Therapy for anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, & trauma

The Path From Overwhelm to Calm, Confidence, & Connection

Do you find yourself constantly anxious, overwhelmed by your emotions, and wondering if life is supposed to feel this hard?

Is your mind like a browser with too many tabs open—most of them playing theme music and none of them helpful?

Do you rehearse conversations in your head like you’re auditioning for a play no one asked you to be in? Do you wish your brain had an “off” switch? Do you compulsively check the stove, the locks, your email... then circle back to check again—just in case?

Are you your own harshest critic, even when the rest of you is just trying to get through the day?

Do you struggle with emotional eating—binging, restricting, or thinking about food and your body more than you’d like? Are you longing to feel at home in your body and at peace with your plate?

Maybe you're in recovery from an eating disorder, addiction, or other compulsive behavior, but still feel like life is... a lot. You may be wondering: Where’s this emotional sobriety people keep talking about?

Are you highly sensitive—not just emotionally, but physically too? Do conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or a parade of colds and allergies keep showing up uninvited?

Do you sometimes wonder if your body might feel better if your nervous system weren’t doing gymnastics every day?

Have you been through a significant loss—a relationship, job, home, or version of your life that no longer exists—and are now learning how to carry that grief without letting it bury you?

Do you ever feel like you’re at war with yourself or others, even though what you really want is connection, support, and peace?

Would you like to communicate more clearly, calmly, and kindly—with others, but maybe most of all with yourself?

If so, take heart. There is a way forward—even if you can’t quite see it from where you’re standing. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to begin.

You deserve peace, connection, joy, to feel valued, and to have a life that feels meaningful—and I’d be honored to help you find your way there.

I’m a licensed psychotherapist who works with people navigating anxiety, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), perfectionism, self-criticism, eating disorders, trauma, grief, and the beautiful mess of being human. Whether you’re rebuilding after a loss, trying to calm a stormy inner world, or learning to trust that healing is possible, I’m here to walk alongside you.

Hope isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s a muscle we can build together.

Therapy With Me

When anxiety or grief feels overwhelming, when an eating disorder consumes, or when deep shame and perfectionism hold you captive, it can be hard to imagine a better way of living. Maybe your inner world feels untamed – with persistent worries, a complicated dance with food, or quiet echoes from yesterday.

As a therapist specializing in anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, and the lingering impacts of trauma, I guide individuals through these intricate landscapes. It's a gentle truth: what you're navigating is part of being wonderfully human, and you absolutely don't have to figure it out solo.

Together, we'll make peace with food and your body, befriend your emotions so they work with you, and build more fulfilling, authentic relationships. I also walk alongside those moving through grief—be it the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a home, or a version of life. We'll honor what’s been lost while creating space for healing and renewal.

My deepest hope is to help you come home to your wisest self - what some call your True Self. At your core, beneath worries and old hurts, resides a wellspring of wisdom, calm, curiosity, and courage. My role is to gently uncover this authentic Self, allowing it to emerge and lead.

Let's Get Started

This journey unfolds with practical tools, meaningful insights, and a safe place where all parts of you are welcome—even the messy, uncertain, or tender ones. We'll explore together, guided by what resonates for you, collaboratively discovering pathways and solutions from your own inner knowing.

As you connect with your True Self, feelings of being stuck soften, replaced by innate direction and purpose. You'll gain clarity and compassion to tend to parts holding you back, finding sustainable shifts and inner strength. There is a path forward—and I’m here to help you find it.


Meet Rachel Fintzy Woods, MFT

Hi there! I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT #45452) based in California, with over 25 years of experience helping people navigate life’s messiness. 

I’ve worked in private practice, social service agencies, and even clinical research settings — which gave me a front-row seat to what actually makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives. That might mean less anxiety, more clarity, stronger boundaries, a little more self-kindness, or just being able to show up more fully in your relationships — including the one you have with yourself (which, let’s be honest, is often the trickiest one of all). 

I also pay close attention to the mind-body connection, since so much of what we carry emotionally can show up physically — in our breath, our posture, our sleep, our tension, and even our immune systems.

I am an integrative therapist and draw from a mix of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Gottman Method couples therapy. I also incorporate 12-Step principles (like those from Alcoholics Anonymous) when they’re a good fit.

I know — it’s an alphabet soup of therapy styles.

But here’s the simple version: I believe there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. Different people respond to different things, and part of my job is to help figure out what works best for you. Together, we’ll create a path that honors your unique needs, strengths, and goals — at a pace that feels doable and grounded in who you really are.