Meet the Team
Timothy Baima, Ph.D., LMFT
BIOGRAPHY
I have over 20 years of experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and more than 30 total years of experience with some form of counseling. By the time I went to graduate school, I had completed nearly 10 years of work as a counselor at group homes and foster care agencies. This work sensitized me to the interplay between individual health and relational well-being.
When I decided to pursue licensure as a mental health professional, I chose accredited programs in Marriage and Family Therapy – the only mental health profession founded on the study of improving mental health and well-being by prioritizing the quality of relationships, and the relational functioning of larger systems…
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I completed a MA degree at Alliant International University in San Diego, and then a Ph.D. at Syracuse University, in upstate New York. I selected Syracuse University for its unparalleled training in issues pertaining to culture, power, and diversity with special attention to supporting personal growth in their students. My work at Syracuse changed my life as I began to examine the role of culture and power in my own life, as well as in my work.
As a therapist, I provided home-based family therapy in severely economically disadvantaged communities for 12 years through several community mental health agencies including Home Start in San Diego, The Violence Intervention and Prevention Program in Syracuse, and The Family Institute of Pinole in Pinole CA. In 2012 I started my own practice in San Mateo.
I have been a full-time faculty member in programs that train Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Clinical Counselors for 15 years. I was an adjunct faculty at Cal State East Bay, core faculty at John F. Kennedy University, and a founding faculty member at Palo Alto University’s Counseling Program where I also served as the Director of Clinical Training. I specialized in teaching Family Therapy, Couple Therapy, Lifespan Development, Multicultural Therapy, Child and Adolescent Therapy, Therapeutic Theories, and Practicum Supervision. Now that I am in practice full time, I continue to teach as an adjunct and provide trainings locally and nationally.
I am an integrative Family Systems therapist who draws upon a variety of psychotherapy models to guide my work. These theories include Attachment, Humanistic, Feminist/Multicultural, Intergenerational, and Cognitive Behavioral theories. My work is influenced by common models of therapy such as Emotionally Focused Therapy, Attachment Based Family Therapy, Gottman Therapy, Structural Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Family Play Therapy.
I am a clinical Member of The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, The California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, and The Association of Family Therapists of Northern California. I am a member and former Board member of The American Family Therapy Academy, and sit on the Board for Bay Area Community Counseling.
I have published on topics including; training Marriage and Family Therapists, Family Play Therapy theory and techniques, and understanding what it means to be white and working through internalized racial superiority. I often present on these topics as well. Below are a list of key publications and professional presentations.
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Family Play Therapy: Engaging Families in Novel Ways, by Eliana Gil and Tim Baima. Book chapter in Play Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice Second Edition by David Crenshaw, Ann L. Stewart, and Dee Ray.
Using a Family Systems Approach to Assessment and Treatment, by Eliana Gil and Tim Baima. Book Chapter in Play Therapy Treatment Planning with Children and Families: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals, by Lynn Louise Wonders and Mary L. Affee.
Transformative Love: An Antidote to White Domination Disorder, by Tim Baima. Book chapter in The Enduring, Invisible, and Ubiquitous Centrality of Whiteness, by Kenneth V. Hardy.
What White Mental Health Professionals Need to Understand About Whiteness, by Tim Baima and Michael Sude. Research Journal Article in Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.
The Whole Name Exercise: A Self of the Therapist Activity to Support Culturally Attuned and Inclusive Communities in MFT Training, by Tim Baima and Michael Sude. Journal Article in the International Journal of Systemic Therapy.
Men and the Life Cycle, by Matthew Mock and Tim Baima. Book Chapter in The Expanding Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives 5th Edition, by Monica McGoldrick, Nydia Garcia Preto, and Betty Carter.
Friendship Across the Life Cycle, by Kiran Arora and Tim Baima. Book Chapter in The Expanding Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives 5th Edition, by Monica McGoldrick, Nydia Garcia Preto, and Betty Carter.
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My conference presentations and trainings tend to focus on three themes: dynamics of power and oppression in relationships (with an emphasis on race and gender); integrating play and expressive techniques in couple and family therapy; and the personal growth and development of therapists.
I have presented at the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, The American Family Therapy Academy, The California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, The Asian Academy of Family Therapy, The Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration, The Eikenberg Institute, and The American Counseling Association.
I have had the privilege of-presenting with many esteemed therapists such as Kenneth V. Hardy, Peter Fraenkel, Arthur Nielson, Matthew Mock, Takeshi Tamura, Monica McGoldrick, and Ken Dolan DelVecchio.
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327 N. San Mateo Drive, San Mateo, 94401 and online
Sliding scale available from $85 to $300 per session
Devon Baker, AMFT
BIOGRAPHY
I provide a warm, non-judgmental, safe space to explore your inner world and navigate relationships to help you break free from dysfunctional patterns and find greater connectedness, meaning, and joy. My approach is holistic, relational, collaborative, trauma-informed, and strength-based. The way I work is highly integrative and tailored to your unique needs.
