Stress & Mental Health Support in San Diego, CA
At Thrive Wellness, we offer evidence-based, integrative mental health care that treats the whole person — not just the diagnosis. Our licensed therapist Mandy Pfaff, LMFT brings 30 years of clinical experience in EMDR therapy, somatic approaches, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, while our acupuncture and functional medicine team addresses the physiological contributors to anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and sleep dysfunction. Whether you’re navigating trauma, burnout, insomnia, or addiction recovery, Thrive Wellness offers a coordinated path forward. Call (619) 984-4317 to get started in San Diego, CA .
Book OnlineThe Mind-Body Connection at the Heart of Our Approach
Mental health and physical health are not separate systems — they are deeply interwoven. Chronic stress elevates cortisol, disrupts sleep, impairs gut function, drives hormonal imbalance, and accelerates inflammation throughout the body. Trauma rewires the nervous system in ways that affect pain sensitivity, immune function, and cardiovascular health. Anxiety and depression have measurable metabolic components — blood sugar instability, gut dysbiosis, and nutrient deficiencies that conventional psychiatry rarely addresses.
At Thrive Wellness, our mental health care is designed with this whole-body perspective in mind. Mandy Pfaff’s EMDR Therapy & Counseling services work alongside Acupuncture — which regulates the nervous system, reduces cortisol, and supports the physiological recovery from stress and trauma. For patients whose mental health symptoms have metabolic roots, Functional Medicine can investigate gut health, blood sugar regulation, hormonal balance, and nutrient status that conventional mental health treatment overlooks. This truly integrated approach produces outcomes that neither mental health therapy nor biological treatment alone can achieve.
Stress & Mental Health Conditions We Treat
- Anxiety & Depression — generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, health anxiety, major depression, and persistent depressive disorder
- PTSD & Trauma — post-traumatic stress disorder, complex PTSD, developmental trauma, and acute stress response
- Insomnia & Sleep Issues — difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, non-restorative sleep, and sleep disruption linked to stress, hormones, or chronic pain
- Addiction & Recovery — substance use recovery support, behavioral addiction, and integrative aftercare during sobriety
Services That Address Stress & Mental Health at Thrive Wellness
- EMDR Therapy & Counseling — trauma processing, anxiety treatment, OCD, depression, KAP for treatment-resistant conditions
- Acupuncture & Sports Medicine — cortisol regulation, nervous system downregulation, sleep support, stress relief
- Functional Medicine — metabolic contributors to anxiety, depression, brain fog, and mood dysregulation
- Therapeutic Massage — parasympathetic activation, cortisol reduction, somatic stress release
Call (619) 984-4317 or visit our Initial Consultation page to learn how Thrive Wellness‘s integrative mental health team can support your wellbeing in San Diego, CA .
Stress & Mental Health FAQs
What mental health conditions does Thrive Wellness treat?
Thrive Wellness in San Diego, CA offers mental health care for anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, panic, social anxiety, health anxiety), depression, PTSD and complex trauma, OCD, insomnia and sleep disorders, grief and loss, life transitions, addiction recovery support, and treatment-resistant conditions through Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Mandy Pfaff, LMFT works with clients ages 4–90 using an integrative, evidence-based approach.
What is EMDR therapy and is it effective?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain process and integrate traumatic or distressing memories that have become stuck in the nervous system. It has been endorsed as an effective treatment for PTSD by the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. At Thrive Wellness, Mandy Pfaff offers EMDR for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, and related conditions — learn more on our EMDR Therapy & Counseling page.
Can acupuncture help with anxiety and stress?
Yes — acupuncture has a well-documented effect on the stress response. It reduces cortisol, activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” state), regulates the HPA axis that governs the stress response, and promotes the release of endorphins and serotonin. Many patients at Thrive Wellness report significantly reduced anxiety and improved sleep within their first few acupuncture sessions. For patients with both psychological and physiological stress contributors, combining acupuncture with EMDR therapy often produces the most comprehensive results.
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy and who is it for?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines the neuroplastic effects of ketamine with structured psychotherapy to produce breakthroughs for patients with conditions that haven’t fully responded to conventional treatment — including treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, severe anxiety, OCD, and end-of-life distress. At Thrive Wellness, Mandy Pfaff completed a comprehensive three-year training in psychedelic-facilitated therapies in 2024 and offers KAP both in-office and in-home for eligible patients. Learn more on our EMDR Therapy & Counseling page.
Does Thrive Wellness accept insurance for mental health services?
Mandy Pfaff does not accept insurance directly, but provides superbills for patients who have out-of-network mental health benefits and wish to seek reimbursement. All services at Thrive Wellness are also covered by HSA and FSA accounts. Telehealth mental health sessions are available throughout California — call (619) 984-4317 for more information about getting started in San Diego, CA .
How does functional medicine support mental health?
Many mental health symptoms have measurable physiological roots — gut dysbiosis that disrupts serotonin production, blood sugar instability that drives anxiety and mood swings, nutrient deficiencies (B vitamins, magnesium, omega-3s, vitamin D) that impair neurotransmitter synthesis, and hormonal imbalances that affect mood and cognition. At Thrive Wellness, our Functional Medicine team investigates these biological contributors through advanced lab testing and builds treatment protocols that address the underlying physiology alongside psychological care.
Can stress and mental health care be combined with other Thrive Wellness services?
Absolutely — and the combination often produces significantly better outcomes than either approach alone. Pairing EMDR therapy with acupuncture addresses both the psychological and neurophysiological dimensions of trauma and stress. Adding functional medicine to the picture allows us to address the metabolic contributors that sustain anxiety and depression even when psychological treatment is making progress. Call (619) 984-4317 to discuss the most effective combination of services for your situation.