Trauma Focused Therapists in Los Angeles, CA

I am a psychotherapist with nearly 20 years of experience providing quality mental health care for clients of all ages. Are you experiencing symptoms of depression such as feelings of hopelessness, tearfulness, or an inability to enjoy daily life? Are you feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, worry, or intermittent panic attacks? Do you have a history of trauma that haunts your dreams and affects your relationships? Has your child experienced trauma that is impacting his or her mood or school performance? Has family stress taken a toll on your children, your marriage, or yourself?

Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Interpersonal struggles, career obstacles or mental health issues can make us feel confused about who we are, where we fit in and how to move forward. I specialize in helping individual adults and couples navigate difficult feelings, identify and change dysfunctional thoughts and patterns, and overcome challenging situations in order to enjoy a more peaceful mind and a happier life. My approach is open, casual, and collaborative, and I operate a space that is accepting of all and free of judgment. I am LGBTQIA+-friendly, sex-positive, and culturally-sensitive.

I see therapy as working towards a new improved and more empowered you. I view and treat my client as the expert in his/her life. I view myself as a facilitator of emotional healing and change. I provide a non-judgmental environment where my client can explore relationships and other aspects of his or her life and decide upon changes or adjustments he or she can implement. Therapy is a safe space where perfection is not required or expected.

Therapy is a powerful decision to begin the work towards realizing a more whole and fulfilling life. What past events have shaped you and how you experience the world? What patterns or blockages keep you stuck in survival mode and unable to fully thrive? What limiting beliefs continue to impact your relationship with yourself and others? I am a licensed clinical therapist practicing in Los Angeles within a relational, holistic, and person-centered framework. I have 11 years of experience working with those who live with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, or need support in navigating everyday challenges and life transitions.

You're smart and motivated and professional. You've managed to piece together a life and career. But behind the curtain, you feel the lurking demons that others would be shocked to know about. You often feel anxious and isolated, despite having people around you, like you're walking around with a sign on your forehead that says "incompetent." Maybe it's hard to trust in relationships or you're constantly fighting off reminders of prior traumas, whether an abusive or neglectful childhood or something more recent. Many of my clients struggle with binge eating or disordered eating or other addictive behaviors.

I believe that we all have the capacity to achieve our highest potential, learn new ways of relating and heal. I embrace this philosophy throughout the therapeutic relationship. I aim to create a safe, compassionate and nurturing journey that can help you lead a life aligning with your values and create enduring changes. In therapy, my clients can reconnect with their authentic selves and focus on doing away with unhelpful patterns that impede their quality of life.

Are you concerned about your child's wellbeing? As a licensed psychologist with over 15 years of clinical experience, I specialize in treating children/adolescents who present with anxiety, depression, and disruptive behaviors that impact their functioning in home, school, and social settings. I enjoy working with children and their parents helping children learn how to regulate and tolerate feelings (anger, frustration, sadness, and anxiety), manage challenging/disruptive/impulsive behaviors, and acquire adaptive, positive coping skills. I assist parents in learning how to regulate their own feelings and be aware of their behaviors so they can help their child.

Welcome. I am a passionate therapist with a sense of humor. I believe that even the saddest days warrant a laugh or a laugh with a few tears. Whether therapy is an old friend or a new journey, I will create a safe place for you to work on those issues that you have attempted to move past on your own. Whether you desire change...clarity...or growth? You have made the first step toward change just by searching for a therapist. If you are ready to begin the work, I am committed to helping you reach your goals.

My practice is a personalized, compassionate, evidenced-based treatment to every day life problems & mental health disorders, based in the DBT principle of Acceptance versus Change. As a licensed therapist, the consistent theme I experience is my passion for helping clients achieve their highest potential. I am continuously amazed by the resilience & strength I see from clients who strive to better themselves, do the hard work in & out of therapy, & make the changes they are yearning to see in their lives. Accompanying you on your journey to recovery, peace, & wellness is my greatest privilege as a therapist.

The truth is that life happens to all of us. Living in the 21st century forces us to be on the go and because of this, we do not often have moments of stillness to reflect on how we are impacted by the journey of life. Or even to process both the little and big things that happen on a day-to-day basis. Whether you have dealt with grief, loss, relationship issues, identity issues, substance abuse issues, feel the weight of social injustice, systemic racism or intergenerational trauma, or are struggling with everyday life matters, I am here to listen.

