Attachment-based Therapists in South Arroyo, Pasadena, CA

VIDEO AND TELE-THERAPY AVAILABLE. Relational wellness is a harmony between how one relates to self, others, and the world. Let's work collaboratively to recognize your resources and grow your abilities and uniqueness. I offer openness, enthusiasm, and flexibility in my practice and I look forward to working together.

In my private practice, I treat issues of anxiety and panic, past trauma, and sexual dysfunction. While our past can sometimes weigh down our present, my clients and I work together to address, process, and move through issues that might hold them back. Identifying emotions, connecting them to the body, and developing resources to endure the more difficult experiences of life is a primary focus of our collaborative work.

Have you ever experienced not being able to make sense of your feelings or your behavior? Do you feel like you are stuck and you don't know how to move on?  Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and/or identity issues, I am equipped to walk along side you in this progressive journey.  I utilize  psychoanalytic, CBT and trauma informed to treat a wide variety of emotional issues. What does that mean? My goal through therapy is to improve your self awareness so that you would have a clear understanding of your current behavior, which might have been caused unconsciously by past experiences.

***PRACTICE IS FULL - NOT ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS** Please feel free to check back at a later time. My clients are creative types, business professionals, couples, and families coping with challenges in relationships, marriage, depression, job loss, co-dependency, aging parents, and grief and loss to name a few. My mindset is holistic and I tailor therapy to fit your unique needs. I believe in the benefits of natural remedies such nutrition, nature, sunshine, exercise, engaging in hobbies, and meditation. I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) & Family Systems Theory.

If you’re looking for connection, growth and relief from life’s difficulties, you’re in the right place. The stress of life, transitions, traumatic events, and relationships can sometimes push us off balance and make us feel stuck, hopeless or overwhelmed. Facing these experiences alone can intensify these feelings. I bring a warm and calm presence to psychotherapy, inviting you to slow down and tune in to your inner world with curiosity and compassion. It's my hope that you will leave our work not only with a greater sense of peace and clarity, but also the ability to connect to your inner-strengths to promote long-lasting change.

I am the Clinical Director of The Arroyos Treatment Centers, where we offer integrated psychological and psychiatric care within the same practice. Our psychologists offer therapy at a range of fees, specializing in the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, OCD spectrum disorders, psychosis, and chemical dependency. Our psychiatrists offer medication management in coordination with your psychological care. We offer individual therapy, medication management, couples and family therapy, group therapy, and psychological testing. For more information please visit www.thearroyos.org.

I'm guessing that if you're reading this then you're going through something that's making life difficult and I'm sorry about that. Maybe you're not where you thought you should be, or maybe getting through the day is your only goal. Whatever it is, I believe that therapy can help. It can provide us with some much needed support and encouragement. More importantly, therapy can strengthen and increase our self-esteem and confidence as we navigate relationships, social media, and our futures.

*Accepting Clients* Have you been feeling mentally, emotionally and/or spiritually "stuck" ? Well I can guarantee that you aren't the only one! I am aware of the difficulties and stressors that you may be experiencing as you seek professional help to join you on this healing journey. I am passionate about helping individuals who may be struggling with symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, low self-esteem and life transitions. I also find joy in working with couples who may be dealing with communication issues, supporting each other through their childhood traumas, as well as conflict resolutions.

Just because you're struggling, does not mean you're failing. Are you a new mom who feels like something is just not quite right? Has starting a family been difficult and/or different than you imagined it would be? Has your new role left you feeling overwhelmed? Do you sometimes regret becoming a parent? Do you just need support while you figure it out? Trust your instincts. Transitioning into motherhood can be a time filled with joy and excitement but also stress, frustration, fear and heartbreak. I enjoy working alongside clients through their unique journeys of trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum and whatever comes next.

Hello there. I'm glad you're here. We experienced a whirlwind in 2020 and 2021, didn't we? I wonder what these hurricane years were like for you. Maybe the pandemic created severe loneliness, whether isolating alone or with family/significant others who don't "get" you anymore. Or maybe the years uncovered immense anxieties sparked by social unrest, job insecurity, and the ominous virus looming. Maybe you feel stuck in the pain and grief of it all- saying goodbye to a loved one, getting a divorce, losing a job, and missing the rituals of life. My hope is to join you in the rubble as you sort through the pieces and rebuild.

