Emily Fittante began working with Santa Cruz Community Health as a Behavioral Health Provider at the start of 2024. She attended the University of California, Santa Cruz and received her Bachelor of Science in Cultural Anthropology in 2008. She then went on to receive her Masters of Social Work from San Jose State University, with a concentration in Health/Mental Health, in 2015. Emily formally completed her credentialing and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Spring of 2019. She has worked throughout Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and Monterey counties in residential care, hospitals, institutions, schools, and community health agencies. Predominantly, Emily spent six years in Children’s Behavioral Health for youth involved in the Juvenile Justice System, providing individual, group, and family therapy. She also completed an internship in the NICU, PICU, and Labor and Delivery units at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Much of Emily’s experience has been working with youth and families involved in foster and juvenile justice, and it will always hold a special place in her heart. 

In recent years, Emily has developed an enthusiasm around maternal mental health, specifically supporting pregnant and new mothers during Antepartum and Postpartum stages. She also feels passionate about making meaningful connections, social advocacy, cultural humility, and working to make positive changes in the community of Santa Cruz; this is where she has spent most of her life. In Emily’s clinical approach, she uses a person-centered philosophy from humanistic psychology and practices Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Solution-focused Strategies. Besides being a therapist, Emily enjoys spending time watching football on Sundays, relishing a good pun, catching a good sunset, and spending time with her family.