Arab and Middle Eastern Therapists in Manhattan Beach, CA
As an Iranian American—born in the US and raised in Iran—I support individuals navigating
As a long-time ER physician who spent years operating in ‘take charge’ mode, I’ve come to value a different kind of strength in therapy: presence, curiosity, emotional honesty, and connection.
I specialize in working with healthcare professionals and their families, including physicians, nurses, APPs, and paramedics. You may be the person everyone depends on while privately feeling physically exhausted and emotionally spent. Having spent decades in that world, I understand both the intensity of the work and its hidden costs—burnout, anxiety, moral injury, and emotional fatigue. You don't have to carry it alone.
As an Iranian American—born in the US and raised in Iran—I support individuals navigating
As a long-time ER physician who spent years operating in ‘take charge’ mode, I’ve come to value a different kind of strength in therapy: presence, curiosity, emotional honesty, and connection.
I specialize in working with healthcare professionals and their families, including physicians, nurses, APPs, and paramedics. You may be the person everyone depends on while privately feeling physically exhausted and emotionally spent. Having spent decades in that world, I understand both the intensity of the work and its hidden costs—burnout, anxiety, moral injury, and emotional fatigue. You don't have to carry it alone.
Hi, I’m Jennifer, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California and a registered Telehealth provider in Florida, license number TPMF1802. If you're high-functioning on the outside but overwhelmed on the inside, you're in the right place. I support individuals, couples & families work through anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship challenges, stress management & life transitions in a compassionate, supportive space. In our work together, we’ll deepen self-awareness, strengthen resilience, and cultivate inner peace and fulfillment, using a blend of CBT, DBT, EMDR & Mindfulness, to support emotional balance and well-being.
Hi, I’m Jennifer, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California and a registered Telehealth provider in Florida, license number TPMF1802. If you're high-functioning on the outside but overwhelmed on the inside, you're in the right place. I support individuals, couples & families work through anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship challenges, stress management & life transitions in a compassionate, supportive space. In our work together, we’ll deepen self-awareness, strengthen resilience, and cultivate inner peace and fulfillment, using a blend of CBT, DBT, EMDR & Mindfulness, to support emotional balance and well-being.
Bilingual EMDR therapist, helping individuals heal from trauma, PTSD, and life’s challenges. I work with those navigating the complex layers of trauma, and emotional struggles, offering a safe space. As a Gottman Method Couples Therapist, I also support couples in building stronger, more connected relationships. Growing up in Iraq and immigrating to the U.S. at 17 has given me a deep understanding of trauma, the importance of secure relationships, and resilience. This lived experience informs my work with individuals and couples, allowing me to approach therapy with empathy, cultural awareness, and relational insight.
Bilingual EMDR therapist, helping individuals heal from trauma, PTSD, and life’s challenges. I work with those navigating the complex layers of trauma, and emotional struggles, offering a safe space. As a Gottman Method Couples Therapist, I also support couples in building stronger, more connected relationships. Growing up in Iraq and immigrating to the U.S. at 17 has given me a deep understanding of trauma, the importance of secure relationships, and resilience. This lived experience informs my work with individuals and couples, allowing me to approach therapy with empathy, cultural awareness, and relational insight.
Therapy is a space to reconnect—with yourself, your needs, and your story. Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or weighed down by your past, you don’t have to go through it alone. I specialize in trauma work and offer both EMDR therapy and traditional talk therapy to help clients process difficult experiences, understand patterns, and build a deeper sense of self-trust and resilience.
Therapy is a space to reconnect—with yourself, your needs, and your story. Whether you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or weighed down by your past, you don’t have to go through it alone. I specialize in trauma work and offer both EMDR therapy and traditional talk therapy to help clients process difficult experiences, understand patterns, and build a deeper sense of self-trust and resilience.
If you're reading this, something brought you here. Maybe you know exactly what it is. Maybe you just know that something doesn't feel quite right. Grief, a relationship that keeps repeating the same painful pattern, burnout, anxiety that lingers even when life looks fine on the surface, or the challenges of parenting while trying to care for yourself. Whatever brings you here, I'm glad you've arrived.
