I’m Roy Bettencourt, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Changes Therapy. I work with people who want something different from life—who are tired of old survival strategies that no longer serve them and are ready to live with greater meaning, connection, and self-acceptance.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent years in leadership roles within some of California’s most impactful mental health programs. As Director of Community Mental Health for the Bay Area’s largest social service agency, I oversaw a team of more than 100 staff serving over 2,000 participants across nine programs. We showed up every day for communities that were too often ignored—people living with severe mental illness, experiencing homelessness, or reentering society after incarceration.

My work is deeply personal. In my early life, I took a different path—one marked by struggle, poor decisions, and time in prison. That experience changed me. It introduced me to the hard edges of shame and the possibility of transformation. It’s part of why I believe that everyone—no matter how stuck or broken they feel—deserves support, compassion, and a chance to rewrite their story.

Today, I help individuals and couples break out of painful patterns and reclaim their sense of agency. My style is direct but warm, structured but flexible. I’m trained in evidence-based practices, but I’m most influenced by real life—the messiness, the contradictions, the humor, and the hope.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, relationship issues, sexual issues, trauma, or simply asking, “Is this all there is?”, I’m here to help you explore what’s possible.