Photo of Renaldo Strayhorn, Marriage & Family Therapist in 90046, CA
Renaldo Strayhorn
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
ATTENTION FAMILIES AND COUPLES: Are you and your partner struggling with communication? Do you find that you argue about things that are seemingly insignificant? Has your relationship evolved into a power struggle? There may be triggers in your relationships that create conflict that you simply are not aware. I can help to lower the reactivity and to help bring back the love and understanding you once had. Learn to disagree safely. Communication skills are my specialty. My Passion are those couples that are from different backgrounds or from different countries, biracial or where there is a significant age difference.
ATTENTION FAMILIES AND COUPLES: Are you and your partner struggling with communication? Do you find that you argue about things that are seemingly insignificant? Has your relationship evolved into a power struggle? There may be triggers in your relationships that create conflict that you simply are not aware. I can help to lower the reactivity and to help bring back the love and understanding you once had. Learn to disagree safely. Communication skills are my specialty. My Passion are those couples that are from different backgrounds or from different countries, biracial or where there is a significant age difference.
(818) 253-9827 View (818) 253-9827
Photo of Zak Kozlow Poyo, Counselor in 90046, CA
Zak Kozlow Poyo
Counselor, LPCC
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Los Angeles, CA 90046
I am a Somatic Psychotherapist living and working in Los Angeles, California. I specialize in the mind-body connection. I have spent a majority of my career working to understand how it is that the mind-body connection is influenced by our development, by our world and by ourselves. When we look at our connection to ourselves, it give us vital information for healing and change. The work that I do with my clients breaks old destructive patterns and leads the way to healing deep seeded emotional injuries.
I am a Somatic Psychotherapist living and working in Los Angeles, California. I specialize in the mind-body connection. I have spent a majority of my career working to understand how it is that the mind-body connection is influenced by our development, by our world and by ourselves. When we look at our connection to ourselves, it give us vital information for healing and change. The work that I do with my clients breaks old destructive patterns and leads the way to healing deep seeded emotional injuries.
(323) 546-3432 View (323) 546-3432
Adoption Therapists

Does my adopted child need therapy?

Not every adopted child needs therapy. However, many can benefit from seeing an adoption-informed therapist, especially if they were victims of abuse or neglect, appear withdrawn or disconnected, have behavioral or developmental issues (which may or may not be related to their adoption), are struggling with feelings of grief or loss surrounding their birth parents, or find it difficult to establish an identity, a challenge that often becomes most apparent during adolescence.

When should adoptive parents seek therapy?

Prospective parents can benefit from therapy even before an adoption—for example, to voice worries and fears; to reconcile infertility struggles, if relevant; or simply to prepare themselves for parenthood. After the adoption, parents who are struggling to bond with their child; are unsure how to talk about adoption or related issues, such as race; or whose child is dealing with developmental, behavioral, or psychiatric concerns can address these and other issues with the help of an adoption-competent therapist.

Is family therapy appropriate for adoptive families?

Family therapy can be invaluable for strengthening the bond between adoptive parents and children, helping the latter feel more secure in their place in the family. Family therapy can also help adoptive families navigate complex communication issues—for example, parents who feel uncomfortable discussing race with their child, who in turn feels invalidated by their silence, or a child who has questions about his birth parents but avoids asking them out of fear of hurting his adoptive parents’ feelings.

What therapy is not appropriate for adoption issues?

A discredited therapy known as “attachment therapy” (sometimes called “holding therapy” or “rebirthing therapy”) should not be used to treat adopted and foster children, though it was largely designed for this population. Attachment therapy involves restraining, coercing, and punishing the child in order for them to “release” negative emotions and attach to their new caregivers—techniques that are abusive and dangerous and have even proven fatal in some cases.