Profile / United States
Dr. Cynthia Curnan, LMFT
California
Dr. Cynthia Curnan LMFT - Anxiety and Relationships
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- EMDR trauma work
- Couples Gottman tools
About Cynthia
Dr. Cynthia Curnan is a California licensed marriage and family therapist - LMFT with 32 years of clinical experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and intimacy-related issues. Her work also addresses abandonment, caregiver strain, chronic illness and pain, communication problems, control issues, and life transitions such as divorce and midlife questions.
Her sessions are practical and focused on noticing patterns in thinking and behavior. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside trauma-informed methods to help people recognize unhelpful thoughts and try alternative responses. EMDR, hypnotherapy, and trauma-focused work are part of her toolkit when addressing painful memories and strong emotional reactions.
Dr. Curnan draws on earlier work teaching Inner Guidance and on a PhD in psychology. That background informs her interest in inner attention, dream material, and developing accurate self-knowledge. She wrote a book on perfectionism and often addresses how perfectionist habits keep people stuck.
In therapy she lays out steps for change, including breathing and focused meditation, goal setting, and ways to reduce perfectionistic self-criticism. She also includes practical relationship techniques from the Gottman Method when relevant to couples work.
Many clients work on becoming more present, reducing reactivity, and shifting from self-criticism toward a steadier internal drive for excellence. Practical exercises, short homework, and clear behavioral goals are typical parts of her approach.
How therapeutic approaches are used in online sessions
Dr. Curnan commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice patterns of thinking and test different responses. CBT in online work means looking at specific thoughts and behaviors, setting small experiments, and tracking results over time.She also uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, for trauma-focused work. EMDR aims to reduce the intensity of distressing memories by pairing focused attention with guided processing; it is used when past events continue to cause strong reactions.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, symptoms, and preferences and collaboratively decide whether CBT, EMDR, Gottman-informed relationship tools, or hypnotherapy components are the best fit for a particular issue.
The practical benefits of remote sessions include fitting therapy into a busy schedule and reducing travel time, which can make regular check-ins easier. If you plan to work online, confirm the specific session formats offered before booking so you know how sessions are scheduled and billed. Online work still emphasizes clear goals, short between-session exercises, and regular review of progress to help integrate changes into everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
32+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address most often?
She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and intimacy-related problems. She also works with related concerns like caregiver stress, chronic illness, and communication difficulties.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in sessions?
CBT is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and to test new ways of responding. Sessions tend to include practical steps and short exercises to try between meetings.
What is her professional background and experience?
She has 32 years of clinical experience and a PhD in psychology. Prior to clinical training she taught Inner Guidance and later integrated that perspective into her therapeutic work.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and practices from California.
Are sessions available in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.