It is by suffering that human beings become angels. – Victor Hugo Hello, my name is James Chavers. Thank you for taking the time to read my counselor profile. I am a clinical psychologist licensed and living in California. I earned my masters and doctorate in clinical psychology at Antioch University Santa Barbara. I have worked and trained in locked settings (jails and prisons), community health clinics, and colleges and universities for 9 years. I have worked with older adults living with HIV, addiction, and life course diseases, inmates of all genders preparing to transition out of locked settings, and students from 18-50+ navigating the difficulties of college life. Collaborating with my patients, we have worked through relationship, substance abuse, family, gender, sexuality, sexual assault, mood, and trauma issues, to name a few. My clients and I have worked together using a variety of modalities including Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Motivational Interviewing, and Client-centered Therapy. Incorporating Humanistic philosophies in my work, I believe that every person is deserving of love and respect. Each person is the expert of their own life. My purpose as a therapist is to support, suggest, and succor as needed. Finding the right counselor is akin to meeting a great friend. You want someone in your life who accepts you unconditionally, but is not afraid to call you out when you do something stupid. This friend takes the time to listen carefully to what’s going on, and then if you like, shares some insight. This friend is solidly in your corner and makes you feel like you are the most important person in the room. This friend stands by you and walks by your side as you work through your challenges. I have been blessed to have people like that in my life. If you give me the privilege, I would like to pay those experiences forward…to you. James Chavers PSY32025 Pronouns: He, him, his