If you're reading this, something brought you here. Maybe you know exactly what it is. Maybe you just know that something doesn't feel quite right. Grief, a relationship that keeps repeating the same painful pattern, burnout, anxiety that lingers even when life looks fine on the surface, or the challenges of parenting while trying to care for yourself. Whatever brings you here, I'm glad you've arrived.
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Welcome. I'm Dr. Lancaster, Founder of Pneumatherapy, an integrative Jungian approach to psychotherapy that combines evidence-based clinical practice with dreams, symbols, active imagination, intuition, humor, and personal meaning. I welcome adults (21+) from diverse spiritual, religious, and cultural backgrounds, offering a compassionate, collaborative space to explore life's challenges, relationships, identity, and the deeper questions that shape who we are and how we live.
Welcome. I'm Dr. Lancaster, Founder of Pneumatherapy, an integrative Jungian approach to psychotherapy that combines evidence-based clinical practice with dreams, symbols, active imagination, intuition, humor, and personal meaning. I welcome adults (21+) from diverse spiritual, religious, and cultural backgrounds, offering a compassionate, collaborative space to explore life's challenges, relationships, identity, and the deeper questions that shape who we are and how we live.
Laudan Kermani Gish
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, PMH-C, PPSC
3 Endorsed
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
On the surface, things are generally working. You’re functioning, showing up, and handling what you need to - but it takes more out of you than it seems like it should.
Sometimes that shows up in your relationship with food or your body. Sometimes it’s the mental load that comes with ADHD - where everything feels harder to organize, follow through on, or stay on top of. And sometimes it’s a transition like pregnancy or postpartum, where things shift in ways that are difficult to explain but hard to ignore.
Even when you have insight into what’s going on, it doesn’t necessarily make it easier to change.
On the surface, things are generally working. You’re functioning, showing up, and handling what you need to - but it takes more out of you than it seems like it should.
Sometimes that shows up in your relationship with food or your body. Sometimes it’s the mental load that comes with ADHD - where everything feels harder to organize, follow through on, or stay on top of. And sometimes it’s a transition like pregnancy or postpartum, where things shift in ways that are difficult to explain but hard to ignore.
Even when you have insight into what’s going on, it doesn’t necessarily make it easier to change.
Whether you are going through a transitional phase, making a major change in your life, looking to work on your relationship, or just feeling lost in your life and in need of community - I am here to walk alongside you and help guide you through it. Do you feel like your life needs balance? Has work taken over too much of your life? Are you and your partner experiencing a stage of flux or miscommunication? Maybe you just moved in together and are finding this new dynamic challenging? Or perhaps you want to open up the relationship (or close it)? Attempt polyamory? All of these can benefit from some guidance.
Whether you are going through a transitional phase, making a major change in your life, looking to work on your relationship, or just feeling lost in your life and in need of community - I am here to walk alongside you and help guide you through it. Do you feel like your life needs balance? Has work taken over too much of your life? Are you and your partner experiencing a stage of flux or miscommunication? Maybe you just moved in together and are finding this new dynamic challenging? Or perhaps you want to open up the relationship (or close it)? Attempt polyamory? All of these can benefit from some guidance.
Every person’s story is unique, and I believe therapy should reflect that. I provide a compassionate and supportive space where children, adolescents, and adults feel seen, heard, and empowered. I work with couples, including those navigating long-distance relationships and fidelity. I utilize an integrative approach, using evidence-based modalities I am trained in: CBT, DBT, Psychodynamic and Somatic Therapy, EFT & Projective Psychology. I support culturally diverse and first-generation families as they navigate intergenerational and cross-cultural dynamics by fostering familial cohesion through understanding and healing.
Every person’s story is unique, and I believe therapy should reflect that. I provide a compassionate and supportive space where children, adolescents, and adults feel seen, heard, and empowered. I work with couples, including those navigating long-distance relationships and fidelity. I utilize an integrative approach, using evidence-based modalities I am trained in: CBT, DBT, Psychodynamic and Somatic Therapy, EFT & Projective Psychology. I support culturally diverse and first-generation families as they navigate intergenerational and cross-cultural dynamics by fostering familial cohesion through understanding and healing.
