Parenting Therapists in Santa Monica, CA

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.

I understand you are struggling right now. You may be feeling anxious and/or depressed. Dysfunctional patterns of behavior may be affecting your job, your relationship or marriage, as well as your overall self-esteem. You want to understand why you do what you do, and are looking for effective tools to change the behaviors that either no longer work for you, or perhaps never did. By empathically exploring the "why am I the way that I am" questions in a safe environment, we will look to find some answers that will help enable you to battle and place your critics and demons in their proper place going forward.

I believe you should like your therapist and feel like you’re making progress, rather than just spinning your wheels. A clinician’s knowledge, approach, and personality are key to achieving that, so I offer free 15 minute phone consultations in order to determine if we’d be a good fit. I have over 20 years experience treating adults, teens, and couples in the areas of anxiety, depression, relationships, and general self-growth. My other specialties include: mindfulness, integrative health, introversion, and highly sensitive people.

I'm glad you're here: you have taken a courageous and healing step by seeking support. I provide an integrative, resiliency-focused approach to therapy, pulling from your strengths and values to guide our work and help you regain a sense of mastery, meaning, and connection in your life. My perspective is that we are built to survive and often develop ways of relating which once helped us get by, but may no longer be helpful to a current situation. My goal is to form a safe connection to explore these factors that may contribute to ongoing difficulties, re-process experiences, and ultimately co-create your next chapter.

My ideal client is aware that some primary positive feeling has changed. The positive feeling has suddenly, or over time, become negative and painful. Because of this change, he or she may have reluctantly given up on a long term goal, or may be in the midsts of a divorce where there was once loving contentment that has disappeared. Sometimes the pain is so severe that the Client considers ending his or her life. No matter what the circumstance, this Client is longing for relief from the pain. The Client needs a Therapist who can, incrementally over time, help to alleviate the pain and begin a more positive approach to living life.

Psychotherapy is one of the most powerful tools for transforming one's life, and seeking support takes courage. I specialize in working with teenagers, young adults, and families and the obstacles they face throughout life transitions. I am particularly interested in supporting parents through complex challenges ranging from pregnancy and infertility, adulting teen difficulties and the college process, relationships and high achievement issues, divorce, and the "empty nest transition." As a heart-focused therapist, I am committed to empowering people to build the internal strengths and resources to live their desired life.

Best Self Psych is a group of ENM, kink, and LGBTQ+ affirmative licensed and associate therapists in Los Angeles and we help people who are experiencing difficulty in their relationships and professional lives. Our practice specializes in specialities include helping people who are struggling with the effects of depression, anxiety, C-PTSD and ADHD.

I specialize in helping individuals & couples who are looking to address experiences of trauma, anxiety, depression and more. I often work with professionals, creatives, athletes, parents and folks of color, creating a warm and welcoming space where you feel safe to process, release and heal. My therapeutic approach is relational, culturally sensitive, and client-centered and using my extensive expertise in Attachment Therapy, EMDR, Psychodynamic and Somatic Therapy to help you achieve your well-being goals. I'm a Columbia University trained therapist who has supported many individuals and organizations in becoming trauma-informed.

I believe there is a natural tendency toward growth, a desire to be more of ourselves and to enjoy the things we do. For many, that curiosity and vitality has been restricted or shut down. This may lead to feeling depressed, like nothing will change for you. Or anxious, it will only get worse. Or perhaps you sense things could be different and are frustrated, not knowing how to access that new way of being. Psychotherapy is a process through which you can understand how these feelings have come about and how to access your natural tendency toward wellness.

I provide psychotherapy to young adults, adults, couples and families who would like to explore trauma, anxiety, and relationships. I am passionate about working with clients who are self-explorers, question askers, and have a profound desire to increase well-being. I specialize in the treatment of relational trauma, anxiety symptoms, relationship and attachment challenges. Our work will help you develop self-understanding + self-compassion, improve your relationship to self + others, build self-esteem + self-worth, challenge perfectionism + people pleasing, learn to set healthy boundaries, build coping skills and healthy habits.

As a psychotherapist I work from a compassionate and practical perspective. My work is holistic and includes a creative exploration of the client's life experience, building awareness and mindfulness, reconnecting to the cues the body gives, and reinforcing positive experiences. I help clients to identify undiscovered potential, create change, and work through a myriad of issues. These issues range from depression and anxiety to questions about where to go next in career and, "Why do I keep dating the wrong person?". Clients come to me to work through trauma, eating disorders, substance abuse, low self-esteem, loss of meaning, and relationship issues.

Therapy is a deeply personal, multifaceted journey inward in an already complex world. To those who choose to venture down this road, the process can leave one feeling emotional and vulnerable, but it will also be healing, enlightening and enriching. Taking steps down this path is a virtuous act and I am here to honor you and your process. Together we will gently explore what may be causing you pain. Healing is at the heart of my practice - what you will experience with me is empathy, non-judgmental compassion, and authenticity. My therapeutic style is warm, energetic and engaged.

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, irritability, or an overarching sense of overwhelm? Are you experiencing conflict with a partner or challenges adjusting to major life changes, such as the birth of a baby? Are you concerned you may be experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression or anxiety? Are you questioning your parenting skills or your relationship with your children? I am here to help! I am a licensed psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience working with children, adults, couples and families. My focus includes strengthening interpersonal relationships and building support systems to effectively manage life's challenges.

I believe that you have a right to therapy that meets your needs, and works towards your goals. My job is to collaborate with you in whatever way is helpful. I am non-judgmental, and supportive, and will work with you to enlist your strengths and energies to bring about the changes you want in your life. I offer EMDR therapy for the traumas that underlie so many issues. If you are looking for an alternative to 12 step programs and abstinence for a substance problem, I can offer you the harm reduction approach which respects your intelligence and your ability to make choices.

Your child is a source of light. But perhaps you've noticed their light has dimmed recently and you feel concerned. Perhaps your teen is falling behind in school, having difficulty connecting with their friends, or experiencing confusion as they explore their gender identity. Your young child may be having anger outbursts or challenges with their behavior at home. Adjusting to the post-COVID lifestyle might be causing ongoing worries and changes in mood or personality. Or your child might have experienced a major stressor like divorce, a death in the family, or even a traumatic event like a car accident or an act of violence.

I work with motivated adults and adolescents to help them cope with transitions in their lives where they feel stuck and in emotional pain. My clients usually want tools they can use themselves as well as a healing environment. I work collaboratively with clients to cultivate their strengths as well as support them in overcoming inner obstacles. They want a more positive relationship with themselves and others and to move forward in healthy ways behaviorally. They want better boundaries and joy in their lives.

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 understand that life's transitions often come with the obvious changes in ones perspective, in ones relationships, and in ones lifestyle, but transitions also come with more hidden emotional changes. These usually surface as sleepless nights, fights with people you care about, mood instability, and a feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction with life. On your own, it is difficult to untangle the complex puzzle that underlies these ongoing issues and acknowledge these emotional changes. Together we can uncover the root of your emotional challenges using emotionally focused therapy in a compassionate and supportive environment.