Teletherapy for 94102

Often, our past relationships leave us wounded. The story that we tell ourselves becomes permeated with negative thoughts, low self-worth, and shame. As these feelings manifest, we become anxious and depressed. Therapy can help us discover perspectives that create a new narrative, one in which we have different ways to manage our emotions and lead a more enjoyable life.

As we embark on this journey together, I aspire to provide you with my full attention and engagement, allowing you to experience the benefits of gentle, generous focus. With nearly a decade of experience working with non-ordinary states of consciousness (e.g. psychotic, manic, dissociative, ecstatic, etc.), I'm confident that I can help you manage most anything you're experiencing. You will find our time together has depth due to my background in Jungian theory; yet the somatic (embodied) and trauma-informed approach underlying everything we focus your curious attention on will remain rooted in your felt-sense of the present moment.

I believe therapy is not just for dealing with symptoms; it can also lead to dramatic life transformation. I work relationally, meaning that our relationship will be the foundation of our work together. I believe that the psyche is made up of different parts that formed in different of our lives, and one of the keys to making change is getting these parts to work together. I believe that thinking about what’s happened is insufficient; we will work in the present moment to explore not just what we think, but also what we feel emotionally and somatically.

My philosophy of care is to provide compassion and support to help you achieve your goals. This is accomplished by focusing on what is important to you, where you will be listened to and heard, and for us to share an honest and accurate reflection of your experience. If you've ever felt stuck or lost, or struggle with intense emotions, or have difficulty connecting with them, therapy with me is a powerful way to find yourself again, to restore balance and hope in yourself, and to revive your innate capacity for resilience and joy.

You seek a compassionate therapist to help regulate emotions, address trauma, and provide a sounding board. Embracing courage and creativity, you see therapy as a resource and a mindset. You yearn to be heard, process, feel supported, and gain insights while being mindful to accountability. You are willing to take charge of your healing journey, know your destination, and welcome guidance along the way. Open to offerings, you try on new things while remaining authentically you- able to accept or decline invitations. You welcome going deep and exploring the quiet places within you. You are ready to explore beyond talk therapy.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Los Angeles, California. I strive to create an environment of compassion, authenticity and understanding, inclusive and welcoming to all clients. In working with me, you will identify the thoughts, feelings, behaviors and beliefs that are preventing you from living joyfully. I work with you to help you discover your strengths and capabilities so that you can live a life that is meaningful, rewarding and free from conflict. I believe that therapy must be engaging, non-judgmental, and supportive to facilitate growth.

Life can be difficult to navigate, especially if you were not shown the way or given the tools to do so. Unfortunately there are enough of us out there who were not taught to recognize emotional overwhelm, how to tolerate discomfort, how to ask for and receive what we need. We spend our energy in circular patterns that keep us stuck in the rut we so much long to exit. And then one day we feel ready to go deep, to look at the dark, to face the things that keep us living in ways that don't feel aligned with who we know in our gut and heart to be. We feel ready to explore, be curious, listen, and learn to allow ourselves to emerge.

It is often during difficult times that people come to psychotherapy. These times may feel overwhelming. Either way, we come because we hope that feelings, motivations, relationships or circumstances can be different. My approach to therapy comes out of my training in Somatic Psychology, which is based on the premise that the mind and body are interconnected. Somatic Psychotherapy is experientially-focused, with the underlying assumption that you don’t need fixing, that you are already enough as you are. Note: I am licensed in Oregon and California.

Maybe life has taught you that you don’t matter or that’s not ok for you to take space, to express yourself authentically, like you are worth less than others. Maybe you just don’t seem to know how to relate to your feelings or simply feel so much that it feels overwhelming. Maybe you have grown tired of feeling alone or sad, keeping distance from others to feel safer. Maybe you are tired of worrying about what others might say or think and that worrying stops you from doing or saying what you’d like to. Maybe there’s something you always wanted to do, like a dream, but you don’t believe possible.

Do you know what you want? Do you want to be free? Happy? Relaxed in your body? Content? Passionate and sexy? Courageous in the face of fear? More connected to your partner or to the Divine? How do you get in the way of living the life you want? Do you constantly judge yourself? Noticing all the ways you "fail" to live up to way you "should" be. Or do you tend to direct that criticism outwards? Blaming others, feeling envy, or always waiting for external circumstances to line up just right so you can finally live how you want.

My goal is to create a safe and open space for you to explore your story and deepen your self understanding, putting you on a path to healing. I work with you to identify areas of frustration and concern, as well as areas of strength. My approach is based in relational psychotherapy and also incorporates Emotionally Focused Therapy, family systems and Existential perspectives.

People come to see me when they feel challenged by life circumstances, by depression, anxiety, or because they know that life holds more for them than they are currently experiencing. We can come to understand the roots of these experiences and to see where the blocks are to either living a life that feels like your own, or being more of yourself in the life that you have. I have found there to be a wide range of people who feel comfortable working with me, quite varied with regard to gender, age, stage of life, cultural background and sexual orientation.

Thank you for visiting my profile. I feel honored whenever people allow me into their lives—especially when they don’t know me. As a therapist, my primary areas of focus are trauma, addictions, anxiety and relationships.

The most important questions is: "What pain brought you here? What is the hardest issue for you to deal with?" The most important result of the first session is that you walk out feeling that I understand you and will be able to be your ally in working through your issues. In other words we need to like each other and you need to feel that I have the expertise to handle your problems and not judge you.

I have a therapeutic style that is honest, empathetic, compassionate, and straightforward. Using clinically proven treatment methods via Teletherapy, I work holistically, leveraging a combination of treatments to address mental health concerns such as complex trauma, re-parenting, grief, addiction, PTSD, confidence, work/life balance, abuse, and sexual issues. I am also clinically interested in the study and offering of psychotherapy to those living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. My expertise as a Nutritional Psychologist allows me to look at your needs holistically. www.drjeffreylawton.com

We're artists, leaning into the world & willing our lives. And rapture, an essential feeling, leads us outward to be more truly ‘there’. Heidegger thus interprets Nietzsche’s “will to power:” A strong, full-bodied interest & movement towards the world, before us as a possibility but not always chosen. Poignantly, Heidegger (1961) names a “fallen” state: “Of someone who is intoxicated...he [sic] 'has' something like rapture. But his is not enraptured. The rapture of intoxication [does not raise one] beyond himself. What we are here calling rapture is merely...being 'soused,' something depriv[ing] us of every possible state of being."

I am skilled in providing therapy to high-level professionals in tech, science, medical, pharmaceutical, business and law industries, specializing in depression, anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, LGBTQ-issues, and addictions. Challenges related to professional development, harnessing managerial skills, career and educational transitions, work-life balance, primary relationships, and intentional and curated living are most often the focus of the work with those I serve.

Are you feeling stuck in life, struggling with depression, anxiety, shame, relationship conflicts, or patterns you want to change? I’m here to support you in finding your way, cultivating self-awareness, and greater clarity. I approach therapy with warmth, sensitivity, and compassion. Our work together will hold a space for you to feel seen, heard, and understood. We will identify your goals, get attuned to what you need, and how to achieve it while learning to be gentle with yourself in the process.

Stepping into therapy with someone is an inherently risky process. You are courageously opening up to someone that you don't really know, in hopes of changing, of finding something new, of building a relationship that can create positive change. I respect those who take the leap and I get the importance that you find the right therapist so that you can be understood at a deep level and begin looking more closely at the places in your life that you would like to see change.