As a child of Iranian immigrants, I understand firsthand the weight of holding multiple worlds at once - the push and pull of culture, identity, and belonging.
Therapy is reconnection. Together, we'll tend to the parts of yourself that have been set aside, silenced, or simply lost along the way- not because of any failure on your part, but because life sometimes asks too much of us. Through conversation, creative expression, dreams, imagery, and metaphor, we'll explore your inner world & come back home to yourself.
As a child of Iranian immigrants, I understand firsthand the weight of holding multiple worlds at once - the push and pull of culture, identity, and belonging.
Therapy is reconnection. Together, we'll tend to the parts of yourself that have been set aside, silenced, or simply lost along the way- not because of any failure on your part, but because life sometimes asks too much of us. Through conversation, creative expression, dreams, imagery, and metaphor, we'll explore your inner world & come back home to yourself.
Life can feel overwhelming—full of transitions, uncertainty, and change that leave us discouraged and disoriented. Whether it's relational conflict, unprocessed trauma, negative cycles of disconnection, or intense thoughts and emotions that weigh you down, it’s easy to feel stuck. You don’t have to carry it alone. I offer a safe, brave, and unhurried space for men, couples, and families to compassionately notice their pain, make sense of their past, and step into who they’re becoming. Together, we’ll understand your story and move toward connection and flourishing.
Life can feel overwhelming—full of transitions, uncertainty, and change that leave us discouraged and disoriented. Whether it's relational conflict, unprocessed trauma, negative cycles of disconnection, or intense thoughts and emotions that weigh you down, it’s easy to feel stuck. You don’t have to carry it alone. I offer a safe, brave, and unhurried space for men, couples, and families to compassionately notice their pain, make sense of their past, and step into who they’re becoming. Together, we’ll understand your story and move toward connection and flourishing.
My name is Christine Leyva Buccio. I am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist. For the past 15 years, I have dedicated my life to improving the psychological health of families including adults, adolescents, and children in the Greater Los Angeles Area. My expertise is with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families who present with various mental disorders (i.e., mood, anxiety; behavioral), addiction, and a history of trauma. My strengths are my ability to transcend into my client's world without any bias or discrimination using my own testimony as empowerment.
My name is Christine Leyva Buccio. I am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist. For the past 15 years, I have dedicated my life to improving the psychological health of families including adults, adolescents, and children in the Greater Los Angeles Area. My expertise is with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families who present with various mental disorders (i.e., mood, anxiety; behavioral), addiction, and a history of trauma. My strengths are my ability to transcend into my client's world without any bias or discrimination using my own testimony as empowerment.
Are you a high-achieving executive or creative professional whose drive brings both fulfillment and added complexity to relationships, work, and daily life? Do you carry a level of pressure, anxiety, or longing that others don’t fully understand?
I offer a discreet, reflective space to explore the complexities of ambition, purpose, and relationships. Together, we’ll address stresses and recurring patterns and develop practical, personalized strategies, using cognitive and psychodynamic approaches, to support greater balance, clarity, and a more integrated sense of fulfillment across your personal and professional life.
Are you a high-achieving executive or creative professional whose drive brings both fulfillment and added complexity to relationships, work, and daily life? Do you carry a level of pressure, anxiety, or longing that others don’t fully understand?
I offer a discreet, reflective space to explore the complexities of ambition, purpose, and relationships. Together, we’ll address stresses and recurring patterns and develop practical, personalized strategies, using cognitive and psychodynamic approaches, to support greater balance, clarity, and a more integrated sense of fulfillment across your personal and professional life.
Being human is hard. Therapy makes it a little less hard. I work with children, teens, adults, couples, and families who are navigating stress, anxiety, and depression. Life can feel overwhelming at times, and my goal is to provide a safe, supportive space where you can slow down, reflect, and begin to feel more in control.
