Peyton Baldinger, MS, LMFT #160656
I love working with people who want to be the healthiest version of themselves.
As a young child, I found myself endlessly curious about the intricacies of people’s lives—their home environments, family histories, health, and relationships—but also their fears and ambitions, their values and beliefs, the moments that shaped them, the cultures and communities that influenced them, and the quiet experiences that defined who they were becoming.
That curiosity eventually led me to pursue my education at Point Loma Nazarene University, where I earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Theology. There, I developed a deeper philosophical lens for understanding the human experience and explored the profound role spirituality can play in a person’s life—how it can bring healing and meaning, and at times, confusion or pain. The more I learned, the more I wanted not only to understand others better, but to help them better understand themselves.
My passion for this work is also deeply personal. For much of my life, I wrestled with anxiety that often surfaced as irritability or anger. Beneath the surface, I knew I wasn’t living as the healthiest or most whole version of myself. That awareness became an invitation—an invitation to grow, to heal, and to seek the tools that foster real change. It ultimately led me to continue my education at California Baptist University, where I earned my M.A. in Counseling Psychology.
Over the years, both personally and professionally, I have witnessed the transformative power of intentional therapeutic work. The coping tools and strategies I practice are not just theories—they are approaches I have seen bring clarity, freedom, and renewal to people’s lives, including my own. I do this work because it works. It is a profound privilege to walk alongside others as they rediscover their strength, process their pain, and move toward wholeness.
Whatever you may be carrying—whether anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, or simply a longing for deeper peace—I would be honored to walk beside you. Together, we can create space for healing, growth, and a life marked by greater connection and inner calm.
Hi, I’m peyton.
My Approach
My approach is personalized to your unique needs and experiences. Together, we will explore your symptoms, reflect on what you’ve already tried, and examine how your past may be influencing your present. From there, we’ll identify practical, effective tools to help you better manage what you’re facing.
If we uncover unresolved trauma along the way, we will gently and intentionally process it. When appropriate, I incorporate Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help reduce triggers, ease distress, and support lasting healing.
Types of Therapy I offer
Couples
I offer a structured, supportive space where even the hardest conversations can happen safely.
Whether you’re navigating the aftermath of infidelity, struggling to communicate, or feeling distant and disconnected, I help you slow the conflict down and truly hear one another.
Instead of staying stuck in surface arguments, we explore the deeper patterns and unmet needs driving the tension. Through this process, couples build empathy, rebuild trust, and develop a clearer, more compassionate understanding of each other—creating a stronger, more connected relationship.
Individual
Individual counseling is a space set aside just for you—a place where you can slow down, speak honestly, and be fully heard without judgment. It’s an opportunity to explore what’s weighing on you, whether that’s anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, life transitions, trauma, or recurring patterns that leave you feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
Together, we work toward meaningful insight and practical growth that lead to lasting, sustainable change in your daily life and relationships.
EMDR
EMDR therapy helps your brain properly process traumatic experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming in the present. Using bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements—we activate your brain’s natural healing processes, allowing traumatic memories to be reprocessed in a healthier way.
PTSD symptoms are often so debilitating not because the trauma is still happening, but because the nervous system continues to react as if it is. Through EMDR, distressing symptoms like anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, anger, and even physical reactions can significantly decrease, bringing relief and a renewed sense of stability.