About Andrea Wells

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have been in private practice in Santa Cruz since 1997. Lic #MFC33997

Following is a description of the areas of study that influence my work as a therapist.

Jungian Oriented Depth Psychology I have studied with Jungian Analyst Marion Woodman since 2001 and have completed the Marion Woodman Foundation BodySoul Rhythms® Leadership Training. “The roots of the BodySoul work grow out of a deep respect for dreams, C. G. Jung’s understanding of the psyche, and the wisdom of the body.”

I now teach Marion Woodman Foundation Affiliated Programs.

My Affiliated Programs include: Dream Groups; Discussion Groups, and BodySoul Retreats.

Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) For the past 11 years I have attended the Jean Baker Miller Summer Advanced Training Institute on Relational-Cultural Theory and Clinical Application at Wellesley College. RCT is based on the premise that we grow and develop in and through relationships toward greater mutuality and empathic possibility.

I have completed the Jean Baker Miller Advanced Training Institute (JBMTI) Practioner Program which culminated in a paper: In the Presence of Grief: A Relational Perspective on Grief and Loss. This paper was influenced by my 13 years experience with Hospice. I have presented at a number of JBM Summer Institutes, most recently at the JBMTI 2008 Summer Institute.

I am also an Adjunct Faculty member at John J. Kennedy University and teach Relational-Cultural Theory as well as Death, Dying and Bereavement.

Grief and Loss

I worked for the Hospice Caring Project Bereavement Department in Santa Cruz County from 1992-2006 as a Bereavement Counselor and Clinical Intern Supervisor.

In my work with Hospice, I have provided grief support to hospice patient family members as well grief support to people from the larger Santa Cruz community who were grieving the loss of loved ones due to illness, accidents, homicide and suicide. During my tenure with hospice, I developed a Clinical Intern Training Program and served as the Clinical Intern Supervisor for 6 years.

It is imperative to attend to our losses. Unattended grief often turns into depression, anxiety or addiction.
I am dedicated to offering individual grief therapy as well as groups and retreats for those in grief to share with others the challenges and healing possibilities that grief offers. Rituals and ceremony are part of this process in honoring the grief journey as well as to honor those we love.

I have been an Adjunct Faculty member at John F. Kennedy University since 2001 and teach Death, Dying and Bereavement as well as Relational-Cultural Theory.

Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology
In 1985 I began exploring Meditation Practice in the Theravada lineage- vipassana, also known as Insight Meditation. This practice centers on mindfulness of direct experience of body sensation, thoughts, and emotions. Later I became interested more specifically in the application of Buddhist Mindfulness practices in my work as a therapist. I have incorporated Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Treatment for Depression and Anxiety into my therapy practice.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Treatment for Depression and Anxiety are evidence based treatments protocols that address chronic pain, stress in the workplace, anxiety and depression.

Continuum Movement

I began my exploration of Continuum Movement in 1987 with gifted teacher Beth Pettingill Riley

This form of somatic education, developed by Emilie Conrad starts with the premise that movement is not something we do, it's something we are. Awareness of ourselves as movement begins with becoming more sensitive to our inner world, by exploring breath, sensation, sound, movement and fluidity. Continuum Movement

Contact Information

To make an appointment in Santa Cruz please call: Andrea Wells at 831.425.3369 or andreaw@cruzio.com