Family Therapy in Manhattan Beach, CA

As a psychotherapist, my goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. As individuals progress through life challenges, therapy can be a vital component to navigating relationships, life stresses, and increasing self-understanding. I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy-recommended as an effective treatment for disturbing memories, stressor disorders, PTSD, trauma and verbal abuse. Contact me to learn more.

Is someone that you care about at risk because of using too much and can’t stop? Is the using causing problems in relationships? Does the using continue even though it’s making problems worse? These are symptoms of addiction and they won’t go away without help. Heather is board certified in three clinical specialties, intervention, family dynamics and after treatment relapse prevention. She works with adolescents, adults and indirectly affected children. She is well versed in chemical addiction and process addictions such as eating disorders, spending, gambling, gaming, technology, sex/love and pornography.

Do you believe that there is power in connection? That the healthier we are as individuals, the healthier our relationships are? I believe that it is through connection that we can heal. We must first be able to create a healthy connection with the self to be in healthy contact with others. However, oftentimes challenges such as life transitions, parenting, school, career, anxiety, depression, trauma, and loss may inhibit us from connecting with the self and others.

I create a safe environment in which you can discover and actualize your true self. Finding and accessing your internal compass enables you to chart your own course and fulfill your potential. We will collaboratively set goals that advance your true self, minimize barriers that impede your growth, facilitate acceptance of what you cannot change, and allow for the redirection of energy towards what you can accomplish. So often life becomes about hanging on and weathering whatever storm comes next. My goal is for you to do more than survive. I want you to thrive.

One of the most important aspects in therapy is for patients to feel heard, respected, and understood. Given that each individual is unique, and no one issue is ever the same among different people, my approach is integrative and tailored to meet the needs of the person, not the "problem". I strive to create a compassionate, non-judgemental environment for patients to learn, grow, explore, challenge, and to live the life they want to be living. I specialize in working with adults - individual, couples, and family - with anxiety, depression, PTSD/trauma, relationship problems, substance abuse, ADD/ADHD, and LGBTQ issues.

Are you looking for a Professional Christian Therapist? If you are looking for a Professional Christian Therapist, I'd be glad to help you with your concerns about anxiety, depression, relationships, or your Faith. I am a Licensed Marriage, Family and Individual Therapist and have been practicing in my same office in Manhattan Beach for over 20 years. For more information please feel free to call me. I'd be happy to talk with you!

With the constantly changing landscape of society and the world, I offer clients dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, insomnia, life circumstance change, cultural differences and difficulties, a stable landing board in which to process their reactions, feelings, and thoughts during these often challenging times. The approaches to therapy I incorporate include psychodynamic, existential, family systems, meaning-centered, and cognitive behavioral, all while coming from a trauma-informed care perspective.

My ability to connect with and assist individuals is an accumulation of my professional education, life experiences and interest in people. I hold a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology as well as licensed as a Marriage, Family Therapist . I spent 22 years as a Physician Assistant in Family Practice and Industrial Medicine giving me a well rounded medical and psychological approach to therapy. I find that my clients solve their problems, heal their wounds and find direction under my care, which has given me a great sense of satisfaction over the last 20+ years.

I enjoyed very much my post licensure work at a family institute. Whether working with a child, an adolescent, an adult, a dyad or the whole family , I will initially focus on the person suffering the most. Based on the presenting symptom, I may do brief crisis intervention to stabilize a situation until an individual's underlying issue has been crystallized. The life issue causing depression, anxiety, and fears will then be addressed in more depth. My approach is to assist people in their own healing, maximizing on their own strengths and resources.

Everyone has their own unique story. I believe that being present for you to share your story is a privilege. I will help you explore and process your life experiences and set goals. I will be dedicated to helping you reconcile your past and overcome your fears. If you are struggling due to trauma, difficult relationships, workplace stress, depression, anxiety, transitions in your life, or you have a specific difficult situation that you need help with, I can help you.Together we will address issues that are causing you distress and that may be interfering with other areas of your life.

I'm Hilary, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist . Let's work together to nurture self-compassion, build accountability and finally create lasting change. I provide a safe and nonjudgmental space for self-exploration and gaining insight. With every one of my clients, I work with them to build an individualized toolbox full of strategies for coping with life stressors. Life is hard, therapy can help.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have been practicing for over 17 years. Specializing in working with children, adolescents, and families from primarily a solution-focused, cognitive behavioral approach, I offer a variety of interventions best matched to fit my client's individual needs. Adept in working with childhood disorders, trauma experiences, grief and loss, anger management, and parenting issues, I strive to look at the "whole picture" and incorporate collaterals and family members, as needed.

The STRESS is never ending. Pushed to the edge of every limit, belief that there is no solution. Feeling stuck, and not knowing the next direction you want to take whether it be careers or other life transitions. The overwhelming pressure to make decisions that would best benefit you and your family . Having difficulty finding balance in any aspect of life between work, family and time for yourself. Frustrated that everything else you have tried up to this point has made no improvements or significant changes. The crushing reality of transitions into different stages of life is overwhelming. Almost impossible knowing where to start.

You have been working through challenges on your own for quite some time. Family and friends think you are “fine”, but deep inside you are struggling to get through the day to day without breaking down. You're overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of life and have been trying to change the way you feel, but things do not seem to be different no matter what you do. If you are ready for change and support within your personal life, then you're in the right place. Let's get you back to having peace and meaningful connection within your personal life.

I currently practice in Manhattan Beach, and I have been providing psychotherapy since 1996. My orientation blends cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and family systems approaches to healing and change. I have a special interest in women’s issues such as postpartum depression, the transition to motherhood, balance between work and family , and poor body image. I also work with people who need help with relationship issues and life transitions. I work with adults, adolescents, couples, and families.

We all try to cope with our wounds & stresses in the best way we can. Complex life experiences teach us complex ways to cope by perhaps— suppressing our feelings, staying hidden to avoid unwanted attention or punishment, acting out to explain the inexplicable, performing exceptionally & anxiously well to stand out or gain approval, or taking care of others at the expense of ourselves to compensate for our family legacies & cultural dynamics. Whatever the nature and range of your experiences, you may be struggling with your past and how it impacts your present, your work, your relationship with yourself, loved ones, & the world.

I specialize in working with parents, children, and teens on a variety of presenting issues ranging from anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, crisis management and general relational issues. I prescribe to the belief that in most cases involving children, therapy should be brief and time limited. I have provided counseling services in various settings including local schools, a community mental health center, and now in my private practice. I work from a family systems and humanistic lens to meet the individual needs of my clients. I also utilize evidence-based treatments such as CBT.

I believe "Love is Love". I help individuals, couples & families through life transitions, such as making sense of a hard situation, becoming a parent, or adjusting to life. My sacred work is rooted in being productive (so you can gather healthy ways to cope with life), being focused on your therapy goals (so you can transition out of therapy), and being supportive towards the balance of life (spiritually, physically, mentally & emotionally). I offer parenting (traditional, single + alternative) therapeutic support, consultations & workshops on Positive Mothering, Let your Soul Glow and How to find your Authentic Self.