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"Therapy isn’t about reinventing you. It’s about
getting honest about what’s not working —
and changing it."
About
I’m Mark Esperti, M.A., AMFT, APCC, a psychotherapist based in Palm Springs. I offer in-person sessions locally and work with clients throughout California via secure telehealth.
I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, relationship strain, identity shifts, and life transitions — including those within the LGBTQ+ community and gay men seeking a therapist who understands the nuances of identity and relationships.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been someone people tend to talk to — someone who listens carefully, notices patterns, and stays steady even when things feel complicated or uncertain.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent many years working closely with entrepreneurs, business owners, and high-performing professionals. That experience gave me a clear view of the pressure people carry — and how often it goes unspoken.
My approach is grounded, direct, and structured. Therapy here is collaborative and intentional — built to support clarity, accountability, and sustainable change.
How I Work
Psychotherapy for adults seeking clarity, agency, and sustainable change.
My work integrates three primary frameworks:
I don’t believe in treating people like problems to be fixed or diagnoses to be managed. I work with adults who may appear steady on the outside but feel stuck, disconnected, or quietly exhausted underneath.
The foundation of our work is a real, human relationship. If there isn’t trust and candor, no technique matters. From there, I take an active and collaborative stance — offering both support and challenge — so we can identify what’s actually getting in the way and begin to change it.
I’m direct when it’s useful, patient when it’s needed, and always respectful of your autonomy. We’ll look at patterns in your relationships and habits — including the use of substances or other forms of numbing — especially when those strategies are no longer serving you.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps us identify patterns in thinking and behavior that keep you stuck and develop more adaptive responses. It’s practical and present-focused — useful when change needs structure.
Psychodynamic / Depth-Oriented Therapy looks beneath surface symptoms to understand long-standing relational patterns, emotional themes, and patterns outside your immediate awareness that shape how you experience yourself and others.
Mindfulness-Based Practices build awareness of internal experience — thoughts, emotions, physical sensations — so you can be in the moment and respond with intention rather than react automatically.
These approaches aren’t used in isolation. They’re integrated based on your needs, goals, and capacity over time. Therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all model — it evolves as you do.
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What Clients Often Bring In
Common starting points in therapy
High-Functioning,
Internally Overwhelmed
On the outside, things can look steady. On the inside, there may be chronic tension, irritability, low-grade dread — or a heaviness that doesn’t lift. You’re functioning, but it comes at a cost.
Identity, Midlife & LGBTQ-Specific Stress
Partnership dynamics shift. Career identity evolves. Aging carries psychological weight — especially in communities that often center youth. For some, this includes navigating health concerns, loss, and a changing sense of belonging over time.