Business Details
14 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Your Trusted Mental Health Counseling Partner in San Diego & Riverside
Grow Through Life Counseling was founded in 2012 with a mission to provide high-quality mental health support to families in Eastlake, Chula Vista, CA. Our team of dedicated clinicians specializes in serving children, teens, adults, couples, and families through evidence-based therapies tailored to individual needs. Over the past decade, we have expanded to nine in-person locations across San Diego and Riverside Counties while introducing telehealth services statewide. Our approach emphasizes relationship-driven care, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility through evening and weekend appointments. We maintain in-network status with major insurance providers and offer transparent pricing with no surprise fees for administrative tasks.Our clinicians utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, play therapy, and other proven modalities to address anxiety, depression, trauma, and neurodivergent needs. With over 15 combined years of experience in mental health care, our leadership team prioritizes ethical practice, continuous professional development, and community collaboration. We operate secure electronic records systems and patient portals for convenient scheduling while maintaining 24-hour response times for client inquiries. Our growth reflects both client demand for quality mental health services and our commitment to reducing stigma through inclusive, client-centered care.
Services
Anxiety Treatment
Depression Treatment
Child Therapy
Teen Therapy
Couples Therapy
Family Therapy
Parenting Support
Stress Management
Neurodivergent Support
ADHD Counseling
Details
- Year established: 2012
Highlights and features
- We offer direct access to therapists via dedicated voicemail and email
- Our team includes specialists in child, teen, and neurodivergent therapy
- We maintain 24-hour response times for client inquiries and scheduling
- Our clinicians utilize evidence-based approaches like CBT and DBT
- We provide free school absence notes and routine administrative support
Services
Anxiety Treatment
Our anxiety treatment programs utilize cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to address generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, and phobias in children, teens, and adults. We focus on calming the amygdala through evidence-based techniques while developing personalized coping strategies. Clients learn to recognize anxiety triggers and implement mindfulness practices to reduce symptoms.
Depression Treatment
Specialized depression treatment combines strengths-based therapy with neurochemical balancing techniques to address major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and adjustment disorders. Our clinicians help clients rebuild neural pathways through consistent skill practice while addressing situational and chronic depression causes. Treatment includes family involvement when appropriate for youth clients.
Child Therapy
Child therapy services focus on early intervention for emotional and behavioral challenges using play therapy and developmental approaches. We address tantrums, sleep disturbances, and social difficulties while involving parents in skill-building. Our trauma-informed care helps children process experiences through age-appropriate therapeutic techniques.
Teen Therapy
Teen therapy addresses mood swings, social challenges, and identity exploration through solution-focused and cognitive behavioral approaches. We help adolescents develop emotional regulation skills while improving family communication patterns. Specialized support includes trauma recovery and coping strategies for academic pressures.
Neurodivergent Support
Our neurodivergent support services provide executive functioning coaching and behavioral strategies for individuals with ADHD and related conditions. We address time management challenges, emotional dysregulation, and social skills development through strengths-based approaches tailored to each client's unique needs.
People
Kara Kohnen
LMFT, Director of Growth and Founder
Kara established Grow Through Life Counseling in 2012 with a vision for accessible mental health care. She specializes in family systems therapy and has over 15 years of clinical experience working with children and adolescents.
Abel Pena
LMFT
Abel Pena provides individual and family therapy with a focus on trauma recovery and cultural sensitivity. He has extensive experience working with diverse populations across various life stages.
Erica McDaniel
LCSW
Erica McDaniel specializes in adolescent mental health and family therapy. With a decade of clinical experience, she employs evidence-based practices to address anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges in youth.
Daniel Karzi
AMFT
Daniel Karzi provides therapeutic support for children and families, focusing on early intervention strategies. He utilizes play therapy and strengths-based approaches to promote emotional development in young clients.
Esther De La Cruz
LMFT, RPT-S
Esther De La Cruz specializes in play therapy and trauma treatment for children. As a registered play therapist supervisor, she mentors clinicians while providing direct services for families in crisis.
Questions
Do you accept insurance for therapy sessions?
We are in-network with Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and several other major providers. We verify benefits and collect copays at time of service.
Are telehealth appointments available?
Yes, we offer telehealth services throughout California with licensed clinicians. Sessions follow the same confidentiality standards as in-person visits.
What mental health crises situations do you handle?
For urgent mental health crises, we recommend contacting the San Diego Access and Crisis Line at 888-724-7240 or visiting the nearest emergency room.
How do I schedule an initial appointment?
Contact our intake team at 619-549-0329 ext. 0 or complete our online form to schedule an assessment with a qualified therapist.
Do you offer evening and weekend sessions?
Yes, we provide after-school and weekend therapy sessions to accommodate family schedules across all our San Diego and Riverside County locations.
What therapeutic approaches do your clinicians use?
Our therapists utilize evidence-based methods including CBT, DBT, play therapy, and solution-focused approaches tailored to each client's specific needs.
