Eli Recht, AMFT #126044
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I change.” ~ Carl Rogers
Dear friend,
My name is Eli (El-lee) Recht, and I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and EMDR Trained Therapist. In 2012, I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Emory University, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude and wrote a thesis on the relationship between sleep patterns and mood. In 2020, I earned a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Depth Psychology, from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where I wrote another thesis about the importance of integrating contemporary psychological knowledge with timeless spiritual wisdom in the therapeutic setting. Born and raised in San Diego, I have been a happy Encinitas local for the past eight years.
I chose the vocation of being a therapist because I feel a deep calling to assist my fellow human beings through the sometimes confusing and complex journey of Life. For many of us, suffering is an everyday reality, but it does not have to be. Through my education, professional experience, and my own therapeutic work, I have realized that our well-being and answers to our trials lie within each of us. When we take the time we deserve to look honestly at our lives – i.e. our being, values, thoughts, feelings, motivations, behaviors, relationships, and environment – we arrive at understanding, and we discover how to reach and sustain our full potential, however we define it.
As your therapist, my singular aim is to empower you through your own evolving awareness. I provide a warm, nonjudgmental, effective, and collaborative space to help you achieve your goals – be that inner peace, clarity and direction over your life, a sense of connectedness with your loved ones, or anything else that is important to you. I encourage you to take this step with me.
I have professional experience, both in a private-practice setting and at a crisis center, helping individuals, couples, families, and teens through a variety of challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse, grief, anger, chronic pain, addiction, and relationship problems. I also have experience aiding those who struggle with identity, low self-esteem, LGBTQ+ matters, and spiritually-related topics. While these are my passions, I find meaning in assisting with all areas of mental health. Over the course of my training, I have learned (a never-ending process!) how to utilize different therapeutic approaches (including but not limited to Person-Centered, Existential, Jungian, Internal Family Systems, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Gottman Couples) so that together we can create and carry out a plan that resonates with you and moves at your pace. Come as you are.
In service and with all good wishes,
~ Eli
Click on the buttons below to view Eli's latest articles: