Sylvia Branca, Ph.D.
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Mindful Child & Family Therapy
AMFT #156074 | Verify California Registration
Supervised by Linda Meyer, LCSW #96165
650-297-3400 X 38
Location: Los Altos | Online
Fee: $180
Languages: English | Hungarian
Book Today – Accepting New Clients
Areas of Focus:
Children: Anxiety, Perfectionism, Emotional Dysregulation, Tantrums, Defiance, Maladaptive Behaviors, Peer Challenges, Bullying, Self-Esteem, Isolation, School Refusal, ADHD, Depression, OCD, Autism & Neurodiversity
Teens: Anxiety, Depression, OCD, ADHD, Autism & Neurodiversity, Academic Stress, College & Career Uncertainty, Perfectionism, Self-Esteem, Identity, Grief & Loss, Trauma & PTSD, Relationships, and Life Transitions
Emerging Adults: Anxiety, Depression, Feeling Stuck, Failure to Launch, College & Career Decisions, Independence, Identity, Self-Confidence, Relationship Changes, Grief & Loss, ADHD, Autism & Neurodiversity, Immigration & Acculturation, and Major Life Transitions
Adults: Anxiety, Depression, Chronic Pain & Chronic Illness, Grief & Loss, OCD, ADHD, Autism & Neurodiversity, Trauma & PTSD, Identity, Immigration & Acculturation, Relationship Concerns, Aging, Job Stress & Burnout, AI-Related Job Insecurity, and Life Transitions
Modalities:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Behavioral Activation, Somatic Approaches, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Psychoeducation, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-Informed Therapy
Overall Description:
You may be struggling to find purpose and meaning in your life, looking to connect more effectively with your teenager, or wanting support for your child and guidance as you navigate parenting challenges. You may be facing an important life transition, confronting difficulties in your relationships, or trying to understand who you are in a rapidly changing world. You might appear capable on the outside while privately feeling anxious, unmoored, or unsure of how to move forward.
I support children and their parents, teens, and individual adults who are trying to find their way through change and transition. For more than 18 years, my work as a developmental psychologist has centered on understanding how people (adults, children, teens) grow, change, and build resilience. I understand the unique challenges people face at different life stages and the courage it takes to seek support when struggling.
As an immigrant, I have a personal connection to questions such as: Where do I belong? How do I honor where I come from while growing into who I am becoming? I also welcome clients navigating college and career decisions, “failure to launch,” Silicon Valley work stress, and uncertainty about how artificial intelligence may affect their livelihood or professional identity.
Therapy with me is collaborative, compassionate, strength-based, and grounded in both curiosity and practical support. We will look together at the emotional, relational, cultural, and developmental threads shaping your experience. My aim is to help you feel less alone in the uncertainty, clearer about what matters to you, and more able to move forward with confidence and self-trust.
More than Just My Work:
I came to therapy as a second career after many years as a developmental psychologist and university educator. I remain deeply curious about how people grow and change across the lifespan. I value warmth, openness, lifelong learning, and the quiet courage it takes to let another person truly know us. As an immigrant who speaks Hungarian, I also understand personally how questions of culture, language, identity, and belonging can shape our lives. I bring that curiosity, and a deep respect for each person’s story, into my work. When I am not in the therapy room, I enjoy connecting with nature, reading, and spending time with my family.
Experience:
Sylvia is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with experience providing individual and family psychotherapy to adults, teens, and children in private-practice and college counseling settings. Before becoming a therapist, she built a long career in developmental psychology, research, and university teaching. She has taught courses in lifespan development, adult development and aging, child development, and child psychology at San José State University.
Sylvia has also completed more than 200 hours as a Crisis and Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone counselor with Santa Clara County Behavioral Health, providing crisis assessment, de-escalation, compassionate support, and connections to community resources. Her background allows her to bring an analytical mind, a warm heart, and a nuanced understanding of human development into her work with clients.
Education:
M.S., Clinical Psychology, San José State University, 2025
Ph.D., Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2005
M.A., Developmental Psychology, San José State University, 1999
B.A., Psychology, Minor in Child Development, cum laude, San José State University, 1996
Training:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and somatic approaches
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Continuing education and independent study in chronic pain and chronic illness
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed through introductory study and reading
200+ hours of suicide prevention and crisis intervention experience
24-hour intensive training in compassionate grief support through Kara
OCD Clinical Consultation Group (ongoing), Magdalene Holtam, PhD & Kyle Jones, PhD, Aug 2026-present
California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates, Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT, May 2026
Psychotherapy for Tech Professionals: Clinical Insights from the Technology Industry, Saru Sivanesan, MA, LMFT, Aug 2026
Pathological Demand Avoidance, Ariel Kornblum, PsyD, BCBA, LBA, June 2026
Freedom Camp (Selective Mutism), Catherine Eckel, PhD, June 2024 & June 2026
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Essentials, Sue Johnson, PhD & Leanne Campbell, PhD, April 2024
Kara Grief Support, Jaymie Byron, LMFT, March 2023
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, Sarah Nadeau, LMFT, June 2025
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Jennifer Gregg, PhD, May 2024
Suicide and Crisis Services, Edward Subega, LMFT, June 2023
Mental Health First Aid, San Jose State University, Wei-Chien Lee, Ph.D, June 2021
Articles:
Branca, S. H., & Slusser, E. (2022). “Through a More Discerning Lens: Understanding College Student Expectations and Experiences Over the Course of a Semester.” College Student Journal, 56(2), 180–196.
Dix, T., & Branca, S. H. (2003). “Parenting as a Goal-Regulation Process.” In L. Kuczynski (Ed.), Handbook of Dynamics in Parent-Child Relations (pp. 167–187). Sage Publications.