Experiential Therapy in Rosemead, CA

My name is Bayley Dark LCSW 110397, and I have been working with young children and adolescents for the last 4-6 years. My approach to therapy is to provide all my clients a safe space to verbalize their thoughts and feelings without any judgment and to address any concerns or topics that they feel are important to them. Most of my experience is with teenage boys who are within the juvenile justice system and within the child welfare system. The clients I typically see have severe trauma, history of substance use, and severe mental health diagnoses.

If you are struggling with mood, anxiety, motivation, energy, sleep, adjusting to a new baby, relationship turbulence, or difficulties at work or school, I may be able to help. I work with a lot of college students, parents, and corporate workers to help bring out our strengths and guide you towards greater alignment within yourself. I have a specialty interest and intensive training experience in prenatal and postpartum mental health. So if you're a new parent, I'd be happy to help you navigate the beginning of parenthood. As a yoga student and teacher, I'm a big fan of using yoga practices to assist with healing.

Hello, my name is Cecelia Pooley Gillespie, LCSW, SEP. I work with all ages, with a recent focus on youth and families, including those in rural and Indigenous communities.. I can help with anxiety, depression, PTSD, stress, parenting, life transitions, and more. My therapeutic approach is strengths based and solution focused. While I find the cognitive and behavioral lens of CBT, DBT and Narrative Therapy to be valuable, I believe it can be important at times to also incorporate Experiential Therapy, such as creativity, movement, and expression, as well as Somatic work for exploring the mind-body connection.

I work with individuals and couples who feel disoriented, trapped, and need help walking forward. Pain comes in many different forms such as trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, fear, low self-esteem, discrimination, betrayal, anger, or just feeling lost. This pain can be like quicksand, constantly trapping you no matter what you do. My specialty is working with people whose pain is made more complex by intersecting identities (Religion/Spirituality, Culture/Race/Ethnicity, LGBTQ+, immigration). In addition, I have specializations in working with, multiracial people, emerging adults, men, and helping professionals.

Kati Phillips is a certified emotionally-focused therapist with advanced training in sex therapy and LGBTQ-affirmative therapy. She works with adults, adolescents, couples and folks in consensual non-monogamous relationships.

My name is Judy Whitcher. I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in the State of California. I have been licensed in California for 3 years and was licensed in Arkansas (previously) for 13 years. I approach therapy as a collaborative effort between client and therapist where we work together to identify what direction therapy needs to go and move towards that goal together. I have worked with many populations including children, families, school-based, community mental health, LGBTQ+ populations, geriatrics, and severely mentally ill.

Childhood trauma can cripple us, it creates overpowering ‘intense’ emotions such as anxiety, depression, and anger when left unattended which begins to create physical symptoms to defend our bodies from the internal wounds. Has there ever been a time in your life where you have experienced this reaction? Are you experiencing these feelings based on current or past trauma from childhood, early teens, adolescence, adulthood, or as a senior? I aim to utilize a variety of actionable techniques to help reduce trauma related symptoms and make lasting changes in life.

I’ve always had a passion for helping queer folx get through the challenges that come with being queer-identified in a heteronormative society. My mission is to create a safe, warm, nonjudgmental setting for queer folx and allies to address the struggles that life has served up. Whether you need coping skills to improve daily functioning, want to gain insight into deeper issues, desire more security in your relationship, or require relief from sexual troubles, my focus is on you and your intentions. Therapy is not an easy road, but I intend to travel with you on the journey, no matter how difficult.

Humans are relational beings and relationships play an important role in our everyday lives. When relationships get off track, it can be overwhelming. I work with individuals, couples, and families to help relationships heal. I seek to help individuals, couples and families navigate a wide range of challenges pertaining to relationships. I have an interest in relational concerns around sexual dynamics as well as improving relational vulnerability and connection. I work from both a contextual and systems perspective to honor how an individual's intersections of identity influence how they interact with and are received by the world.

A native Angeleno, Laura believes that healing emerges through intentional everyday practices that transform into rituals of self-care. Using an intersectional and strength-based framework Laura approaches therapy as a collaborative process to navigate the complexities of the individual lived experience and interpersonal relationships. She supports and identifies the strengths and internal resources clients are inherently born with and promotes the connection to self and community. She has been successful in helping professionals, artists, and creative individuals to create healthier relationships with their inner and outer worlds.

Hello! My name is Matthew Mendoza and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Over the years of working with my clients I have found that the most crucial factor in making changes is the therapeutic alliance. The therapeutic alliance is how comfortable the client feels opening up with their therapist. Which is why I strive to provide a safe and nonjudgmental place for you to share. On top of this, I use a variety of therapeutic approaches based on the presenting issues and your personality; always keeping in mind what will work best for you.

Welcome! I'm passionate about fostering genuine connections and guiding individuals and couples toward holistic healing and growth. My therapeutic approach is centered around authenticity, collaboration, and a client-focused mindset. I’ve supported individuals facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relationship and family issues, identity exploration, and self-esteem concerns.

Are you ready to break the painful cycles that keep you depressed, anxious, hopeless, addicted? Would you like to learn how to be alone and not feel lonely? Are you ready to leave the old story behind and realize your true potential - live the full embodied life you deserve? It takes great courage to break with ones' past story and stand alone, to learn to be reunited with yourself. Trauma lives in the body as wound. Through a client-centered, trauma focused somatic approach, as you become willing, we will take that journey together and tend those wounds that are the place where light can enter.

Do you feel like the weight of past experiences, secrets, or questions about your identity are holding you back from living a fulfilling life? Are you struggling with sexual trauma, childhood abuse, or other forms of trauma that have left you feeling overwhelmed & powerless? We're here to help. As a feminist therapist & board-certified expert in treating trauma & PTSD, I have extensive experience in helping people just like you regain control of their lives. Whether you're dealing with sexual, gender, cultural identity issues, or any form of abuse, I offer a safe and empowering space where you can work through your issues & heal.

For all queer & trans individuals seeking authentic and empowered body liberation, welcome home. I hear you, I see you, and you’ve always deserved care. It is my passion in life to walk alongside my fellow QT family to explore body liberation, acceptance, and joy. (I don’t know you yet…and yet I’m super excited to be a part of this journey with you!) My path in life is to integrate transformation, creativity & play toward thriving in relationships and community. (And when I say, creative play, I really mean it. I literally have a degree in professional clowning…but that’s for another time.)