Family Therapy in 90049

Being a human is hard! Managing relationships (familial, romantic, platonic, professional) with all kinds of different personalities, feeling comfortable and confident in our careers, finding healthy and lasting love, and feeling good about ourselves through it all can feel like an impossible task. We were never given a manual on how to do this! And while, as humans, we are incredibly resilient and have somehow found a way to get this far, some of the coping mechanisms we have developed throughout our lives may not be serving us anymore. I help clients gain insight into their thoughts & behaviors to help improve their outcomes.

I am a clinical psychologist who is passionate about my work in supporting youth, young adults and their families to address life’s challenges. Over the past 16 years, I have worked with diverse patients who are coping with anxiety, depression, adjustment to chronic illness-particularly chronic pain conditions, challenges related to gender and sexual identity, as well as difficulties faced with peer and family relationships.

When we have too much emotional pain, we can't truly live free. Our brains are wired to avoid pain at all costs. We will do anything in our power to prevent pain or run from pain when it is activated. The countless strategies we create to avoid pain include distraction, addiction, people-pleasing, self-criticism, perfectionism, & performance. All of our strategies work for awhile but not long-term. Living a life with the sole purpose of avoiding pain is not freedom. It's not the life most people want to live. What if the key to freedom was not in finding new ways to prevent or cope with the pain but to actually heal the pain?

My experience as a licensed therapist, nurse and midwife, has provided me the unique perspective and understanding of the needs of the Whole Individual and how thoughts and beliefs impact us physically, emotionally and psychologically. My intention is to support and guide clients as they explore and resolve their challenges. Together, we can work through feelings of confusion, insecurity and fear associated with significant individual and relationship transitions, crisis events and medical and emotional challenges. Online therapy is available with office sessions in the future.

People entering therapy want some kind of change, whether in the quality of their relationships or in their personal or professional satisfaction levels. My style is warm and nurturing but highly interactive and practical. I help my clients gain the self-awareness to understand their goals, identify the roadblocks hindering their progress, and make the changes necessary for a healthier, richer life and deeper, more intimate relationships.

As a solution-focused therapist, my goal is to help you uncover your potential and lead a joyful life. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges. I am a therapist based in Los Angeles with over fifteen years of experience. I have worked in hospital, mental health, and community agency settings providing psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and program management. Allow me to tailor a treatment plan to meet your specific needs, utilizing my years of experience and the specialized training I have received. I look forward to working with you.

We try to make sense of our lives through telling our stories, but when we are unable to find the words, we express ourselves in other ways, such as in symptoms, dreams, and behaviors that we don't understand. My previous training in fine arts and filmmaking (MFA, USC School of Cinema) make an excellent fit with the type of in-depth therapy I provide. I have a wide range of professional experiences from my private practice, in residential and outpatient clinics, as an adjunct professor of psychology at Antioch University, and as a supervisor training other therapists.

I help individuals and couples change their habits, patterns, and perspective in order to lead a more satisfying life. In addition to treating depression, anxiety, and addiction, I specialize in working with people facing midlife transitions--divorce, parenting challenges, career change, empty nest, grief. I don't just sit and listen; I actively engage you in the therapeutic process to make the concrete changes you desire in your life.I tailor therapy to the individual rather than "one size fits all", and also offer hypnotherapy. I can also help with issues around sexual harassment or abuse.

My practice is based on the belief that people have potential for self-awareness, growth and positive change. Psychotherapy can be tremendously helpful, whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, relationship conflicts, traumatic experiences, or any other life challenges. Taking into consideration early development, peer and family relationships, health, mind, finances, relational contexts, and work/career satisfaction, can help understand your current concerns. I believe deeply in the therapeutic dialogue as a means for understanding and integrating these aspects of oneself. Awareness of this unique information can increase insight, enhance personal growth, create life satisfaction and happiness, and provide a resolution of conflicts.

