Photo of Sheila Ali, Associate Clinical Social Worker in Los Angeles, CA
Sheila Ali
Associate Clinical Social Worker, ACSW, MSW
Verified Verified
Los Angeles, CA 90042
I continue to feel humbled by the power of therapy. Therapy will heal your pain. But it will not just relieve your suffering, a strong client-therapist fit will allow you to bear witness to the strength that comes from the courage of confronting the vulnerability within ourselves. Looking for a therapist should feel like buying a car- it needs to feel right, cost right and look right. Because that feeling of trust and safety is crucial to creating a space of brutal honesty as you begin to identify and explore your conscious and unconscious obstacles to equip yourself with the emotional tools and healing you seek.
I continue to feel humbled by the power of therapy. Therapy will heal your pain. But it will not just relieve your suffering, a strong client-therapist fit will allow you to bear witness to the strength that comes from the courage of confronting the vulnerability within ourselves. Looking for a therapist should feel like buying a car- it needs to feel right, cost right and look right. Because that feeling of trust and safety is crucial to creating a space of brutal honesty as you begin to identify and explore your conscious and unconscious obstacles to equip yourself with the emotional tools and healing you seek.
(925) 965-7775 View (925) 965-7775

Online Therapists

Photo of LBC Wellness, Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles, CA
LBC Wellness
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Long Beach, CA 90803  (Online Only)
Are you happy? You certainly deserve to be. If your past and/or current life events prevent you from living the life you want, reach out to us today and let's see if we can help. We are a group practice comprised of both licensed clinicians and associates with eclectic backgrounds. We're dedicated to helping the lives of those in our community. We work with adolescents (12+), adults, and those in the LGBT community too, and we work with many different mental health issues. Our style is warm, inviting, collaborative, and judgement free. 100% virtual. We accept medi-cal that's managed by MHN/Healthnet but no other medi-cal plan.
Are you happy? You certainly deserve to be. If your past and/or current life events prevent you from living the life you want, reach out to us today and let's see if we can help. We are a group practice comprised of both licensed clinicians and associates with eclectic backgrounds. We're dedicated to helping the lives of those in our community. We work with adolescents (12+), adults, and those in the LGBT community too, and we work with many different mental health issues. Our style is warm, inviting, collaborative, and judgement free. 100% virtual. We accept medi-cal that's managed by MHN/Healthnet but no other medi-cal plan.
(562) 414-5656 View (562) 414-5656

Adoption Therapists

Does my adopted child need therapy?

Not every adopted child needs therapy. However, many can benefit from seeing an adoption-informed therapist, especially if they were victims of abuse or neglect, appear withdrawn or disconnected, have behavioral or developmental issues (which may or may not be related to their adoption), are struggling with feelings of grief or loss surrounding their birth parents, or find it difficult to establish an identity, a challenge that often becomes most apparent during adolescence.

When should adoptive parents seek therapy?

Prospective parents can benefit from therapy even before an adoption—for example, to voice worries and fears; to reconcile infertility struggles, if relevant; or simply to prepare themselves for parenthood. After the adoption, parents who are struggling to bond with their child; are unsure how to talk about adoption or related issues, such as race; or whose child is dealing with developmental, behavioral, or psychiatric concerns can address these and other issues with the help of an adoption-competent therapist.

Is family therapy appropriate for adoptive families?

Family therapy can be invaluable for strengthening the bond between adoptive parents and children, helping the latter feel more secure in their place in the family. Family therapy can also help adoptive families navigate complex communication issues—for example, parents who feel uncomfortable discussing race with their child, who in turn feels invalidated by their silence, or a child who has questions about his birth parents but avoids asking them out of fear of hurting his adoptive parents’ feelings.

What therapy is not appropriate for adoption issues?

A discredited therapy known as “attachment therapy” (sometimes called “holding therapy” or “rebirthing therapy”) should not be used to treat adopted and foster children, though it was largely designed for this population. Attachment therapy involves restraining, coercing, and punishing the child in order for them to “release” negative emotions and attach to their new caregivers—techniques that are abusive and dangerous and have even proven fatal in some cases.