Being human is hard. Therapy makes it a little less hard. I work with children, teens, adults, couples, and families who are navigating stress, anxiety, and depression. Life can feel overwhelming at times, and my goal is to provide a safe, supportive space where you can slow down, reflect, and begin to feel more in control.
Are you struggling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma or grief and are you unsure where to turn to next? Are you experiencing difficulty with a life transition and the stress that accompanies change? We can work collaboratively to help you achieve clarity, improve mental well-being, and become the best version of yourself. Taking that step can be a difficult process, and I am here to provide safe, supportive, and compassionate services.
Are you struggling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma or grief and are you unsure where to turn to next? Are you experiencing difficulty with a life transition and the stress that accompanies change? We can work collaboratively to help you achieve clarity, improve mental well-being, and become the best version of yourself. Taking that step can be a difficult process, and I am here to provide safe, supportive, and compassionate services.
You’re a sensitive person who thinks and feels deeply about the world around you. Sometimes it’s hard to honor your boundaries. You’re often your own biggest critic. It may not have started with you. Perhaps you’re healing from a painful childhood, relationship, or experience that continues to impact your daily life in frustrating ways. You’re looking for a space to show up fully as yourself, set down masks, and work with the messiness of being human. You're ready to integrate your experiences and cultivate more ease in your life. Welcome, I’m so glad that you’re here.
You’re a sensitive person who thinks and feels deeply about the world around you. Sometimes it’s hard to honor your boundaries. You’re often your own biggest critic. It may not have started with you. Perhaps you’re healing from a painful childhood, relationship, or experience that continues to impact your daily life in frustrating ways. You’re looking for a space to show up fully as yourself, set down masks, and work with the messiness of being human. You're ready to integrate your experiences and cultivate more ease in your life. Welcome, I’m so glad that you’re here.
Are you stuck in a battle with yourself? Overwhelmed and paralyzed by your indecisiveness or complicated relationship dynamics? You've heard over and over again what you're "supposed" to do to get un-stuck... but you end up repeating frustrating patterns anyway. We really want things to be different but unfortunately, we tend to repeat what we do not repair. The struggle is exhausting and despite all your efforts, you’re often left feeling defeated, unstable, or misunderstood. Through therapy, I want to help you understand and break free from these cycles so you can move forward and focus on the things you actually care about.
Are you stuck in a battle with yourself? Overwhelmed and paralyzed by your indecisiveness or complicated relationship dynamics? You've heard over and over again what you're "supposed" to do to get un-stuck... but you end up repeating frustrating patterns anyway. We really want things to be different but unfortunately, we tend to repeat what we do not repair. The struggle is exhausting and despite all your efforts, you’re often left feeling defeated, unstable, or misunderstood. Through therapy, I want to help you understand and break free from these cycles so you can move forward and focus on the things you actually care about.
Are you a working professional who is just feeling the stressors of work and everyday life? It’s hard to be able to juggle it all and still somehow try to find time for yourself. Sometimes life just feels like a lot, bad day at work, a fight with a partner or loved one, difficult day with the kids, a triggered emotion that came out of nowhere, or just not enough time in the day to get everything done.
Are you a working professional who is just feeling the stressors of work and everyday life? It’s hard to be able to juggle it all and still somehow try to find time for yourself. Sometimes life just feels like a lot, bad day at work, a fight with a partner or loved one, difficult day with the kids, a triggered emotion that came out of nowhere, or just not enough time in the day to get everything done.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am a graduate of University of Southern California. I am also an adjunct professor at Woodbury University in Psychology Department. My clinical experience began working in multiple group homes with children of foster care system and prohibition youth. I have also worked in private practice setting providing individual, couples and family therapy. I worked with the Armenian Mental Health Providers to consults on varies cases. I have experience working with individuals with complex trauma, depression, and anxiety. I provide individual, couples, and family psychotherapy.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am a graduate of University of Southern California. I am also an adjunct professor at Woodbury University in Psychology Department. My clinical experience began working in multiple group homes with children of foster care system and prohibition youth. I have also worked in private practice setting providing individual, couples and family therapy. I worked with the Armenian Mental Health Providers to consults on varies cases. I have experience working with individuals with complex trauma, depression, and anxiety. I provide individual, couples, and family psychotherapy.
