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Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist

Claimed Profile
Specializes in: Psychotherapy, Counseling, Psychology and Family Therapy
Professional interests include: couples therapy, Gottman Method couples therapy, parenting issues, and more.
16960 E Bastanchury Rd Ste J
Yorba Linda, CA 92886

Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist is a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA specializing in psychotherapy, counseling, psychology and family therapy. Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist is affiliated with Nightingale Center.

View Provider's Full Profile (949) 541-7139

Office Locations

16960 E Bastanchury Rd Ste J
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
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Some issues Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist can help you with:

Couples Issues

Couples' issues are problems that occur in spousal or romantic relationships. While every couple may have some disagreements, couples' issues can grow more severe when unresolved disagreements fester over time, potentially culminating in resentment and emotional distress. These issues can lead to breakups, including divorce. Fortunately, people can strengthen their relationships through communication, empathy, and compromise. Couples counseling can help people overcome relationship problems and work through conflicts in a positive setting.

Some examples of couples' issues include:

  • Infidelity
  • Lack of intimacy
  • Disagreements in parenting styles
  • Financial disagreements
  • Trust issues

Couples counseling, also referred to as couples therapy or marital counseling, can help people assess and better understand fractures in their relationships. A couples counselor may ask partners to determine what problems they are facing. Couples counselors may instruct each partner to describe their underlying emotions, experiences, and beliefs in detail. This process may be performed with both partners in the same room or just one at a time. The goal of this exercise is for partners to gain greater understanding of each other's needs and to create solutions for these needs to be met. For example, a couple may arrive at the conclusion that one partner's work schedule leads the other to feel neglected or overwhelmed. Then, couples might implement strategies such as increased communication and partner agreements. These strategies may address previous conflicts as well as prevent new ones from occurring.

In some instances, couples counselors may recommend individual therapy for one or both partners. Individual therapy can address mental health problems that negatively impact the relationship. With continued counseling, people can restore communication and may gain greater understanding of one another's needs, enabling them to better develop solutions for these needs to be properly met.

Depression

Everyone knows what it feels like to get the blues once in a while. But depression is a serious illness that is more severe than a bad day and lasts much longer. Symptoms of depression stop a person from being able to function and enjoy daily activities for weeks or months at a time. It can happen to anyone, and it isn't something that people can control by force of will or "snap out of it."

Some common symptoms of depression include:

  • Feeling sad, guilty, empty or hopeless
  • Fatigue and a lack of energy and motivation
  • A loss of pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyed
  • Unusual sleep or eating habits
  • Mental fog -- trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
  • Physical aches and pains
  • Suicidal thoughts or a preoccupation with death

We don't yet know what causes depression, but it's thought that it is a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and social influences. Because of this, the most effective treatments for depression combine medication with psychotherapy. Therapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, can be extremely helpful in resolving the negative thoughts and feelings that come with depression. It gives patients new tools that they can use themselves to cope when their depression is making them feel down.

Some of the common medications used to treat depression include antidepressants such as SSRI's (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) or atypical antidepressants (Cymbalta, Wellbutrin). It's important to remember that these medications have different effects on everybody, and no one medication works right for everyone. Patients may have to try a couple before finding the one that works just right for them. If the first medication they try doesn't work, they should talk to their doctor about trying something else. In extreme cases where medication is not enough, electro-convulsive therapy and hospitalization may be the answer to keeping a severely depressed person safe.

Depression is a difficult illness to deal with, but it is more common than believed and there are many people who can help. With the right treatment, individuals with depression can get back to fully enjoying life again.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that people may develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. PTSD causes recurring nightmares, flashbacks, and disturbing memories about the traumatic event. It is frequently triggered by particularly intense and life-threatening incidents. For example, someone involved in a serious car accident may have severe anxiety about the accident months or even years later. War veterans and people involved in armed conflict are particularly prone to developing PTSD. In decades past, PTSD was called shellshock and was used to describe the negative emotions that soldiers endured from war. Today, medical professionals who treat PTSD recognize that it can occur in all types of people and can result from all types of traumatic incidents. It is not known exactly why some people develop PTSD, although PTSD frequently arises from:

  • Accidents
  • Sexual or physical assault
  • Combat
  • Childhood abuse
  • Domestic abuse
  • Natural disasters
  • Torture and kidnapping

People who have experienced significant and repeated trauma are more likely to develop PTSD. Those who have disorders like depression or a family history of depression may also be more prone to PTSD. PTSD symptoms typically begin one month to one year following the traumatic event. There are four main categories of PTSD symptoms:

  • Intrusive memories: Intrusive memories include unwanted memories, feelings of reliving the traumatic event, distressing nightmares, and emotional disturbances from triggers (signs that serve as reminders of the traumatic event). Intrusive memories can lead to elevated heart rate, anxiety, combativeness (fight), withdrawal (flight), and many other responses.
  • Avoidance: Avoidance is an attempt to avoid speaking or thinking about an upsetting event. People with this response might also try to avoid certain people or locations that prompt memories of an event.
  • Changes in physical and emotional reactions: These changes may include difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior, and feelings of guilt and irritability.
  • Alterations in cognition and mood: Alterations can cause negative self-beliefs, depression, shame, and detachment from others.

