Emotionally Focused Therapists in Santa Monica, CA

Hello! We are so grateful that you've embarked on this journey of self-discovery, growth, & healing. We are a group practice based out of California and collectively, we have over a decade of experience in the helping profession, assisting children, teens, and adults. Our approach involves viewing situations through a multicultural lens, enabling us to comprehend your unique needs through active listening, empathy, and a non-judgmental perspective. We specialize in EMDR, CBT, Solution-Focused Treatment, & Mindfulness.

My therapeutic style is grounded in the belief that authentic relationships are healing. I support people of various ethnic groups, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds to bring meaning to their lives, connect with their aliveness, and expand their sense of personal choice and freedom. My approach combines gestalt therapy, attachment theory and somatic experiencing. I am also trained in EMDR. For more than a decade I have been providing therapy to teens, adults and couples.

I believe clients are the experts on their own lives. I take a strength-based and person-centered approach to therapy, meaning that while I see myself as a consultant in peoples' journeys toward enhanced wellness, I work in a collaborative way that keeps the client's goals and priorities front and center. During our time together, I will listen to your story, offer reflections, and ask creative questions to gain clarity and discover the deeper and richer meanings within your narrative. Together, we will work to understand your pain and to mutually identify your strengths, resources, and desired future.

I work together with clients to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and stress. Together we identify behavioral patterns of critical and judgmental thinking that leads to self sabotaging behaviors. We untangle behaviors that are yours and ones that were projected on to you, by exploring the family of origins dynamics. This will help in all relationships. I have been practicing for over 35 years and have helped clients completely transform their experience, I have worked with anxiety and depression, abuse, trauma, loss and grief. Th goal is to love and accept yourself.

Being and feeling seen is healing. I believe that healing is a deep understanding of our past and ownership of the future we are creating for ourselves. I support clients who feel unprepared for life, love, or parenting. Maybe you have found yourself noticing unhealed stuff; sensations, thoughts, urges or feelings that are too big to ignore? You're not alone, growing into our best self requires self awareness and now that you have that the rest can become clearer. Taking the first step toward a more fulfilling life takes courage, I am here to support you in evolving on purpose

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.

I am a licensed psychotherapist working with clients to address relationship issues, trauma, depression, anxiety and life transitions. What is showing up as discontent, depression or anxiety can be transformed by understanding where these symptoms originated.

I am accepting new patients via Telemedicine as the need for mental health support is stronger today than ever. My style is grounded in empathy, listening, and compassion, with a dash of humor central to building a trusting alliance. I work with adults and couples; my doctoral project focused on treating violent couples in highly conflictual relationships in a conjoint setting examining the role of aggression and masochism in relationships. Another area of my expertise is working with individuals and families who are struggling with addiction and addiction-related predicaments.

There's a desire to express helpless and repressed feelings. You need help sorting out the confusion and alleviating the fears. Tired of holding in your feelings, you want your side to be heard. Yet there's a part of you that's afraid. Afraid of all the judgment. These fears have kept you small and voiceless, striving to do it "right." It's worked at times, at getting what you want, but has it, really? You're now sick and tired, feeling alone, and darned if you do or darned if you don't. Aligning with your core values has become important. Striving to break free from who you think you should be is becoming what you're seeking.

Are you struggling to keep up with life’s demands? Is chronic stress wreaking havoc with your body and your health? “Fight/flight/freeze” reactions can leave us feeling irritable, inadequate, and exhausted, unable to cope when life surprises us with obstacles or loss. Unresolved stress can overwhelm our capacity to manage relationship issues, career pressures, and family demands. Sound familiar? If so, your nervous system may need a reset. I can help you tune in to your body and restore a state of calm. From that oasis of safety, you can reconnect with your true self—the wellspring from which your life can begin to flow again.

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 35 years of private practice experience. I trained within APA-accredited doctoral programs and internship programs. I am licensed to practice psychology in both California and Colorado. I specialize in treating couples and individual adults presenting with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, grief, substance abuse, and relational conflict and dissatisfaction. I am trained in psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, but I also apply cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, and interpersonal psychotherapy techniques to address the best methods for each individual and his or her issues and needs.

I am here to help you get unstuck and reclaim your natural state of joy, well-being, purpose, and vitality. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure (Marianne Williamson)." In our fast-paced world, it's easy to lose touch with ourselves and our sense of well-being. This has led to a rise in depression/anxiety, substance abuse, marital/relationship issues, and other difficulties. I am skilled at alleviating these symptoms and have been successful in working with individuals, couples, children/adolescents, and families of all ages backgrounds.

Welcome! I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience helping individuals navigate life's challenges. My practice is centered around Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based approaches tailored to assist those dealing with depression and anxiety disorders. Additionally, I have specialized training in maternal mental health, providing compassionate support to women as they navigate the complexities of pregnancy and the postpartum period. I also work extensively on relationship dynamics, career concerns, struggles with self-esteem, the transition to parenthood, and general life adjustments.

Many people shy away from asking for help when in emotional and psychological pain. It is not easy to ask for help. Perhaps there are feelings of shame underlying the recognition of one's vulnerability. But in essence these are the times that important and life-altering changes can occur. I am invested in establishing a safe, supportive, and truthful interaction with you towards improving your life, your choices, and your relationships, & have over 25 years of experience as proof. The concerns that I have worked with extensively include depression, anxiety, grief, life transitions, substance-abuse, adjustment, crisis intervention, & individuation.

Therapy is a wonderful opportunity to explore habituated patterns as well as the stories we tell ourselves. We all have a choice in how we make meaning in our lives, and I believe that with a compassionate exploration of one's inner life comes the ability to find more wonder and joy and connection in our daily life.

In-person counseling in beautiful Santa Monica office with easy parking. Cigna, Optum, United Healthcare In-network provider of Buddhist, spiritual, existential, and narrative psychotherapy. I have 15 years of experience helping people find new solutions to old problems, improve their relationships, express themselves creatively, and lead meaningful lives.Individuals report that I am exceptionally skillful at quickly discerning core wounds and providing resources to help release traumas and treat the symptoms of depression and anxiety; couples report greater understanding, compassion, ease and intimacy (usually in 1 or 2 sessions).

I work with neurodiverse, anxious and highly sensitive/empathetic people. In part, that's my clinical focus, but also because that's me too. Therapy is tailored to the individual situation - virtual, in-person, individual, family, etc. I see parents who need support in raising their beautiful (and tricky) kids. With kids, teens and families, it's a bit of everything - sometimes it's a therapy-classroom for hard-skills but more often and far more effectively, it's a safe haven to understand "why." For my young women - please bring your big feelings, deep empathy and clear intuition. We use it for "good" instead of anxiety.

I am a practical clinician who draws from an array of psychological approaches to assist my patients in achieving their goals. In addition to being practical, my therapeutic approach is aimed at understanding and integrating the dissonant thoughts and feelings at the core of most problems. I employ a focused and systematic method to identify the barriers to an individual's development and bring about change through an understanding and relinquishing of old models of coping. I am also able to utilize psychological measures of personality and aptitude to assist my clients in making decisions about their treatment and goals.

Welcome to your journey of growth. As a licensed clinical psychologist with over a decade of experience, I believe every individual has the ability to heal, grow, and live a fulfilling life. My background as a Chinese Malaysian who has lived in the U.S. for over a decade has given me a unique perspective on the challenges that immigrants and people of color face. With an integrative, evidence-based approach, I help clients understand what causes them to feel stuck, and what is needed to get unstuck, while providing the expertise and support to develop strategies that would work for them.