Connect. Grow. Thrive.
At the Center for Connection, we’re committed to helping individuals and families discover more joy and meaning in their lives through connection with others.
Relationships and the science of interpersonal neurobiology guide everything that happens at the Center for Connection. Informed by cutting-edge research and intently focused on helping people discover more joy and meaning in their lives through connection with others, the CFC's mission is to help kids, adults, and families be happier, healthier, and more fully themselves.
The CFC has gathered under one roof a team of dedicated and expert practitioners from various fields—psychology, social work, pediatrics, educational therapy, neuropsychology, occupational therapy, parent education, speech and language therapy—with each practitioner offering a connection-based perspective. Kids and adults who visit will receive multidisciplinary support that is consistent, well informed, relationally-based, and always aimed at helping them grow and thrive.
Locations
THe Center for Connection - santa barbara
3890 La Cumbre Plaza Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Find a Therapist
Ready to take the next step? Fill out our Consultation Request form and our Director of Client Relations will connect you with an ideal therapist for your unique and important needs.
Meet Our Clinical Director, william lacey, ph.d.
Dr. William Lacey is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents, and young adults. His clinical expertise for neuropsychological assessment includes diagnosis, academic and treatment planning for individuals with neurodevelopmental concerns (e.g., learning disorders, AD/HD), traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, complex emotional difficulties, and other complex medical conditions. Domains of psychotherapy expertise include depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, behavior difficulties/ADHD, trauma and grief, gender affirming care, and peripartum depression. Dr. Lacey has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma & Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents, Parent Management Training, Parent Child Interaction Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Learn more here.
Meet DR. DAVID TALAVERA
Dr. David Talavera is a licensed clinical psychologist who works with adults seeking growth, connection, and resilience. Whether you’re facing burnout, stress, anxiety, communication issues, comparisons and self-esteem challenges, grief, depression, or trauma, Dr. Talavera is here to guide you through it with warmth and compassion.
Dr. Talavera’s approach to therapy is all about you. He has a client-centered approach where he’ll work with you to have a deeper understanding of complex emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to better navigate life’s challenges and work towards a future aligned with your goals and values. Together, you'll develop strategies to cope with hardships, promote healing, and ultimately be your own therapist. Learn more here.
Meet Our Founder and Executive Director, Tina Payne Bryson, l.c.s.w., ph.d.
Dr. Tina Payne Bryson (she/her) is the co-author (with Dan Siegel) of two New York Times bestsellers -- THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD (Random House 2011), and NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE (Random House 2014) -- each of which has been translated into over fifty languages, with THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD selling over a million copies. Dr. Bryson is also the author of THE BOTTOM LINE FOR BABY (Random House 2020) and co-author (with Dan Siegel) of THE POWER OF SHOWING UP (Random House 2020) and THE YES BRAIN (Random House 2018). She has just completed the manuscript for THE WAY OF PLAY (Random House 2025), co-authored with Georgie Wisen-Vincent.
Tina is a psychotherapist and the Founder/Executive Director of The Center for Connection (“CFC”), a multidisciplinary clinical practice; of The Play Strong Institute, a center devoted to the study, research, and practice of play therapy through a neurodevelopment lens; and The Center for Connection and Neurodiversity, a wing of the CFC devoted to celebrating neurodifferences and providing brain-based occupational therapy across the lifespan. Learn more here.
“We know that relationships have the power to change our brains and therefore transform our lives. That’s why we say it all starts with connection. Connected relationships = connected brains. Our focus here isn’t just on changing a person’s behavior, but instead on promoting strong and significant relationships between parents and their children, between partners, among educators and students, and even among professionals—all for health, happiness, and thriving.”
*The image at top is from The Power of Showing Up by Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.
