Loyal Blue Counseling

Built by a Cal alum, for Cal students. 💙💛

Loyal Blue is back on campus spreading the word: our drop-in counseling is officially open! Whether you’re dealing with midterms, stress, or just need a safe space to decompress, our 20-minute drop-in sessions are designed to fit right into your busy student schedule.

Ready to talk? Visit the link in our bio to schedule. Go Bears! 🐻

What makes a good coach? 🏆 Good coaching is about more than winning. It’s about building confidence, learning from mistakes, and helping kids navigate challenges.

These lessons apply to parenting, too: let kids struggle, focus on growth, and remember that not every setback needs to be fixed.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s personal growth. 💙

Read the full blog at the link in bio!

Ever feel like your brain has 47 tabs open at once? When anxiety hits, telling yourself to “just stop worrying” rarely works. It usually just ends up making the thoughts louder.

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we often use structured tools like Scheduled Worry Time to help contain overthinking rather than letting it hijack your entire day.

Swipe through for a quick breakdown on how to set up your own daily 5-minute worry reset!

📌 Save this post for when you need a brain reset later this week.

To all of our high school, college, and graduate students heading back over the next few weeks - take a deep breath. 🌿

Big transitions naturally bring up stress and uncertainty, but you don’t have to navigate them alone. Take it one day, one assignment, and one small step at a time. You’ve got this!

If academic stress or anxiety is starting to feel like too much to carry on your own, our team is here to support you. Tap the link in our bio to schedule an initial consultation!

Summer isn’t over yet! ☀️💙 We’re sharing a few moments from a recent gathering with some of our Loyal Blue Counseling team.

From good food and conversation to badminton and time spent together, we’re grateful for the opportunity to connect, celebrate, and enjoy time together outside of the office.

A little summer fun before we head into a new season!

Here is a little intro from Sophia herself ☀️☺️:

Hi everyone! My name is Sophia and I’m thrilled to be joining the Loyal Blue team as an associate therapist on the LPCC licensure track!
I earned my B.A. in Psychology from Sonoma State University and my M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Concordia University’s Townsend Institute.

I love working with kids, teens, and neurodivergent clients, especially those navigating developmental delays or big emotions that are hard to put into words. Much of my experience comes from schools, where I’ve supported IEP goals, coached caregivers through early intervention strategies, and helped kids build emotional regulation skills.

I bring CBT, play therapy, and interactive, game-based techniques into sessions because I want therapy to feel natural, engaging, and fun. Whether clients are working through anxiety, grief, life transitions, or developmental challenges, I love getting to know what makes each of them unique and tailoring my approach around that.

I care deeply about building genuine, trusting relationships with my clients and believe in collaborative, whole-person care.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me hiking, relaxing at the beach, or spending time with my partner and our bulldogs!

Big emotions + boundaries can be a tough combination. 💛

How do you validate your child’s feelings while still holding the limit? The ACT approach breaks it down into 3 simple steps: Acknowledge, Communicate, Target.

Read the full blog for practical examples you can use at home. Link in bio! ✨

Here is a little introduction from Alexandra herself ☀️☺️:

Hi everyone! My name is Alexandra and I’m so excited to be joining the Loyal Blue team!

I have always been drawn to caretaking professions. Before beginning my work as a clinician, I worked as a veterinary nurse for over five years. The work I did caring for and helping to heal animals was incredibly meaningful to me, but I eventually became interested in pursuing a career path that would allow me to help people.

During graduate school, I began working as a school counselor. I found so much joy and meaning in working with youth that I chose to continue that work post-grad. The time I spent working in schools and summer camps allowed me to help kids and families with a wide range of challenges.

Using a person-centered approach, I work collaboratively with my clients to set goals, build new skills and make meaning. I incorporate tools from CBT, DBT and MI to help clients recognize existing strengths and continue to build on them.

When I’m not working, you can usually find me reading, crocheting or playing at the park with my daughter and our rescue dog, Cricket. I also love cooking and winning against my partner in our fantasy football league.

Stop chasing dopamine hacks! 🧠

Social media is full of quick fixes for boosting dopamine, serotonin, and other “feel-good” chemicals—but the science is more nuanced than that.

Our latest blog breaks down what these brain chemicals actually do and the everyday habits that truly support your mental health.

✨ Read the full blog at the link in our bio. ✨