I draw from a variety of therapeutic models, including Attachment, Family Systems, Mindfulness-based, and Multicultural, and modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Ecotherapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Clients have shared that they value my caring, playful presence, intuition, and multicultural sensitivity.
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I will strive to meet you where you are with respect and authenticity to spur healthy transformation and lasting healing within yourself and interpersonally. Sometimes, we can't see what keeps us trapped in destructive cycles and emotional distress. Together, we can explore how you may be stuck so you can break free and move towards thriving.
Clients have shared that they appreciate my caring, playful presence, accepting nature, and multicultural sensitivity. My style is integrative, flexible, and tailored to unique client needs. Many theoretical models support my approach, including Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Attachment, Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness-based, and Multicultural. My work is influenced by a range of modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Attachment-Based Family Therapy, Ecotherapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Skidmore College in upstate New York with a BA in Psychology. I attained my MA degree with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Counseling at Palo Alto University. Additionally, I graduated with honors from Dominican University with a Master in Business Administration in Sustainability. This program’s focus on applied systems theory and organizational psychology was one of my foundational influences in thinking about how to facilitate meaningful and lasting transformation.
Before joining this practice, I worked at Peace-It-Together Counseling Agency in Santa Clara. I worked with clients facing issues such as depression, anxiety, panic, complex trauma, suicidality, chronic illness, disability, mood disorders, aging and life transitions, career challenges, sleep problems, phobias, addiction, neurodiversity challenges, marital problems, parenting challenges, behavioral issues, anger management, LGBTQ+ challenges, racism, immigration, family conflicts, and co-parenting challenges.
My life, education, and work in sustainability, adolescent education, and mental health have given me a deep appreciation and respect for the incredible variety of characteristics, experiences, and perspectives that make each individual unique. These experiences and exposure to many different cultures have cultivated a strong belief in our inherent dignity and worth as diverse beings. My experiences working with underserved and marginalized communities have helped me understand systemic disadvantages and traumas, instilling the values of equality and social justice. As a therapist, I believe it is critical to explore and consider the impacts of dynamics like power, privilege, and oppression on individual mental health and relationships to help cultivate individual and interpersonal healing, resiliency, and empowerment.
I am a Member of The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and The California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists. I am also a mom, a wife, a guitar-playing singer/songwriter, a jewelry designer, and a lover of yoga, hiking, and paddle boarding.
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327 N. San Mateo Drive, San Mateo, 94401 and online
Sliding scale available from $85 to $200 per session
Alli Wilson, AMFT
BIOGRAPHY
It is my goal to offer a warm, compassionate, non-judgemental space for all of my clients. This type of container is necessary in order to feel free to express yourself fully and show up exactly as you are. I aim to acknowledge and recognize all of your intersecting identities and how they are at play in various aspects of your life.
In the therapy room, I like to use humor while also keeping it real with my clients to gently guide you towards your highest growth and healing potential. Together as a team, we can work collaboratively to untangle the patterns that are no longer serving you.
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My work as a teacher in an economically disadvantaged community was also a window to the inner worlds of families and couples as well as children. I learned a great deal about people’s struggles - mental health issues, loss, trauma, and oppression - and witnessed the toll it took on individuals and relationships. I learned that as much as I loved teaching, I was even more passionate about supporting people through empowering therapeutic growth experiences.
I decided to change careers, and become a Marriage and Family Therapist. I earned my Master’s of Arts degree in Counseling from Palo Alto University, with an emphasis on Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. During the start of my career, I was able to work as a Mental Health Clinician at a non-profit organization serving youth of all ages from the same community I used to teach in, from toddlers to teens, in both Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
I practice effective, culturally sensitive, relational therapy. I strive to understand my clients in the context of their relationships and broader society. No one lives in a vacuum, and often our challenges are connected to stuck relationship patterns, and dynamics of power and privilege that play out in our relationships, our workplace, and even within ourselves.
I specialize in working with issues of race, identity, and culture. The relevance of these issues are often magnified in interracial couples as well as individuals or families with mixed cultural heritage. I support my clients to explore how power and subjugation interact with their relationships in order to help them form more satisfying connections and deeper intimacy.
As a woman of color in Santa Cruz, I know the importance of representation and feeling seen and heard in a community that can sometimes feel isolating. It is my aim to provide quality therapy to all of my clients and especially those with marginalized identities.
I believe that the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client is one of the most important factors for your growth and healing. In my view, it is vital that all clients are believed, respected and compassionately understood. I show up as my authentic self in sessions, and prioritize compassion and honesty with my clients to develop trust.
When I am not supporting my clients, I am spending time with my husband of 7 years and our two young daughters. I enjoy hanging out at the beach, going to yoga, and taking walks in nature. I am currently a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) as well as the Santa Cruz Chapter of CAMFT. I would love to explore the possibility of working with you.
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610 Capitola Ave, Capitola CA and online
Sliding scale available from $85 to $200 per session