"The pain is there; when you close one door on it, it knocks to come in somewhere else..." (Dr. Irvin D. Yalom). The process of psychotherapy is uncovering the pain, either developmental, situation specific or just existential, and working through it within the bounds of a trusting, accepting and empathetic therapeutic relationship. Throughout the process, I will help you uncover and become comfortable with your authentic self, while bringing into the consciousness some of the themes and motives that have unconsciously ruled your life and became a part of who you are.

The most successful component of therapy is the relationship that you and your therapist will build. And building this relationship in a safe non - judgmental environmental is crucial. I will provide this environment for you, to allow you the freedom to express yourself, thus enhancing your personal growth. I greatly enjoy working with individuals from all walks of life. This includes students, professionals, retirees, parents, unemployed etc. I have also worked closely with undergraduate- and graduate students in both the helping professions as well as the sciences. Let's meet and see if we can work together.

Something in your life has become enough of a problem that you are seeking help. When things don't turn out the way you imagined, or you find yourself repeating the same patterns that keep you working against yourself, it is only natural to feel anxious, depressed, and/or overwhelmed. You might feel blindsided by a big life transition, paralyzed by shame or fear, or as if you are constantly fighting an uphill battle. Whatever the issue, you are capable of making change, and I am here to help.

Hello! I’m Monica, and I do depth-oriented, psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I love helping people feel more fully themselves, connected to others, and at home inside. The journey inward is the road home. To me, therapy is a creative, transformative space where growth, change and healing begin to flow out of a strong connection. This is work that goes deep and takes time. Together, we can look at how your present is shaped by formative experiences in your life. With couples, this framework can help improve your communication and patterns of relating based on a compassionate understanding of one another.

You have tried everything and stress and anxiety are still consuming you. It’s gotten to the point where relationships are starting to suffer due to tension, being too burnt out to connect, and feeling detached. And intimacy? Is a foreign subject. Work has started to be affected due loss of interest and what once was a passion is now feeling like a chore. The relationship to yourself is more judgmental due to feeling like you “should have your act together” to show up better for your loved ones and work. And your starting to forget who you really are and feel like self-honor is going out the window.

I work from an interpersonal frame of reference and use a variety of techniques including cognitive behavioral approaches in my work with adult individuals and with couples. I work with clients in identifying and changing patterns in their lives that no longer work for them in an effort to help them achieve greater happiness, peace, and balance in their professional and personal lives. I believe in people's ability to change and take charge of their own lives. I work interactively and supportively with clients to bring out their strengths and activate the healthiest parts of themselves to accomplish their goals.

Self-discovery can be a freeing journey, an unveiling of answers, often hidden right below the surface. With therapy, you don't have to do it alone! I am your therapist, but I view you as the expert of your life. I am a sounding board - creating a safe space for us to work together to navigate through thoughts you want to explore or challenges you may face. We can improve the overall quality of your life by fostering increased self-awareness and insight, suggesting alternative approaches and helping develop skills needed to function in your life more wholly.

I look forward to working with people interested in examining their past, present and future in hopes of finding greater meaning in, and understating of, all three of those aspects of their lives. Therapy can be scary, and is not without its risks, but I will provide a safe and non-judgmental container for the process. My passion is helping people interested in the examined life, and I bring much experience, both clinical and life experience, to this shared journey ahead.

Taking the time to reflect and process our life experiences is important for personal growth, healthy relationships, and general well-being. Therapy provides a safe space to explore behavioral patterns, validate experiences, and move towards positive change. I have an empathetic and collaborative approach when interacting with children, adolescents and families. I am skilled in supporting parents with children at all stages of development. I hold Masters Degrees in both Human Development and Marriage and Family Therapy.

As a therapist, I am committed to empowering clients to live their best life, have meaningful and loving relationships, and most importantly, in the words of Virginia Satir, "help them have stars in their eyes and truly feel their own value." At times, as we move through the different stages of our life, we find ourselves stuck due to our unproductive internal dialogue of shame and guilt, the need to be perfect, and the daily attempts to be who the rest of the world wants us to be. This leads us to feeling broken and unable to love ourselves or truly connect with others.