I help clients understand themselves on a deeper level, reduce emotional suffering, and build healthier, more meaningful lives; adults carrying the weight of trauma, grief, chronic stress, depression or anxiety; or facing life transitions, loss, or chronic illness; adolescents navigating anxiety, trauma, attention difficulties, or emotional dysregulation; parents who are deeply invested in their children’s well-being but feel uncertain about how to respond to challenging behaviors; and couples who want to improve communication, set healthier boundaries, resolve parenting conflicts, or rebuild trust after betrayal.
I help clients understand themselves on a deeper level, reduce emotional suffering, and build healthier, more meaningful lives; adults carrying the weight of trauma, grief, chronic stress, depression or anxiety; or facing life transitions, loss, or chronic illness; adolescents navigating anxiety, trauma, attention difficulties, or emotional dysregulation; parents who are deeply invested in their children’s well-being but feel uncertain about how to respond to challenging behaviors; and couples who want to improve communication, set healthier boundaries, resolve parenting conflicts, or rebuild trust after betrayal.
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Nearby Arab and Middle Eastern Therapists Searches for Manhattan Beach
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FAQ - Arab and Middle Eastern Counseling
What can an Arab and Middle Eastern therapist help with?
An Arab and Middle Eastern therapist can support clients with a wide range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, grief, and major life transitions. However, what may make their approach unique is their ability to integrate an understanding of the cultural, family, and social factors that may be shaping your mental health concerns. If you identify with a Middle Eastern background, such as Arab, North African, Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, or Palestinian, working with a therapist who is familiar with values surrounding family loyalty, community expectations, religion, marriage, and caregiving responsibilities can help reduce the need to explain yourself in sessions and better support your healing in the context of your background.
How does cultural background influence the therapy experience?
A therapist who personally identifies as Arab or Middle Eastern may offer a deeper understanding of cultural norms, family dynamics, religious beliefs, migration experiences, and the stigma that may surround mental health in some communities. This shared cultural framework can make it easier to build trust and focus more directly on healing. It is also important to note that a therapist does not have to share your background to provide effective therapy. In some cases, finding a culturally competent therapist may be just as important as finding one who shares your background.
What role can language play in therapy?
Language plays a central role in how people process and express emotions. Even for individuals who are fluent in English, certain feelings, memories, or experiences may be easier to describe in the language they grew up speaking or thinking in, such as Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Kurdish, or Turkish. Clients may feel more comfortable expressing themselves without having to translate their thoughts, which can reduce the risk of losing meaning or nuance. For many Arab and Middle Eastern clients, language is also closely tied to family relationships. Being able to move between English and your native language in therapy can help reflect real-life dynamics, such as communicating with family members in one language and navigating work or school in another. This flexibility to move between languages in sessions can make therapy feel more natural and relevant to daily life.
How might I inquire about a therapist’s experience with Arab and Middle Eastern clients?
If cultural background is important to you in therapy, it can be helpful to ask a prospective therapist whether they have experience working with Arab and Middle Eastern clients. In initial conversations with potential therapists, you might ask whether they have worked with concerns related to cultural identity, immigration, family expectations, intergenerational conflict, discrimination, or stigma around mental health. As sessions begin, it can be helpful to notice how the therapist responds to your concerns. A strong therapeutic alliance does not necessarily require a therapist to share your background, but they should respond to your concerns with respect and cultural humility. If you feel dismissed, misunderstood, or find yourself having to explain your background constantly, it may be worth considering another therapist.
Who is included in Psychology Today’s directory of Arab and Middle Eastern therapists?
The directory of Arab and Middle Eastern therapists includes professionals who have shared their ethnicity in their profiles. Psychology Today uses this information to assist clients in finding a therapist who can provide a cultural match. However, not all therapists choose to disclose their ethnicity in their profiles, and they may not appear in search results for this reason. When the number of therapists who have personally identified as Arab or Middle Eastern is limited, the directory may also show therapists with experience working with clients from relevant backgrounds.