Psychologist established in Orange County | Online across CA, NC, & PSYPACT States
REAL SUPPORT, IN REAL TIME, FOR REAL CHANGE.
MEET DR. SABRINA STUTZ, PHD
You’re not here for more generic advice.
You’re here for deeply specialized guidance that fits your life and helps you create change that sticks.
By day, you’re doing your best to keep up with responsibilities while you juggle your family or your health. By night, you’re scrolling, googling, researching any ideas that can help it all feel easier. Your algorithm is full of tips and tricks, products and courses—but none of it seems to meet the mark. It all sounds great in theory, but doesn’t apply to your unique needs.
Maybe you’ve even tried therapy, and while it helped you understand a few things, it didn’t quite translate to the kind of lasting change you were hoping for.
My role is to help bridge that gap between “knowing” and “doing,” so life can finally start to feel more manageable day to day.
How we’ll work together
Therapy with me is engaging, collaborative, & focused on what works.
From our first session, you’ll notice that working with me is incredibly active and personal. I want to get to know what your days are really like and take a look at what’s working for you, what’s driving you up a wall, and what you’d love to feel different.
My goal is for our work together to feel useful and meaningful every step of the way. We’ll talk, of course, but we’ll also practice and apply skills together so you can start to create change outside of sessions right away. Clients often tell me they appreciate that I’m direct but warm, that I explain the “why” behind what we’re doing, and that we make steady progress they can actually feel.
I believe effective therapy…
Understands where you’re coming from.
As a mom myself, I get the pressure, overwhelm, and exhaustion associated with carrying the mental load of parenting firsthand. And as someone who has spent a decade helping people with diabetes and other medical conditions, I'm aware of the emotional toll, the struggles navigating the healthcare system, and all the invisible work that comes with the diagnosis. You don’t have to explain the basics or translate anything for me. I already speak your language, which means we can get to the real work faster and you can start making progress sooner.
Meets you where you are in real life.
Real change doesn’t happen in theory. It happens in your living room, at dinner, in the daycare dropoff line—in your daily life. That’s why I work with you in the context of your real world, often using live coaching (via an earpiece) and customizing practical tools so they actually fit your individual situation. You’re the best agent of change in your life, and my job is to give you the strategies, support, and confidence to use what you learn here when it matters most.
Empowers you to play an active role.
I see therapy as a partnership, because I believe you’re the expert on your own life. I’ll pick out the best tools and coach you through using them until they start to feel second nature. Most of my work is short term, because my goal is for you to leave feeling capable and confident—not dependent on therapy to keep things on track.
If you’re a parent, you’ll be your child’s parent forever, so it’s essential that you feel equipped to guide them long after we’re done. And if you’re navigating diabetes or another chronic condition, you’ll be managing it every day of your life—so learning to handle those challenges independently matters just as much.
Should never leave you wondering if it’s working.
You’ll always know what we’re working toward and how close you are to reaching it. I track progress in clear, measurable ways—using data from your sessions, feedback from you, and the goals we set together to show what’s improving over time. Maybe that means your child has fewer meltdowns this week, or you made it through dinner with friends without panicking about your levels. Whatever it looks like, we’ll celebrate those wins together, because noticing progress is part of what helps it last.
-
My goal is to bring you the most effective, evidence-based tools and tailor them to you. I exclusively use methods that have been proven effective when done virtually, including…
PARENT CHILD INTERACTION THERAPY (PCIT)
A hands-on approach where I coach you in real time as you play and interact with your child. You’ll learn practical skills that strengthen connection, improve behavior, and bring calm back into your home.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY (CBT)
CBT helps you notice and change the patterns between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Together, we’ll build tools that make it easier to respond to stress in ways that actually move you forward.
ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT)
An approach focused on learning to live fully in the present moment, even when life doesn’t feel easy. We’ll define what matters most to you and work toward mental flexibility, so you can move through hard moments with a clear sense of purpose and make choices confidently.
An evidence-based framework that helps children and families process difficult experiences in a safe, structured way. It gives kids tools to understand their own stories, feel emotionally secure again, and build resilience for the future.
SOLUTION FOCUSED THERAPY
With this method, we create momentum to help you see progress quickly. We’ll focus on your goals, identify what’s already working, and take clear, practical steps to build on it.
-
MA & PhD from DePaul University
Predoctoral Internship at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital & Children’s Health Council Consortium
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Stanford University
Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California since 2016
Past employment at UCSF Benioff and CHOC Children’s Hospitals
Licensed Psychologist in North Carolina and PSYPACT Authorized since 2021
I earned my doctorate and master’s degrees at DePaul University, with clinical training at the University of Chicago and Stanford School of Medicine. Afterward, I served as an Assistant Professor at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, where I developed mental health programs across diabetes care, dialysis and transplant clinics, pulmonology clinics, and inpatient medical units. I’ve published research and presented nationally on these topics.
Later, I continued my work at CHOC Children’s before founding my own practice. Since 2020, I’ve built a boutique virtual practice serving families in California, North Carolina, and all PSYPACT states. Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of supporting thousands of youth and families navigating family wellness, psychological challenges, and chronic illness.
I’m passionate about bringing mental health expertise to organizations big and small, and have been honored to provide consultation and speaking events to medical device start-ups, hospital settings, and diabetes conferences. Learn more about speaking and consultation services here.
-
As a lifelong learner, I continually pursue advanced training and certifications so I can offer you the most current, science-backed approaches.
Certified PCIT Therapist
Rostered PCIT-Toddlers Therapist
Certified PC-CARE Provider
Certified CARE Facilitator
Certified Trauma-Focused CBT Therapist
American Diabetes Association Mental Health Provider
BMT Infonet Mental Health Provider
You don’t have to figure this out alone anymore.
It’s time to create real change — in your health, your home, your life.
BOOK FREE CONSULT
BOOK FREE CONSULT
Established in orange county and supporting clients online across california, north carolina, and Psypact states.