Dr. Cynthia Curnan , LMFT

Dr. Cynthia Curnan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT who draws on decades of study and practice to support people in finding greater self-knowledge and personal empowerment. She received her California LMFT license in 1992 and earned a PhD in psychology in 1996. In 1998 she wrote and published The Care and Feeding of Perfectionists, a work that explores how perfectionism can block growth and how an inner orientation toward excellence can replace self-critical patterns.

Before training as a psychotherapist she taught Inner Guidance and trained others to teach that curriculum, cultivating awareness of inner senses such as intuition, insight, instinct, imagination, and deeper intelligence. She helps individuals identify which part of themselves is driving thoughts and decisions so they can move toward self-mastery rather than reactive patterns rooted in childhood experiences and early wounds.

Her practice blends traditional talk therapy with experiential methods designed to heal trauma, reduce perfectionism, and strengthen relationships. Methods she uses include identifying and healing trauma, conscious breathing, dream work, focused meditation, inner child work, EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprogramming), FLASH (an EMDR offshoot), interactive hypnotherapy, couples counseling, and practical goal setting. Humor, presence, and developing self-knowledge are woven into her approach as tools for lasting change and easier accomplishment.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Dr. Curnan integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT, EMDR, and the Gottman Method into her work. CBT helps people identify and adjust unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety, stress, and patterns like perfectionism. EMDR uses guided bilateral stimulation to help process and reduce the emotional charge of traumatic memories, making distressing experiences easier to work through. The Gottman Method focuses on improving communication, conflict management, and emotional connection in couples, helping partners build greater trust and intimacy.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Dr. Curnan and the person seeking help will explore symptoms, goals, and preferences together to determine which methods or combination of approaches best fit the situation, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers practical flexibility - sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone conversations, live chat, or text-based messaging. This range of options makes it easier to maintain continuity of care across time zones and busy schedules, to access therapy from home or while traveling, and to match the communication style that feels most comfortable to the individual.