Relational Therapists in Altadena, CA

Many people experience challenges in their sexual and relationship life and might be feeling alone or ashamed. Maybe you are struggling with intercourse, desire, arousal, pleasure, pain, performance anxiety, or shame around sex. Or maybe you've been disconnected from your partner, feel stuck in your conflict patterns, or are going through transitions or difficulties in your relationship. Everyone deserves a healthy and fulfilling intimate life. No matter your age or relationship stage, you can create a more meaningful and positive connection with yourself and your partner.

At our cores, we are relational beings who thrive when we feel connected to ourselves, to each other, and to the world around us. When we endure painful experiences or simply learn to abandon our wants and needs in exchange for belonging and acceptance as children, we can become out of touch with our true nature, but therapy is often a journey of leading us back, and then forward. I often work with artists, therapists, and people who generally think and feel deeply. If you are feeling stuck and could use support, we can begin to explore the experiences that have led you to this moment so that healing and progress can take place.

As a contemporary psychoanalyst who specializes in attachments, and how they evolve throughout the lifespan, my focus is on three themes, your emotional life, your relational life, and the skills you will need to make the first two work. How do I do this? Through empathy, imagination, compassion, and collaboration, and humor. I may be an expert on the process of therapy, but you are the authority on your self, as well as your thoughts and feelings on those you love or hope to love. There is one more thing: as a poet, I believe in everyone developing personal passion

Let me help. In these dark and complicated times, our lives and culture are more complex and stressful than ever before, often taking a toll on our relationships. This is often the reason clients seek therapy - the relationship with ourselves, our loved ones, our community, and the world powerfully defines whether or not we feel safe and satisfied with our life. I'd like to help you deepen your awareness of how you relate to yourself and others and support you in navigating your world. We will work toward increasing your resiliency and making change, if that's what you want and need.

Thoughts, feelings and actions are all energetically connected. Conscious insight into all three of these is essential for changing patterns that no longer serve you. I provide support, tools and insight to help you find the resources within yourself and your life to help you deal with loss/grief, shift relationship patterns, heal personal struggles, and alleviate depression and anxiety. A good therapeutic connection can provide a different experience and perspective, and help you heal and thrive in your life. You do not need to be a prisoner of your past. You can transform your present and create your future.

As a clinical psychologist with 15 years of practice, I use my training and experience to provide guidance to people struggling with a variety of relational, emotional, and behavioral concerns. Trained in psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychotherapy, I provide both short-term problem-focused treatment as well as more long-term intensive therapy, depending on your needs.

Sometimes we find it hard to understand what is going on inside our heart and head. Perhaps we have a vague idea but we can't find the words to adequately express what we are feeling. Therapy offers us the opportunity to put language to our experience and increase our self awareness. Personal and relational transformation depend on that self awareness. I strive to create a safe place for you to journey inward without judgment; so that you may feel respected, secure and understood. To be invited into the depths of another person's soul is always a privilege. It is an honor for me to take this journey with you.

Sometimes we reach a point in our lives where we recognize that the way we've been living is not supportive of the type of life we want to create. Be it struggling with depression, anxiety, life-transition, parenting, relationships, pregnancy, or postpartum, we all need extra support to change, grow, and heal. I help you release old patterns and work through uncomfortable emotions to create more space in your life. By developing a healthier relationship with yourself you will be able to create healthier relationships with others. Together we create resources and tools that will support you as you embody new patterns and choices.

I cultivate a warm, nurturing presence so that my clients can feel firmly held and supported. My areas of focus include: managing anxiety, depression, stress-related conditions, life transitions, trans-generational trauma, cultural mistreatment, career/academic issues, parenting, co-parenting, authentic self expression, conscious relationship, transformation of life, relational trauma, body image issues. My work focuses on fostering in clients a mindful presence, attuned connection, conscious communication, and the sacred path of deep intimacy.

You're welcome here. I know it can feel strange at first, but connecting with support via therapy might be just the thing to move you along in your growth and healing. It is so normal to come up against physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges in life and to sometimes feel stuck. Through intentional processing, healthy coping skills, and connection it is possible to feel lighter, to feel free, and to find the lotus in the mud. Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed and notice this impacting your relationships, work, or ability to feel calm? Are you hoping to be a calm and connected parent to your child?

