Hi, I'm Patty Bechtold

I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who works with women who feel like something's missing.

And even though I don't know you yet, I know this: You are wise.

Those moments when wisdom reveals itself during a session are transformative. Their power to help us heal, grow, and thrive is undeniable.

But being a wise woman doesn't mean you have it all figured out.

Still, I believe that even in our most difficult moments, wisdom is always there, waiting. And no matter how you're feeling, you already have this quiet knowing within you, an inner voice of guidance and support.

Part of our work together is to trust and cultivate that deep abiding wisdom within.

My Approach to Women's Therapy and Coaching

I believe every woman is complete and whole, right now. You deserve a therapy or coaching experience that honors this truth and meets you exactly where you are.

You also deserve support to experience healing, to move toward what matters most, and take meaningful actions to feel happier and create the life that's fulfilling to you and you alone.

Using a holistic and person-centered approach, I bring a blend of theories and techniques to our sessions.

Together, we'll explore ways to help you feel better and move forward.

I'll be an active guide and partner, encouraging you to bring compassion to past hurts, difficult experiences, and stuck places. You may experience unexpected aha moments that reveal the gifts within the wounds. Healing, hope, and forward movement often follow.

Most of all, we're in this together.

Ultimately you’re the expert on your thoughts, feelings, experiences, needs, and desires. I’ll share my knowledge, insight, and intuition, and continually empower you to see yourself as worthy and good enough.

I love partnering with women to do this work. And I’m truly honored to be able to spend my time and energy practicing as a women's therapist and life coach in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, and beyond.

My Background and Credentials

As a child I loved stepping into other lives, imagining what it was like to be that person.

Not only did it help me get through a difficult home experience, it led me to study theatre and acting in college. It opened me up to so much: deep listening, empathy, the full range of human emotions, conflict, comedy, tragedy, story.

Little did I know I was laying the foundation for my life’s work as a therapist and coach.

Before starting my therapy practice, I worked at several colleges and universities.

I was an adjunct professor, academic advisor, and counselor to adult reentry students. Many of my clients and students were women returning to college after experiencing life-changing events. They faced tremendous demands and juggled multiple stressors: families, careers, financial responsibilities, and heavy class loads.

These women taught me so much about the nature of hope, how it often exists side-by-side with ambivalence, doubt, and confusion. I gained a deep understanding of how having someone there to listen and believe in you is often exactly what you need to regroup, try again, and move forward.

In addition to my Masters degree in Counseling, I regularly complete various certifications and trainings.

I’m licensed to practice clinical counseling and psychotherapy with California residents, and I'm certified to practice coaching with women anywhere in the world.

• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) #925 - California
• Board Certified Coach (BCC) #2072 - Center for Credentialing and Education

Ongoing Professional Trainings and Certifications

• Grief Support Specialist; University of Wisconsin, Madison
• SoulCollage® Facilitator; training with Mariabruna Sirabella
• Pearson Marr Archetype Indicator Facilitator; training with Carol Pearson
• Qualified Practitioner - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Inner Relationship Focusing; training with Maureen Gallagher
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; training with Jenna LeJeune
• Dream Pattern Analysis; training with Michael Conforti, Assisi Institute
• The Power of Embodied Transformation Course: Coaches Rising
• The Neuroscience of Change Course: Coaches Rising
• Therapeutic Writing Courses: Center for Journal Therapy

Finding My Way Home to My Own Inner Wisdom

I've lost track of my inner wisdom many times.

In fact, I've had long periods when I’ve felt adrift and unanchored in my life. Losing my mom right at the cusp of adulthood had a lot to do with it.

Years of floundering followed her death, when anxiety took hold and depression pulled me in. I grieved, searched, strived, pushed, acted out, got lost, got tired, and finally just stopped.

Eventually I stepped on the healing path, with the help of several wise therapists, coaches and mentors along the way.

I had to do some deep digging though. I had to explore what I was running from before I could actually hear my inner voice.

Now I see what a turning point that was. Making the decision to stop and listen to my inner voice was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

These days, I'm extremely lucky to be able to split my time between two beautiful places: Mendocino and Sonoma County. And when I'm not counseling, coaching, or guiding women's circles and groups, you're likely to find me in one of my favorite places: the garden, my art journal, the back roads of Northern California, or simply hanging out with my husband, kitties, and friends.

Even if your story is very different from mine, there's something I'm pretty sure we have in common.

One day your own inner wisdom will rise up and demand your attention, just like mine did. When it does, I'd be honored to be the one to help you hear it.

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