Therapists in Manhattan Beach, CA

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have been practicing for over 17 years. Specializing in working with children, adolescents, and families from primarily a solution-focused, cognitive behavioral approach, I offer a variety of interventions best matched to fit my client's individual needs. Adept in working with childhood disorders, trauma experiences, grief and loss, anger management, and parenting issues, I strive to look at the "whole picture" and incorporate collaterals and family members, as needed.

I provide assistance to individuals, couples, and families confronting various challenges such as anxiety, depression, couples conflict, family trauma, and more. Though the journey may seem daunting, embracing this process of healing will lead you to discover your true self and experience newfound freedom. Remember, you are not alone—I am here to offer support, equip you with valuable skills, and present fresh perspectives to empower you to become who you aspire to be.

Everyone goes through bumps, twists, and turns on the road of life. Sometimes life gets a little harder and you look for something more to help you manage. I can work with you to help you navigate what life throws at you, whether it be stress at work, problems with dating, making and maintaining friendships and relationships, fertility issues, postpartum to adolescent parenting, and other life transitions. Working together, we can help you find just the right balance in your life.

Christine earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University. Her experience working in the mental health and substance use field brings out her passion for Trauma Informed Care. Christine acknowledges the multitude of complexities that come with the human condition and, using authenticity and unwavering compassion, she approaches recovery from a place of empowering her clients. Christine’s goal is to create a safe, non-judgmental space for healing to unfold. She has a strong foundation in the science of psychology, the study of the brain and nervous system and its capacity to heal and change.

Sometimes, life holds nothing back. We’re totally overwhelmed. It’s all too much. Too much busy-ness, too much hurry, and too much stress. While you’re a master of taking care of everything and everyone around you, taking care of YOU is often forgotten. And your regular pattern of “go, go, go…” leads to anxiety, burnout, or trauma. And so, you’re just…exhausted. You know something has to change. You know life has more to offer. But you’re not sure where to start.

Hi, I’m Dr. Irma. I am a bilingual, Spanish/English, licensed clinical psychologist with more than 17 years of experience in the mental health field. Since 2006, I have been an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. ​I specialize in the psychological treatment of the total person: mind, body and spirit; in children, adolescents, adults and families struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, inner conflict, stress and LGBTQ+ issues. I offer a personable approach to therapy in a supportive and nonjudgmental client-centered environment.

Life is too beautiful to not be able to enjoy it to the fullest. I will help you increase self-awareness and gain a better understanding of both and old wounds which may be holding you back from experiencing a happier life. I am here to help you learn to love yourself, to have patience and to look at problems in a different and positive perspective, so that you can find different ways to solve them. I will provide you with valuable tools to help you cope so you can live the full, peaceful and happy life God intended you to have.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stressed or simply less happy? There is hope for resolution and you're here taking the first step. It's difficult to admit that we can't always come up with the solutions to feeling better by ourselves. I am here to help. My approach is to collaborate with you in improving your quality of life.Together we can find the solutions to the barriers of your happiness and gain a deeper understanding, create self-awareness, build self-esteem, regain confidence, and find your inner peace and self-empowerment.

Imagine a life that has meaning and purpose in all aspects such as work, healthy family and friend relationships, and spiritual connections. By working on your personal growth and healing you can achieve peace, happiness and abundance. I want to help you achieve the solutions and life changes you are looking for so that you can gain control of your trauma, emotional pain, anxiety, and/or anger and experience yourself in new ways.

You have been living through a stressful and exhausting time. A global pandemic is constantly changing your relationships and the way you live your life. You have also been exposed to an unprecedented amount of collective trauma both within your communities, and on a larger global scale. You're finding it harder to get a good night's rest, and you struggle to find meaning in a world that seems overwhelmingly painful to exist in. You want things to be different, but you don't know how.

Do you ever get the feeling of wanting to go home, only to realize you're already there? Or live with a persistent weight on your chest and a dark cloud shadowing your every move? This isn't the life you want, but maybe you're unsure where to start or whom to turn to. I'm glad you're here taking that first step! Imagine greeting each day with enthusiasm and peace instead of hopelessness and dread; let's make that your reality.

Rina Varughese is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California who has been practicing since 2013. Rina has experience with pain management, anxiety, depression, trauma, LGBTQ population, and works from relational attachment. Outside of work, Rina enjoys guitar, ballroom, circuit training, and gun ranges.

Seeing your child struggle is such a helpless feeling. You wish you could find the right words that would fix it all, but nothing that you say, and no amount of logic that you use seems to help. Perhaps you have even tried therapy before, with little progress or success, and you're not sure if this is even a fixable problem. Your child's struggles have become the focus of the entire family. You just want your happy little boy or girl back and to have normalcy restored at home.

If your child or teen is struggling and you're not sure how to help them, having a safe place to explore with a trained professional can help you both. Sometimes when you're in the middle of everything, it's hard to really see. You have such intimate, valuable observations as a parent, but adding that to the objective, experience informed information from a professional can bring the big picture together and organize everything so there's a clear path forward.

Therapy is for everyone. Some attend due to symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other specific disorders; others seek help when experiencing social, familial, academic, or occupational difficulties; and still others pursue therapy to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their purpose. While the path of every individual is unique, all can benefit from feeling seen, heard, understood, and validated; along with learning healthy coping mechanisms; developing communication and problem-solving skills to successfully address present and future challenges; and accomplishing objectives on the path to achieving self-actualization.

There are times that life can feel overwhelming whether due to trauma, stress, anxiety, depression or life transitions. I would like to join you on your journey toward wholeness and well-being as you navigate through life's trying times. I utilize an integrative holistic approach, allowing for unique and unlimited growth and potential. In my collaborative approach my goal in the therapeutic relationship is for each client to feel heard, respected and understood. I customize each client's needs and treatment using a variety of tools including psycho-education, mindfulness, meditation, body awareness and art.

I specialize in helping couples, families, teens and children solve concerns that are important to them. Often, people come in because of excessive conflicts with a partner or family member, affairs and big decisions. New clients are frequently looking for skills and/or knowledge to deal with challenging or traumatic situations. Nowadays especially, people are seeking help to manage powerful and confusing feelings, at last visiting a therapist when other potential solutions aren't working. They just want to feel better. If the issues you are facing are straining your normal coping mechanisms, it's time to reach out for assistance.

I am passionate about helping clients raise their level of self-awareness and transform themselves and their relationships into the level they have always wanted. Whether anxiety, depression, past traumas or failed relationships are currently making you or your relationships feel stuck, I am dedicated to helping you discover new ways of challenging old patterns of thoughts and behaviors. You can create a renewed sense of empowerment and increase your overall sense of well-being.

I have helped numerous patients in the past 25 years overcome major hurdles emotionally and spiritually, helping them discover for themselves who God has truly meant them to be. Living with depression, anxiety, fear, inhibitions, low-self esteem, relationship problems or the like -- your suffering should not be ignored. Life was not meant to be lived in part, but rather in fullness. My interest is in dealing with the deeper issues that underlie problems so that life can be lived in fullness rather than confusion, frustration and regret.