Are relationships supposed to be this hard? When sexual issues keep you from maintaining or obtaining a happy relationship it's time to see a sex therapist. As a sex & relationship specialist, I successfully treat people with issues surrounding sexual desire & performance, sexual trauma, problems with arousal or orgasm, differences in the amount of sex they'd like to have, & sexual pain disorders such as vaginismus. I assist clients in building intimacy by deepening their mutual understanding & compassion (for their often very opposite mate!) and help them stay accountable for taking positive action to improve relationships.

“Regardless of how long ago something happened, and regardless of how long symptoms have been there, it doesn’t need to be permanent.” - Getting Past Your Past (Shapiro, 2012) Whether you are experiencing anxiety, depression, interpersonal issues or other daily symptoms that leave you feeling discontent, there is a solution. By utilizing a client-centered approach, I meet you where you are from session-to-session in order to provide an environment focused on comfort, trust, and understanding. I see healing as a sine wave, with ups-and-downs but always on an upward trajectory. Together we will walk through your healing.

Clients who want to gain a sense of understanding and mastery of themselves and their relationships. Learning to manage the challenges and transitions in life as well as recovering from trauma, grief and loss and dependency issues. A safe place in which to explore and link past experiences with adult choices and to effect change in life and make the most of opportunities.

I'm a licensed clinical psychologist, clinical supervisor, and psychoanalyst-in-training. I find great satisfaction in helping my patients connect with, and have compassion for, their deepest authentic selves. Many of my patients are adult children of parents with mood or personality disorders, addictions, or who for other reasons were neglectful, rageful, or highly critical and pressuring. While my specialties include working with other mental health professionals, enhancing creative performance in artists and lapsed artists, chronic illness, and trauma/PTSD, I truly enjoy working with a diverse spectrum of people and issues.

CATALAINE KNELL LCSW #99247 - Telehealth I accept: most PPO Plans as Out-of-Network Specializations: Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Family/Work Relational Issues, Anger, Grief and Loss, ADHD, Life transitions. I have experience working with individuals, couples and families, in a variety of clinical settings including the film and television industry, Hollywood community mental health, the LA LBGTQ Center, and Braille Institute. I spent many years living in France teaching at the university level. In my spare time I enjoy my family, volunteering and am an avid movie goer.

I believe seeking therapy is the first and the most courageous step towards healing, especially due to the misguided stigma about mental illness. Having gone through my own mental health journey, I understand the challenges and barriers to a life worth living whether it be anxiety, depression, self-criticism or the unresolved past traumas. I want you to know that you are not alone. I believe through therapeutic healing we can take the next step towards exploring and accepting rejected parts of ourselves and integrating them for a more fulfilled life. I created a non-judgmental and compassionate environment in my practice.

As a queer Black Arab immigrant, I recognize the importance of how social identities can have a great impact on someone's mental health. Even navigating the mental health system can be exhausting and at times disappointing. In my practice, I aim to provide a safe space for people who often struggle to find one due to systemic and social injustices. I assist people in the healing of their trauma and processing difficult experiences as they navigate living in a society that is in itself in need of healing. I am passionate about my work and love being present with my clients through their journey of healing and self-discovery.

I think everybody has a story worth telling. Unfortunately, sometimes what has happened in our past can strongly affect our present moods and behaviors. I have a trauma-focused orientation to the therapy that I practice. I am proficient in treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Depression and PTSD. I also specialize in the treatment of elderly people and people with chronic illnesses. I enjoy working with a culturally diverse client population and am supportive of the LGBTQ community.

I received my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College and graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. I have experience working in Community Mental Health with individuals and families of all ages and backgrounds, primarily in the intensive outpatient setting. My specialties include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, behavioral issues, domestic violence, parent-child conflict, family conflicts, suicidal ideation & self-harming behaviors, and trauma histories.

Happiness, peace and joy are our natural state. When we are feeling depressed, anxious, frustrated or stagnant, that’s a signal that something is pinching us off from our natural state. What is that thing or things? Psychotherapy is one way to find out what those things are. Through therapeutic conversation, we will try on different ideas and try out new actions to discover ways to allow that happiness, peace and joy to flow into your life. And, as we feel increased satisfaction about our life, we are open to increased satisfaction in our relationships, work and future.