Being a parent is hard work. There are so many unexpected challenges and emotions that arise that can feel overwhelming and isolating. I work with families who are struggling with parenting challenges, child sleep issues, pregnancy and/or birth trauma and postpartum mothers and fathers and couples who are adjusting to life as a family. I believe in a holistic approach where we focus on the past and present and how it connects to our current life as well as our mind, body and spirit.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with two office locations in both South Pasadena and Los Angeles. I use Cognitive/Behavioral therapy to directly address issues you may be dealing with such as Depression, Anxiety, Anger,GLBT issues, Creative Blocks,Relationship problems,Life Transitions to name a few. I believe change begins with awareness and an understanding of how your thoughts effect your feelings and behavior.

Is something in your life just not working for you right now? For many people, therapy is the key to improving relationships, finding joy in one's career, and letting go of patterns that keep them stuck. I provide a safe space with an experienced and supportive approach that allows you to explore your potential for positive change. If you're committed to taking the next steps, together we can find ways you can create the healthy meaningful life you desire, while identifying and avoiding the toxic connections or choices that have held you back in the past.

Are you tired of starting each day depressed, stressed, or scared? The simple, but difficult act of calling for help, is certain to begin to decrease those negative feelings. In therapy I don't just sit and listen. It is an interactive process of listening, talking and questioning. The purpose is to decrease pain and suffering, increase understanding and promote growth and change. First is a careful examination of your current situation as well as some review of your life and family history. This assessment allows us to see your strengths and vulnerabilities so we can outline a successful strategy.

I see individuals, couples and children and treat a wide range of issues such as relational problems, self-sabotage, pregnancy and post-partum difficulties, and parenting challenges. I use a psychodynamic perspective, working with my clients in a collaborative and insightful process. Problems are understood within a context of past interpersonal experiences which often help provide understanding to the client's current situation. I am also well prepared to help clients of faith effectively integrate spiritual convictions and concerns with psychological understandings and emotional health.

I treat children, adolescents and their families in my practice. Examples of issues I address include depression, anxiety, learning and behavioral challenges, bullying and conflict with peers, divorce, step-families, death of a parent or sibling, sexual, emotional or physical abuse, school refusal, school phobia, self-harming behaviors, and identity issues.

I am often able to identify emotional and psychological obstacles that are preventing people from achieving the quality of life that they desire. I strive to assist people with personal, professional and work related concerns to achieve goals that will improve the quality of their life. I seek to facilitate self-respect and build on existing psychological strengths to assist people in developing a more empowered and confident self image. The overall primary goal of treatment in this office is to assist people in making choices that will increase the likelihood of their achieving more satisfying personal and professional success.

As an Asian woman who has straddled two cultures for many years, I have a deep understanding of the struggles Asian women and men face in relationships, family life, and the workplace. I also know that our unique cultural history and cultural norms can present so many obstacles to healing emotional injuries and finding emotional health. If you are feeling lonely and isolated, anxious and guilty, inadequate, overwhelmed, conflicted, or depressed, I understand. And I have the experience to help you find concrete, practical solutions to these emotional challenges, yielding timely results. I am fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

"The best way out is always through." This famous Robert Frost quote is at the core of my approach. When we get stuck -- in a rut at work, in a stormy relationship, in a lukewarm marriage, with our children -- we suffer but are often unwilling to go to the heart of the trouble. Sometimes, we're not even aware of what the true issue is. All we can do is try to avoid the pain, skirt problems, even pretend we are fine. We are blocked by fear -- another word for anxiety. Together, we can walk slowly through that fear, and get to the other side.

IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT: STRESS MANAGEMENT by VIDEO, PHONE, OFFICE $65 and up Sliding Fee. Day/Eve/Weekend. "I offer YOU over 30 years of Experience in giving Warm Nurturing Nonjudgmental Guidance to 1000s of people, offering HELP in COPING with YOUR LIFE feeling out of control. My GOAL is your GETTING THE LIFE YOU WANT. " Author "Loving With Passion", Ph.D. in Psychology, life coach, hypnotherapist, UCLA certified Sex Therapist, professional speaker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, had a TV show "Love U." on TLC. Internationally recognized expert on TV and radio. Written about in Cosmopolitan to the Washington Post. Dr Don