as a thinking disorder characterized by beliefs such as “there is never enough,” or “one must be perfect,” and the sense that one cannot ask for help. Her treatment focus for addiction includes healing shame, expressing feelings, practicing self-care, and cultivating gratitude and humility. She sees addiction as having a spiritual dimension as well, often involving attempts to find love in unhelpful places and a mistaken sense of total control. Addressing addiction can involve a team approach that includes programs such as AA, AlAnon, Celebrate Recovery, and support from a sponsor.

Dr. Dickey emphasizes lifestyle factors as influential in mental health. She encourages attention to nourishing foods that support gut and brain health, regular movement such as walking, dance, yoga, or Tai Chi, adequate rest and restoration, connection with respectful friends, and the presence of a spiritual practice if helpful. She also suggests being mindful about media consumption and how it affects mood, and notes that states of gratitude and appreciation align with heart coherence while anger and frustration lead to incoherence.