I want to hear your storyJennine Estes San Diego Therapist
My counseling sessions are relaxed, collaborative and empathetic. I’ll make sure you feel comfortable when you share your story. We’ll work together to build healthy relationships that will last.

I use a variety of theoretical orientations, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and solution focused therapy. The majority of my counseling practice is based on Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and attachment theory. EFT focuses on creating secure attachments in relationships and building safe bonds. It helps couples change how they emotionally reach to each other. I am certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy, as well as a supervisor-in-training for EFT. I also work with helping individuals overcome trauma using EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

Not only do I help clients, but I also enjoy helping other therapists. I currently supervise three Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) interns (therapists with MFT master’s degrees who are working toward building clinical hours for their licensure in California) and train them with counseling techniques. I also train licensed therapists on how to building successful therapy practices. I absolutely love the variety of work and it allows me to meet amazing people along the way.

If you would like to know more about me as a therapist, my counseling fees, or other information,please visit my Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Or scroll down the page and learn about my journey to becoming a therapist or about my media appearances. If you still have questions, feel free to call or email me.

My name is Heather Frick; I have my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University and am currently a doctoral student there. I am currently an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Estes Therapy in Oceanside.  I believe we are created for and wired to be in connection with other humans and when we sense danger in our significant relationships, it can threaten our sense of safety and security. Often, we can feel stuck in patterns of disconnection when we long to feel love, safety, and acceptance from our closest relationships.  By using Emotionally Focused Therapy to address areas where they feel stuck, I allow couples, individuals, and families the environment to begin to create new patterns of relating to each other.  

Because I recognize that problems are so often influenced by much more than one thing, I work from a holistic, trauma-informed, biopsychosocial-spiritual perspective.  This means that I consider how all areas of life, including aspects of physical illness and spirituality, may affect feelings of disconnection. I am currently in a Medical Family Therapy certificate program; this training will enable me to better support clients and their families that are struggling with illness.

Throughout my training, I have worked with a diverse population facing various crisis situations.  This experience has prepared me to walk with you through whatever challenges may arise. Being a therapist is a second career for me, so I have additional career experiences to help guide me as I work with you.  

I have completed the Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship and the Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Core Skills, and have volunteered at several Hold Me Tight weekend couples’ retreats in the San Diego area.  I am currently working on certification in Medical Family Therapy.

Whether this is your first time in therapy or you have been to therapy in the past, I look forward to working with you.  Things may feel impossible right now. Through our work together, my goal is to help you feel more hopeful, safe, and secure in your relationships. 

As your therapist, it is extremely important to me that I create a safe and non-judgmental space for you and your loved ones. I will also work tirelessly to explore and understand your unique, individual experiences. Through our collaborative efforts, I am confident that we will foster the skills and insight required to negotiate your specific challenges. My therapeutic approach will be tailored to your needs and informed by the most current and relevant research available. If you are seeking concrete skills, hope, humor, and a secure connection, let’s take that next step together.

As a San Diego native, I had the great opportunity to grow up at the beach during safer times with fewer people.  Entering college right after high school, I gladly adopted the “career student” title and obtained two Bachelor’s degrees and two minor degrees from Humboldt State University.  I moved to the East Coast for a short period of time after graduating and worked at Harvard Book Store. I then went overseas to Japan and taught English as a Second Language for a year and a half.  Upon returning from Japan, I was searching for a permanent career which would allow me to utilize my passions and interests. I had undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Comparative Religion and minor degrees in Psychology and Sociology and after investigating the field of Counseling, I knew it would be the perfect fit for me.  I attended University of San Diego for my master’s degree and after graduating, I interned in private practice as a therapist at Scripps Mercy Hospital to gain my necessary hours of experience before testing for licensure with the state of California.

When I became a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (MFC 43147) in 2006, I owned and operated a private practice until relocating to the Ozarks of Arkansas in 2018.  Currently, I hold licenses as a Marriage & Family Therapist in both California and Arkansas. This allows me to be able to offer online counseling via Telehealth to those living in California. Having my day to day life aligned with my love of nature and the outdoors was the impetus behind my choice to embark on a major life change and a move to the Ozarks. When I’m not working for Estes Therapy or with clients in Arkansas, you may find me spending time with my goats, playing with my dogs, tending to the garden, working on my tractor or floating the Buffalo River.

I find the field of counseling a rewarding profession as I’m able to use all my educational and life experiences in varying degrees.  It’s one of the only fields where life in and out of the office isn’t divided. Giving clients in California the opportunity to do online counseling opens the doors to more people who otherwise couldn’t attend counseling in San Diego. The convenience of online therapy means no traveling to the office or sitting in a waiting room. Video counseling therapy means not having to find a babysitter or leave work early to travel to the counseling session. It’s therapy on your schedule – whether you’re looking for marriage or relationship counseling, family therapy, or individual therapy. I love my profession and appreciate my clients and all the hard work they have done to make their lives and relationships better.  I also love that I can take my experience as a therapist and contribute to the team at Estes Therapy in an ancillary capacity!

Schedule your online counseling/video counseling with Sylvia Flanagan.