Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
— C.G. Jung
 

Welcome to my practice!

 

  Thank you for taking time to explore my website and the services I offer to help improve your life.

My work is focused on helping individuals and couples understand and connect with themselves through embracing emotions. Learning the art of “repair” when things go wrong in relationship and how to listen deeply to the needs of your partner are what keep relationships resilient. With compassion and understanding, we explore your relationship dynamic in the context of your life experiences to learn about how this dynamic began and what new approaches may better serve you now. People who work with me find my approach to be warm and inviting, where you may allow yourself to be open to new possibilities and perspectives.

 I work with you to uncover your natural resilience which allows you to heal, find agency, and joy again after any of life's disappointments. Healing can occur through learning some key strategies which include, cultivating self-awareness, learning skills for self-compassion, and connecting to a supportive community. I enjoy individual exploration, couples counseling, and family work.

About Me 

Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to work with and take care of people. I have always had an interest for what sustains people through all of life's ups and downs. It was during my first experience as a Peer Advocate in high school where I learned the power of listening to someone's life story and empowering them to find new meaning and purpose through that experience. During my undergraduate studies, I trained and worked in the areas of Domestic Violence and Child Welfare. I completed my 40-hour Certified Domestic Violence Training and became an advocate for homeless women and children in San Diego County. It was while I was in college I learned what it meant to be a Social Worker and I knew I found my dream job.

While earning my MSW in graduate school, I worked with high risk youth at Oceanside High School, and later, in acute care where I focused my training in medical social work. My experience in the hospital allowed me to work with critical care patients and their families and exposed me to the compassionate mission of hospice and palliative care. 

I spent the next 10 years of my career learning from my patients and their families in the role of Hospice Social Worker and Bereavement Program Manager. I was invited into the lives and homes of people suffering major illness and near death in support of helping the family navigate the fear and suffering of the "unknown". My biggest lesson was how to invite acceptance into what was not planned or wanted in one’s life. I found no matter what the pain or the loss may be, we still have great potential for growth and healing, even if we did not chose the path created.

My Specialties Include:

Couples and Family Repair

Trauma

Grief

My approach to therapy has grown from my 20 years working in the field. I work from a mindfulness-based, practical, and compassion focused perspective. I am trained in  Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, both which provide tools to help individuals with emotional regulation and relief from relationship strain and conflict. I have been trained in the most recent protocol to treat person’s suffering from Prolonged Grief Disorder. This treatment method supports individuals who are adapting to the effects of loss and bereavement, using a proactive, strengths-based approach. I also treat clients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) using Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidenced based treatment which helps clients heal from PTSD symptoms through a short-term treatment model. I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) when working with Couples. This is a technique grounded in the area of Attachment Science - an over 50-year body of research that guides us in treating couples effectively in this short term model of therapy. EFT focuses heavily on the rebuilding trust and emotional security in the relationship through our in-office work with minimal homework outside of session. My practice is committed to using evidenced based techniques, supported by research and positive outcomes.

Community is everything and I have enjoyed immersing myself in some very meaningful organizations over the years. I have served on the board of the  San Diego County Coalition for Improving End of Life Care for 6 years and 2 years as Chair. I am an active member of the National Association of Social Workers since 2008, TriEFT for Emotionally Focused Therapy since 2024, and the Encinitas Mindfulness Community since 2012. In past years, I have enjoyed contributing time to the San Diego Coalition for Compassionate Care, Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program of San Diego, the Vista Library, Soaring Spirits International, and Scripps MD Anderson Oncology/Hematology Fellowship Program. I enjoy training health care professionals in resiliency skills and reconnecting with the meaning in their care giving work. More recently, my time outside of work is spent at my children’s school volunteering in the classroom or for the PTA.

Having lived through tremendous loss in my own life, I continue to prioritize my own work as well. I know very well the courage it requires to cultivate deep self-awareness, understanding, and healing from the past. My intention is to guide and empower those who are committed to the path of healing and growth for today and all future seasons of life. I particularly enjoy working with people who are sensitive, introspective, curious about the world and how they show up in it.

When I am not in session, I love reading, learning, camping, strength training, and being with my family and friends. I find my greatest joy while being active in nature and experiencing the world through the eyes of my two children. 

 -Lydia


Lydia Lombardi GoodMSW, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LCS 27399