Are you tired of being unable to do the things you want to do, but repeatedly do the things you do not want to do? Are your best intentions producing the kind of relational fruit you desire in your relationships? The invisible pain from the emotional, relational, and spiritual realm activates the same region of your brain that is under physical pain. The need for proper attention and treatment for this invisible pain is as urgent and necessary as physical pain. Your pain will be properly metabolized through validation and comfort and ready to be resurrected as wisdom, strength, and compassion

Seeking therapy is a courageous starting point for pursuing more fulfilling relationships and life experiences. Your past and present circumstances do not have to define your identity. It is normal to experience uncertainty as you begin this process but I am committed to providing a safe space to explore your unique needs at your own pace. I am confident that we can collaborate to identify goals, clarify obstacles, and develop effective skills to promote change and improve your quality of life. My approach is best described as warm, empowering, and non-judgmental, but active and direct. I offer both in-person and virtual sessions.

To be human can mean that joy and pain, love and despair, connection and loneliness, energy and apathy, all occur within the same internal space. When that space becomes overwhelmed with pain, shame, or fear, we can feel as though we’re running on fumes - burned-out, disconnected, feeling stuck or paralyzed. Thoughts and emotions affect the way we move through life; and consciously or not, past emotional and relational wounds affect how we approach the present and future. Therapy can be a powerful aid in healing wounds and nurturing joy, connection, meaning, and new ways of being.

We all need extra support at various points in life. If you're feeling stuck, exhausted, frustrated, or struggling to feel like yourself, you are not alone. Effective therapy can help you address these challenges, gain deeper self-understanding, practice new skills, and effect meaningful change in your life. I believe when we show up for ourselves and allow our full humanity to be met with compassion, powerful shifts can occur.

When you feel need for change, when your inner and outer lives are out of synch, this may be a calling to seek meaning and new vitality. As a therapist, I work in an engaged, creative way with clients who wish to connect, explore and gain insight into their authentic feelings, needs and relationship patterns. My approach includes the emotional, body-mind, energetic and creative aspects of each individual who wishes to discover and bring the healing of new consciousness and healthy wholeheartedness into their lives. I am also able to provide you tools for solving problems with conflict, intimacy, relationships and communication.

The therapeutic relationship is a powerful vehicle for transformation. Through developing a trusting relationship where all feelings are welcome, I teach people to trust themselves and thus live more satisfying and authentic lives. My primary theoretical approach is object relations. This implies that relationships imprinted in early life play out and can be reworked in therapy wherein the client can internalize healthier ways of interacting. I am privileged to engage in this deeply personal process with people motivated by their suffering to find more effective ways to relate to themselves and others.

Treatment with me is a dedicated journey to your growth and wellbeing. I offer the highest level of clinical expertise,3 doctorates, with absolute regard to you as a unique individual. I am committed to help you learn and improve your life. My specialization in attachments (parents and beyond), will provide you with essential understanding of the impact of early relationship on current difficulties. Additionally, my dialectical and metallization expertise will help you develop skills to alleviate anxiety/depression and improve all relationship, yourself included. I will help you increase calmness, joy, confidence and understanding.

As a psychotherapist and consultant for autistic adults and their service teams, I support individuals on the autism spectrum, their families, and service providers. My practice focuses on fostering independence, enhancing communication, nurturing relationships, and promoting self-determination. I believe in everyone's inherent worth and potential, emphasizing empowerment, self-advocacy, and practical skills to improve quality of life. Whether you are an autistic adult, a family member seeking guidance, or a service provider aiming to better support your clients, I'm here to help.

Are you looking for an effective, collaborative, and holistic approach to navigating life's challenges? Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is getting started. Welcome! My clients are soulful, creative, deeply committed individuals seeking to break through old patterns, increase vitality, and create more meaning and purpose in their lives. Healing is a journey of courage, vulnerability, authenticity and accountability in all areas of one's life. I view my role, not as an expert, but rather as a guide to support you on your journey of self-discovery, inner work, reflection, transformation and growth.