Keith Engel

I work with adults who may feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or simply unlike themselves, even when they appear to be holding everything together.

I believe emotional pain often develops when difficult experiences and powerful feelings are carried alone. Over time, this can show up as anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, or patterns that once helped us cope but no longer serve us.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Diplomate (LCSW, BCD) with experience across private practice, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and military healthcare. I retired from the U.S. Navy in 2021 after serving as a clinical social worker and Medical Service Corps officer. My work has allowed me to support adults from a wide range of backgrounds through life transitions, relationship concerns, stress, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, identity, and the lasting impact of difficult experiences.

I earned my Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and approach therapy from a psychodynamic foundation while drawing from evidence-based approaches based on each client’s needs.

At the center of my work is the belief that our stories shape us, but they do not have to confine us.

My approach is insight-oriented, relational, and emotionally focused.

Together, we look beyond symptoms to understand the experiences, relationships, emotions, and patterns that may be influencing how you experience yourself and others today. Many of the ways we protect ourselves developed for good reasons. Therapy gives us an opportunity to understand those patterns without judgment, consider whether they still serve you, and explore what responding differently might look like.

While insight is important, therapy should also help create meaningful change. I integrate reflection with practical strategies to help you better understand your emotions, strengthen your ability to navigate them, improve relationships, and move toward a more grounded and authentic way of living.

Therapy is collaborative. I bring clinical experience, curiosity, and perspective, while recognizing that you are the expert on your own life.

Our first session is an opportunity for me to understand what brings you to therapy now, what has been happening in your life, and what you hope will feel different.

The conversation is structured enough to give us direction but relaxed enough for you to tell your story in your own way. I will ask thoughtful questions, clarify what feels most important, and begin identifying themes we may want to explore together. You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what is wrong or what you want to work on.

By the end of our first meeting, my goal is for you to have a clearer sense of where our work might go and whether I feel like the right therapist for you.

Most importantly, you should leave feeling heard, respected, and understood.