Relational Therapists in South Pasadena, CA

Are you struggling with relationships, life transitions, and/or getting your life where you want it to be? Are you trying to solve all your problems internally but end up going in circles? Do you turn to friends and family yet feel misunderstood? There is incredible usefulness in talking through your beliefs, problems, and feelings with a psychotherapist who has experience and expertise to understand what you are going through and to help create space for change and growth. Beginning therapy is an empowered step for self and to achieve your goals.

Whether you are seeking to heal from traumatic experiences, gain insight and shift patterns of relating to others, or develop a greater connection to personal resources and problem solving, my hope is that your experience of therapy not only alleviates distress but also facilitates a deeper sense of meaningful connection to self, others, and purpose in the world.

The process of finding a therapist can often be a daunting first step, and it can be difficult to know who to trust and who can help. A good fit with a therapist includes a feeling of safety and a belief that your therapist has the ability to help you. Clients who find themselves at home in my practice are people who experience chronic depression or anxiety, individuals with a history of family wounding, individuals with relationship or identity issues, couples with difficulty resolving arguments, teens in crisis, and those feeling stuck or in transition.

I have extensive experience helping people who have depression and anxiety, people living with HIV, and trauma survivors. I also work with people who are dealing with long covid and who are struggling with the pandemic and how it continues to impact our lives. I have been a practicing psychotherapist for 17 years and I like what I do. I keep my practice small and am happy to provide referrals when I am booked. I hold a queer-affirming and trans-affirming collaborative space.

I enjoy working with children from toddlers to teens on a variety of issues, ranging from anxiety, depression, trauma, emotion regulation, and relationship issues, etc. I also want to support you in the challenges of parenting. Together we can work to find an approach that fits you and your child. I am trained in systemic therapy, play therapy, art therapy, and mindfulness. Therapy can nurture healthy growth and development in your life and relationships. The goal is to help you create healthy bonds and coping skills that bring you joy and help during difficult times. Life can be complex - take a step towards comfort and change!

When you're hurting emotionally - sad, anxious, overstressed, or experiencing pain or loss in a relationship - you want help from someone who is competent, kind, and trustworthy. It is my commitment to provide a safe and supportive place for you to freely share your struggles, challenges, needs, and desires. I work actively and collaboratively to help you develop and use your strengths and resources to successfully face the important problems in your life. My ultimate goal through this process is to support you in discovering new levels of emotional freedom that allow you to live well and love well.

Let's be honest, relationships are hard work! Therapy takes intentional effort, vulnerability and persistence to bring about meaningful change in our lives. Before that change can occur, we must first learn what is going on. I want to help you identify the negative patterns in your life and provide tools to replace them with new life-giving actions and transforming truths to bring about healing and restoration in your relationships.

The best advice I ever received about practicing psychotherapy was, “be a human first and a therapist second." To this day, I hold this sentiment in mind while sitting with my clients. While my approach is informed by robust training, I ultimately hold the view that you are the expert on your own life. I utilize our relationship to help you develop a stronger, more truthful relationship with yourself. From a place of deep awareness, you will feel more empowered to make choices that are right for you, more congruence, connection, and authenticity in your life, more freedom from what burdens you, and more control over your own story.

Reach out now, I have some valued in-person appointments available. I am a licensed psychologist and board-certified art therapist who has helped adults and families thrive for 30 years. My approach is strengths-based, collaborative and empowering. I enjoy helping you make sense of past experiences, live fully in the present moment, and dream about the future. I combine my understanding of psychodynamic, developmental, neurobiological and traumatic stress theory with my experience and intuition to nurture healing, growth and connection.

Do you notice patterns of behavior that you’d like to explore further? Feel dissatisfied with the way things are currently in your life? By drawing from interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral (ie. CBT and ACT), and psychodynamic modalities, I empower clients to gain insight, define goals, and develop skills/tools to live meaningful lives consistent with their values. I see psychotherapy as an interactive process that can promote insight, create positive change, and foster growth. I also bring this perspective into my work with couples and families. I can provide couples/ family psychotherapy as well as discernment counseling.

Recently the world as we knew it was turned upside down. With the onset of Covid-19 and a "Safer at Home" order as well as school closures, parents are under more stress and pressure than ever. I am currently providing individual therapy and parent coaching via our secure video platform. If you find yourself having difficulty managing your frustration and/or anxiety, or feeling the enormous pressure of home schooling your children while keeping up with the other demands in your life (i.e. work, home responsibilities) do not hesitate to reach out. You do not have to figure this out alone.

The therapists at Relate Therapy Center specialize in relationships. If you are struggling in your marriage, with your kids, with your significant other, with your friends, or if you're struggling with maintaining relationships at all, we are here to help. Oftentimes, the relationship struggles that people face can lead to significant distress--depression, anxiety, hopelessness, anger, addiction, and more. If you are experiencing these, or other kinds of struggles, know that you don't have to face them alone. We are here to help!

I believe that every day gives us the opportunity to approach our difficulties in a new way if we are open to the experience of change. When people come to see me they are usually in some kind of emotional pain, whether that be stemming from a recent trauma, loss, life transition or relationship struggle. Talking about it helps. My personal approach combines warmth, acceptance and respect with skill and dedication to understanding my clients’ unique needs.

No One Listening? I will - without judgment! My clinical specialty is depression; my experience includes grief, parenting issues, anxiety, among others. You're not alone in your struggle; let's find your inner strength and attain a sense of peace/balance. Becoming a therapist was my dream come true- Let me help you achieve yours. I also have clinical experience with agency settings and in-patient psychiatric wards. Need Late-Night appointments? Not a problem usually.

Since 1984, I've provided services for adults and adolescents in both inpatient and outpatient settings. I have varied experience with depression, trauma, abuse, grief/loss, personal growth, relationships, anxiety, and stress. I have also worked extensively with addictions and related issues ("co-dependency", eating disorders, alcoholism, dual diagnosis...).

By moving toward patience, kindness, and grace for one’s self, we can challenge the places in our lives that have promoted trauma, dis-ease, and a host of mental, physical, & spiritual compromise. By sitting inside of life’s questions, with a practice of curiosity and self-compassion, we can gain clarity for how to move toward balance & harmony. My practice seeks to support adults with childhood trauma, parents & the child-parent relationship, as well as pregnant and new mothers & new parents. With empathy, humor, & compassionate challenging, I work to support you toward your definition of progress.

In everyone's life, some heartache will happen. Some days, the things we do to cope with stress no longer work as well as they once did; other days, it may feel like everything is falling apart. No matter what your struggle is, we will work together to understand the source of your problems and develop practical strategies to reach your goals. In your first session, we will begin to answer the question, "What would help look like right now?" and help you cultivate and develop tools you may not even know you had within your reach.

Dr. Taylor and her team at Wonder Tree Developmental Psychology integrate creativity, fun, and compassion into their work. We specialize in providing comprehensive, thoughtful, and trauma-informed services for children, teens, and adults including maternal/paternal mental health and support for pregnant and parenting families. We are able to provide thorough psychological, psycho-educational and trauma-informed evaluations to assess for ADHD, learning disabilities, trauma, attachment, autism, selective mutism, and more. We work collaboratively with parents, children, and teachers as needed.

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? Seeking more from your relationships? Or perhaps you've experienced a recent loss or disruption and are unsure how to cope? Psychotherapy can be a valuable resource. The success of therapy hinges on the quality of the relationship between you and your therapist, so I encourage you to take your time finding the right match. If you need relief from painful and confusing emotions, or if you want to deepen your self-understanding and strengthen your connections with others, I am here to help.