Grief Therapists in Santa Monica, CA

Life will sometimes nudge and then shout at us when we need to pause and look within ourselves. It often comes at times when we feel sad, hurt, anxious, or depressed. It may be at times when relationship struggles, self-doubt, or loss arise. Whether you are returning to therapy or preparing to enter it for the first time, with this step change is already underway. As I see it, the therapy process is a journey to resolve painful experiences, gain insight, and develop strengths and new abilities, all which help to navigate life’s challenges. Healing is possible as well as clarity on how to move forward.

In my work with clients, I create a safe and nurturing environment for you to find your way back to a sense of wholeness and fulfillment in life. It's not about fixing what's broken or changing your identity but helping you remember what it's like to feel in balance and connected. I support you in letting go of what's blocking you from finding that core, creative and joyful self within. My specialities for treatment include: addiction, trauma, grief processing, anxiety, stress management and relational challenges.

It is the goal of us all to have the chance to live in the wonder of our real selves. But we often find ourselves in an outside life that doesn't match the inside one. We can spend years struggling with making decisions, dealing with sadness and anger, anxiety and grief, as well as distrust, fear and longing, all overwhelming feelings and the behavior that goes with them, not knowing how to change but knowing we must. My job is to help you get back to and live the wonder that is the real you.

Hi, thank you for being here! Working on your mental health is one of the bravest and most important things you can do for yourself. There are things in your life — from the present or, often, from the past — that might not feel great. These things can leak through —affecting your future. It takes courage to look what's not working in your life and make positive change. I want to support you in moving towards the life you want!

In my 30+ years of experience, I have tried to create a non-judgmental environment of openness and collaboration with my clients. I have found that most people are looking for understanding, clarification and a path to hope and healing.

I am a licensed psychologist and health service provider in private practice and work with individuals, couples, groups, and families. I specialize in grief, traumatic experience, anxiety, depression, interpersonal problems, and also enjoy working with issues of creativity and optimal self development over the lifespan. I practice from an integrative perspective that includes psychoanalytic, humanistic, and experiential approaches. My book, The Paradox of Loss: Toward a Relational Theory of Grief, describes my nonlinear, non-pathologizing, and relational understanding of grief. I am offering four groups this coming year: Recent Bereavement; Longer-Term Grief; Creative Writing and Loss; and Enhancing Communication and Connection for Improved Functioning.

I work with individuals and couples on a variety of relationship and interpersonal issues. I believe that each of has the innate desire and ability to lead satisfying and fulfilling lives. We are often stuck in old patterns of behavior and relating. Working together we can explore those patterns and how to move beyond them. There are times in our lives when feelings of isolation, depression, loneliness pervade. It is helpful to have a trained professional to discuss these feelings with.

Feeling depressed, anxious, uncertain of what path to take next? Feeling lost, alone, or unsure of yourself? These are all common concerns that my clients face daily, and have come to understand their source by working in a safe collaborative space in therapy. Many of my clients are at a cross roads whether it be leaving their parents home, trying to launch from college, deciding whether or not to get married, have a baby, or change careers or retire. Therapy can help with any transition. In a supportive, collaborative environment we will discover what blocks you from growing and thriving.

I am a psychological trauma specialist who has spent over 25 years working with children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced child abuse, family violence, rape and assault, traumatic loss of loved ones, and the psychological effects of serious or severe medical problems or injuries. I offer individual, couples, and family therapy for these and other problems, including relationship issues and the problems associated with working in the entertainment industry. I work with clients who have experienced a single trauma as well as those who have experienced complex trauma. At this time, I am limiting my practice to traumatized adults.

The privilege of working with clients is the way each individual strength and barrier is presented in a session. An ideal client is one who is open to the therapeutic process and recognizes the art of healing through time, directed interventions and collaboration. Therapy and the therapist are tools, meant to magnify your process and highlight the route in feeling cared for and attended to with me. I do not require the "perfect" client, I seek the curious wonderment that recognizes the wisdom in their pain but open to the hope in their heart.

No matter what is going on within you and around you, there is always hope. You do not have to face life alone. Life brings us challenges that can include anxiety, depression, difficulties in relationships, and grief. Together we can create an individualized plan to help you heal and create the life that you desire. As a warm and caring therapist, it would be my honor to be a part of your healing process. Through our work together, I am committed to helping you recognize your strengths and innate resiliency that would allow you to thrive at home, work, and in relationships.

I have designed a private psychotherapy office especially for the creative client. This type of personality is more visually sensitive to their environment. The unique eclectic furniture styles, colors, fabrics, lighting, varied types of art work, and musical instruments, help create an uplifting and soothing atmosphere for therapy.

Let's face it- Whatever you are going through and whatever is bringing you to seek a therapist, it is probably not fun. Whether it is a break up, a divorce, a job loss, a death of a loved one, you have come to the right place. Seeking therapy and gaining self awareness can be life changing. Whether it is a current life crisis or the desire to change old ugly repetitive patterns, my style is nurturing, directive and fun. I work with you as a team getting to the core of the problem, and to help you move forward, hopefully with a fresh and new perspective.

Do you struggle with anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, guilt, grief, disappointment, sadness, displaced anger, intimacy issues, trouble with communication, disconnection in your relationships, being overwhelmed, or just a feeling of being stuck? Do you wonder if life could feel better? Now more than ever people are feeling uncertain about the future and wonder how to connect to others so they don't feel lonely and isolated. Not addressing these worries lead to more disconnect, sadness and feelings of aloneness. Talking to a therapist can help you start to feel better and not have to deal with these issues on your own.

I came to the practice of psychotherapy because I believe life's crises, however painful, also provide opportunities for profound change and growth. Therapy should be a safe space for patients to assess what is meaningful and what has been outgrown, what has been lost and what can be gained by working through that loss. Many of my clients work (or play) in the arts; many are trauma survivors. I run a weekly trauma group for women with PTSD. I am an empty nester and particularly interested in women dealing the changes that come with aging - women facing the "third act" of their lives.

BIPOC - Have you experienced loss or adjusting to change? Life comes with loss and change: the death of a loved one, the loss of health, a break-up. Dealing with any loss and adjusting to major change often negatively affects us, and our emotional well-being and coping habits are sometimes compromised as a result. It is easy to fall into depression or develop anxiety if our coping is not managed and nurtured appropriately. I’m glad you are taking steps to process what change or loss means to you. As an Asian American Filipina, I provide culturally competent therapy services to those managing dual/multi cultural/BIPOC identities.

I believe that at times we all get sad, down, bummed-out, etc… but nobody needs to be depressed; I believe that therapy need not be: - intimidating; uncomfortable; awkward; unsafe; labeling/diagnostic, OR indoors; I believe that life can be really challenging, especially for those who try to get through it alone; I believe that nobody should even attempt to get through it alone; I believe that "craziness" is in the eye of the beholder & each of us is crazy in our own uniquely beautiful ways..

Late life is often a dynamic time and one of transition. For many older adults, it is fraught with illness, loss and emotional and physical challenge. But it can also be a time of enormous potential. With fewer obligations, long time personal goals can finally be realized and difficult family relationships repaired and healed. Evidence suggests that it's possible to make change at any stage of life. Together through the collaborative process of psychotherapy, we will work towards your goals using an integrated approach that includes psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, and solution focused strategies.

I work with people who are ready for change, people who have recognized that they are stuck in unproductive, repeating patterns in their lives and want to break free, and people who are ready to commit to their own personal growth. I have several specialties, including: the management of a broad range of feelings; concerns about body image and sexuality; communication difficulties; loss and grief; empowerment; self-esteem; and, dealing with life-threatening illness.