Dr. Cynthia Curnan, LMFT

Therapist in California

Dr.

License 29820 · California Expires May 2026
NPI 1871115188 · national registry
Experience and languages 32+ years in practice English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Cynthia

Dr. Cynthia Curnan helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma, grief, and intimacy-related issues. She is Dr.

Cynthia Curnan, a licensed marriage and family therapist with three decades of clinical experience in California. Her work also covers concerns like abandonment, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, money worries, and communication problems. She uses straightforward talk combined with practical tools.

Sessions often include breathing exercises, focused meditation, and techniques to identify and heal trauma.

Background and approach

She also works with approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, hypnotherapy, and the Gottman Method to address relationship patterns. Her background blends psychotherapy with earlier work teaching Inner Guidance. That history shapes how she helps people notice intuition, imagination, and inner senses that are often ignored.

She encourages clients to learn which part of themselves is making decisions so they can develop greater self-knowledge and self-mastery. Dr. Curnan received her California LMFT license in 1992 and earned a PhD in psychology in 1996.

She is the author of The Care and Feeding of Perfectionists, a book that looks at how perfectionism can block growth and self-acceptance. In sessions she helps people identify perfectionist patterns and replace them with an inner motivation toward excellence. She uses inner child work, dream work, goal setting, and interactive hypnotherapy when those methods fit the person’s needs.

Credentials

LMFT (California): License 29820 · expires May 2026
NPI: 1871115188 · national provider identifier

Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the therapist lists and checks neither.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Cynthia lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Abandonment
Caregiver issues and stress
Chronic pain, illness, and disability
Communication problems
Control issues
Divorce and separation
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
HIV / AIDS
Hoarding
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Jealousy
Life purpose
Midlife crisis
Money and financial issues
Mood disorders
Narcissism
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Post-traumatic stress
Self-love
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Workplace issues

Approaches Cynthia names

These are the approaches Cynthia names on their own professional profile. Naming an approach is not evidence of training or certification in it, and this directory checks no training records. Ask directly if it matters to you.

Online support

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Dr. Curnan often uses the Gottman Method to look at how partners communicate and manage conflict, focusing on skills that reduce criticism and build connection. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to spot unhelpful thinking and try small experiments to change behaviors and mood. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is offered to address traumatic memories through structured processing that can reduce their emotional impact.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. She works with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, history, and comfort level. Treatment plans can be adjusted over time as needs change and progress becomes clear.

Online sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy easier to fit into life. Video lets people practice communication skills with visual cues, phone calls can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging supports shorter check-ins or ongoing reflection between appointments. These options aim to make starting and continuing therapy more flexible and accessible.

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Frequently asked

What kinds of problems does she help with?

She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and intimacy-related concerns. Additional areas include caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, money problems, and communication struggles.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style combines direct talk with experiential methods like breathing exercises, meditation, and inner guidance work. She aims for practical tools people can use between sessions.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She brings 32 years of clinical experience to her work, combining psychotherapy practice with earlier teaching in Inner Guidance.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is a California LMFT and practices in California. She also holds a PhD in psychology.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to match different needs and schedules.

How does payment and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What do I do to begin therapy?

Click the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.

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