The intensity and frequency of these symptoms can vary over time. PTSD symptoms may suddenly return after disappearing for years. Many PTSD patients find treatment helps to gradually reduce their symptoms over time.

The most common treatments for PTSD are psychotherapy and oral medications. Psychotherapy for PTSD can include cognitive therapy (therapy to change thought patterns), exposure therapy (therapy to confront memories of the traumatic incident) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR). EMDR integrates exposure therapy with guided eye movements to help patients confront and process their trauma. Certain oral medications may help with PTSD, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. Self-care, support groups, and relaxation may also benefit those with PTSD.

The path to overcoming PTSD can be long and challenging and people with PTSD can benefit greatly by seeking professional treatment from a mental health care provider. Treatment can reduce PTSD symptoms, provide essential coping strategies, and improve one's quality of life.

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“Yorba Linda psychologist Lois Gobrecht says she often hears women describe their extramarital affairs as like "having a new best friend."”—"Can a Marriage Be Saved by Adultery? : Relationships: More women are having affairs. Or at least more are saying so. Now, a book claims that extramarital sex may save marriages.", Los Angeles Times, April 2025
“Consequently, if women feel their husbands are disinterested in them, it can be an enormous temptation to suddenly "have someone new lavishing praise and attention on them," says Yorba Linda...”—"The Wanderlust of Married Women", Los Angeles Times, April 2025
“If you anticipate some ill-mannered comments, Orange County clinical psychologist Lois Nightingale suggests you decide ahead of time how you will handle them.”—"Commitments : Family Feud-- Christmas Style : Everyone yearns for the perfect holiday. But the cold reality of family squabbles and rude remarks never fails to put a damper on things. Stay loose. Stay calm. And whatever you do, don't get sucked in the fray.", Los Angeles Times, August 2024

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2012 were mental health therapy and diagnostic evaluation.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

diagnostic evaluation 22
mental health therapy 191

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2013 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 184

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 12
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2013

Hypertension 58
High Cholesterol 55
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2014 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 254

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 23
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2014

Hypertension 61
High Cholesterol 69
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 33
Depression 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2015 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 516

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 48
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2015

Hypertension 51
High Cholesterol 60
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 68
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2016 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 423

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 33
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2016

Hypertension 53
High Cholesterol 57
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 60
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2017 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 282

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 24
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2017

Hypertension 59
High Cholesterol 51
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 0
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2018 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 282

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 32
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2018

Hypertension 50
High Cholesterol 66
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 22
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 21
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2019 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 421

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Gender
Male 12
Female 45
Age
From 65 to 74 30
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2019

Hypertension 60
High Cholesterol 54
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 30
Depression 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 0
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 26
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2020 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 410

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 20
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2020

Hypertension 71
High Cholesterol 63
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 32
Depression 75
Chronic Kidney Disease 27
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 0
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 27
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2021 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 411

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 25
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2021

Hypertension 61
High Cholesterol 55
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 25
Depression 73
Chronic Kidney Disease 29
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 22
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 27
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA during 2022 were mental health therapy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

mental health therapy 439

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Age
From 65 to 74 29
From 75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist in 2022

Hypertension 67
High Cholesterol 67
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 0
Depression 72
Chronic Kidney Disease 24
Asthma 0
Osteoperosis 30
Atrial Fibrilation 0
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 26
Dementia 0
Cancer 0

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated as a psychotherapist in Yorba Linda, CA were mental health therapy and diagnostic evaluation.

diagnostic evaluation 22
mental health therapy 346

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist.

Gender
Male 1
Female 4
Age
75 to 84 0
85 and over 0
Less than 65 0
65 to 74 25

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist treated were depression, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.

Hypertension 53
High Cholesterol 54
Stroke 0
Ischemic Heart Disease 10
Depression 65
Chronic Kidney Disease 9
Asthma 0
Osteoporosis 4
Heart Failure 0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 11
Atrial Fibrillation 0
Cancer 0
Dementia 0

Education & Training

She is certified by the State of California and has a state license in California.

Board Certification: State of California

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Nightingale Center

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 3 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Lois Nightingale, Psychologist, MA, PhD, Family Therapist from all over the web to help you find the right in Yorba Linda, CA. 

5
Overall Rating
Leave a Review

Biography

Dr. Lois Nightingale practices family therapy, psychology, and counseling. Her clinical interests include depression, couples issues, and parenting issues. Patients rated Dr. Nightingale highly, giving her an average of 5.0 stars (out of 5).

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