Mara Alverson, LMFT

07/14/2026

I recently shared this reflection on Nextdoor. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

07/14/2026

Over more than 40 years of working with couples and individuals, one pattern has stood out for me.
When someone we love is hurting, our first instinct is often to offer advice or solve the problem. But that's not always what they need most.
More often, they simply want to know that someone truly understands what they're feeling. Hearing something like, "I can see how painful this is for you," or "That makes sense," can help a person feel seen, heard, and less alone.
When we know someone is willing to sit with us in our sadness, fear, or disappointment instead of trying to fix it, those feelings often become easier to carry. We remember that we're not strange for having them—we're simply human, and someone is beside us.
Has there been a time when you felt deeply seen, heard, and understood? How did that experience affect you?

06/09/2026

I have recently had an article published in the Jung Journal: Culture and Psyche. "Creativity and the Art of Japanese Flower Arranging" is available to read by clicking the article name below.

Published in Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche (Vol. 20, No. 2, 2026)

06/06/2026

Welcome to Santa Cruz Counseling.

I’m Mara Alverson, LMFT. I provide couples and individual therapy in Santa Cruz and online throughout California. My work integrates Emotionally Focused Therapy, Jungian-oriented psychotherapy, and somatic awareness to support healing, growth, and stronger relationships.

Learn more at SantaCruzCounseling.com

831-588-3013

02/26/2026

When tension erupts in a relationship, it rarely starts with what it looks like on the surface.

The argument about dishes… money… tone of voice…

Often underneath is something much more vulnerable.

I wrote a new piece about what’s really happening when conflict escalates — and how couples can interrupt the cycle before it damages connection.

If this sounds familiar, you may find it helpful.

https://happypassionatemarriage.com/when-tension-erupts-in-your-relationship/

— Mara Alverson, LMFT
Couples & Individual Therapy | Santa Cruz

02/16/2026

After Valentine’s Day passes, many people find themselves reflecting.
Some want to feel closer in their relationship.

Some are navigating a life transition.

Some are simply asking deeper questions about who they are and what they want next.

Therapy can be a place to slow down, understand patterns, and grow — as a person and as a partner.

I’m currently welcoming couples and individuals in Santa Cruz and nearby communities.

Mara Alverson, LMFT
Couples & Individual Therapy — Santa Cruz
Serving Aptos, Capitola, Watsonville & surrounding areas

Explore therapy for yourself or your relationship:

SantaCruzCounseling.com

02/14/2026

However you spend Valentine’s Day — partnered, single, with family, or quietly on your own —
you’re allowed to feel exactly what you feel.

For some it brings closeness.
For others it brings reflection, longing, or distance.

All of it is part of being human

02/11/2026

This week I was interviewed in Good Times Weekly about what children most need to hear about love — especially around Valentine’s Day.

Kids don’t need to earn love by being “good,” sharing perfectly, or getting things right.

They need to know they are loved simply because they exist.

Valentine’s cards get crumpled. Candy disappears. Glitter stays forever.
But if the day works the way we hope, one message remains:
love is not something you win — it’s something you start with.

02/11/2026

Valentine’s Day can bring up many different feelings about relationships — appreciation, longing, closeness, distance, and everything in between.

Most couples I meet aren’t looking for a perfect relationship. They’re looking for a way to feel more understood, to reconnect, and to find their way back to each other when things feel off.

Relationships change in small moments — a pause, a different conversation, a willingness to listen with fresh ears.

I shared a few reflections on this here: https://happypassionatemarriage.com/valentines-day-more-than-a-card-or-a-reservation/