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Poppy Hero Image
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The wound is the place
where the light enters you.

~ Rumi

Let therapy be your light.
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Why do you stay in prison
when the doors are so wide open?

~ Rumi

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There is a secret medicine
given only to those who hurt
so hard they cannot cope.

~ Rumi

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The rose’s rarest essence
lives in the thorns.

~ Rumi

It is often the sharpest thorns in our lives
that help us reach our full potential.
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And you? When will you begin
that long journey into yourself?

~ Rumi

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There is a candle in your
heart, ready to be kindled

There is a void in your soul,
ready to be filled

You feel it, don’t you?

~ Rumi

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Take your first step to

Healing, Health & Wellness

Kristin Kleppe, PsyD

Kristin Kleppe,
PsyD President

Integrated Care for Body, Mind & Spirit

Orange County Health Psychologists is a unique group practice of 30+ licensed clinical behavioral health providers committed to a holistic approach to health and wellness. We offer an array of services for individuals, couples, and families.

Our providers specialize in many areas. If you’re looking for help with anxiety, depression, relationship stress, PTSD, grief and loss, or any other mental health issue, we have skilled and experienced providers who can help you treat your issue at the root cause.

Psychotherapy can be a wonderful catalyst for positive growth and transformation.

Let’s talk about how that transformation can happen for you.

Specializing In:

We all worry from time to time about stressful events or circumstances. However, if your anxiety is easily triggered or you experience a constant, vague fear that goes unresolved, you may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, phobias, OCD, and anxiety related to stress, and therapy can be beneficial for any and all of these disorders.

Depression is a feeling of sadness and/or emptiness that lasts for more than two weeks. It interferes with your level of motivation, your relationships, and your ability to function in your daily activities. Depression can vary from mild to severe, ranging from a slightly “blue” mood to suicidal thoughts. It can also come in many forms, such as major clinical depression, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, and bipolar disorder.

The shock, sadness and confusion that accompanies the loss of a loved one can be extremely intense and painful. Whether the loss was expected or sudden, the process of grief unfolds differently for everyone. Loss of a family member, friend, co-worker or another meaningful person can trigger feelings of grief. However, we may also feel grief after a major life change, such as divorce or job loss. We can expect to grieve not only when we lose a beloved person, but any time we experience the loss of our identity, hopes and dreams, or expectations.

The definition of a chronic disease is one that lasts three months or longer and interferes with your daily life. Depression and anxiety are very common for people with chronic illness, and they can actually make the symptoms of disease worse. For example, 40% of people with diabetes also suffer from depression. While it’s unclear what might be causation and what might be correlation in cases like this, we do know that successfully treating depression can help with effectively treating diabetes. And some behavioral health problems, such as depression or anxiety, can actually be caused by the diseases themselves. If you are living with a chronic disease, there are many options to treat the associated mental and emotional stressors that accompany it. 

Psychological trauma is the response to a distressing event or circumstance that overrides a person’s ability to cope with their resulting thoughts and feelings. Some people may develop unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms after experiencing trauma and can have difficulties with relationships. Abuse is a type of interpersonal trauma and can be emotional, physical, psychological, sexual or spiritual. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can develop after the experience of trauma. Sufferers usually report chronic anxiety, sleep disturbances, “flashbacks” or vivid, invasive memories of the trauma, avoidance of emotional intimacy or a dulled emotional response.

Addiction is a complex condition sometimes referred to as a disease. A person with an addiction will compulsively use substances or perform certain actions in spite of any harmful consequences. Alcohol and substance abuse, especially opioid abuse, are the most common types of addictions, but things like shopping and pornography can become addictive as well. There are many effective treatments for addiction, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medications.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are chronic conditions with symptoms that include difficulty focusing your attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. These conditions can contribute to difficulties at school or work, trouble with relationships and low self-esteem. There are a number of effective treatments for ADHD/ADD, but most involve some combination of therapy and medication.

“High-Functioning Autism,” formerly listed in the DSM-5 as “Asperger’s,” is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with no intellectual disability. ASD is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior in children and adults. There are a wide range of symptoms (a “spectrum”) associated with ASD, but these generally include difficulties with communication as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. There is no “cure” for ASD—it is a neurotype, not a mental illness or disease.

Chronic pain is persistent pain that may last weeks or years. This pain can limit your ability to function at home or at work, or engage in any of the activities you enjoy. Experiencing prolonged pain is also physically and emotionally stressful, and this chronic stress can affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Unsurprisingly, people with chronic pain are four times more likely to have depression or anxiety than those who do not.

Eating disorders are illnesses characterized by a preoccupation with food and body weight, coupled with disturbances in eating behaviors. There are three main types of eating disorders – anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. It is common for these disorders to co-occur with anxiety, panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse problems.

Clinical Health Psychology is the application of scientific knowledge about the relationships between behavioral, emotional, cognitive, social, and biological components of health and disease to the promotion and maintenance of health and the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of illness and disability.(1) At Orange County Health Psychologists, we have providers with training in all aspects of Clinical Health Psychology because it is a crucial component of our integrated care for body, mind and spirit.

Next Steps to Take

To begin your journey with us:

  1. Browse our highly-qualified providers
  2. Find someone who specializes in the areas for which you need support
  3. Read our providers’ bios to see who is the best fit for you and/or your loved ones
  4. Call us for more information or to set up a meeting
  5. We're here for you, virtually or in-person.*

*Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many sessions are currently conducted via telehealth. Check with your provider to determine their status.

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Take your first step to

Healing, Health & Wellness