Therapists in Pasadena, CA

I believe compassionate therapy should take place in an atmosphere which is personal, professional, and confidential and for 30 years I have worked with a variety of individuals, couples, and families. If you are reading this it probably means that things are difficult now and you may be struggling. I help with this by enhancing your awareness and esteem through a combination of insight and acceptance. I believe that therapy enriches every aspect of our personal and professional lives. My work with couples focuses upon building intimacy in the relationship by providing tools for communicating, understanding, and working together.

Our ideal client is an individual, couple or organization that is interested in some sort of transformation and needs an experienced facilitator and partner in that change. I have worked as a therapist for over 35 years and a business consultant for over 25 years. I have two master degrees and one doctorate degree in counseling and clinical psychology. More importantly, however, I have invested in my own personal growth, after all, the emotional maturity of the therapist/consultant is the most important attribute they can have.

I focus on providing support to men seeking to gain control in their lives and are in search of their purpose. The modern man has to face obstacles in life differently than his father and grandfather. Navigating through these roadblocks alone can be extremely difficult and sometimes traumatizing. Divorce/separation, custody issues, midlife/existential crisis, depression, and anxiety are just a few of the problems that the modern man has to face. Just talking about these problems can be difficult since some men may feel alienated by today’s mainstream therapy that does little to prioritize their needs. In my office you will be heard.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California since 2006. I was a registered psychologist, counselor, and family mediator in New Zealand before moving to the United States as a professor in marriage and family therapy at San Diego State University. I worked and trained in educational psychology before being immersed in narrative therapy, narrative mediation, and solution-focused therapy in the 1990s. I have worked a lot in schools with children and teens, addressed parenting challenges, helped blended families address unique crises that arise, help clients with separation and divorce.

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, and feeling that you've lost yourself? Have you experienced trauma and PTSD? Struggling with intimacy, a difficult divorce or separation, infidelity or lack of trust? You don't need to navigate through these challenges alone! We know that these experiences are difficult to process or overcome, and may make you feel isolated, hopeless, or misunderstood. I can heIp you! We can uncover those unconscious patterns and thoughts and process those painful emotions that take over your life and relationships, and hold you back from living a fulfilling life.

DIVORCE is devastating. As a skilled and trained Divorce Mediator, I specialize in assisting difficult and litigious couples through the entire process of their divorce. With 3 decades of experience, I mediate spousal and child support, investments, properties and pension funds, along with establishing a careful and appropriate parenting plan. My firm prepares all of the legal documentation. Mediation is one tenth the cost of Litigation. The stress, anger, physical exhaustion and emotional pain of the court system takes an enormous toll on ones life. Research shows that a litigious divorce in the courts creates significantly more trauma in children.

After 13 years of clinical experience, one thing I have learned is that no matter what reason brings you to therapy, the single most important factor in finding the right therapist for you is comfort and trust in the relationship, not just clinical skill. This is where you as the client get to be choosey. I'm a highly interactive therapist, as eager to offer observations and insights as I am to listen. My approach to therapy focuses on developing your strengths and effective coping tools, while helping clients build insight into underlying factors that feed problematic symptoms.

The most fascinating and important part of my job as a therapist is how to have a really good conversation. It may sound too simple, but it cuts to the heart of what to expect from therapy. Through good conversation, you experience connection and understanding. When we are understood, difficult feelings change with resulting freedoms to engage life. Trained both as a Marriage and Family therapist and a psychoanalyst, I work with complex relationship issues, divorce and blended families, depression, anxiety, addictions, men's issues, and sexual trauma recovery, and integration of psychology and faith/spirituality.

Mental health is as important as physical health. So if you need professional help with your mind, just as you would seek a doctor for your physical health, you need to see a mental health therapist. John is passionate about working with individuals and couples on mental issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, disconnection with self and others, hopelessness, abandonment, rejection, betrayal, losses/grief, self value and (pre)marital issues. I am also a Prepare/Enrich Facilitator and can help couple get the relationship analyzed across 14 dimensions including communication, finance, sex, parenting, religion, etc.

"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is." - There is great benefit to be found from tuning into your heart and mind. What are these voices saying to you? Do you sense a disconnect between your desires in life and the person you present to others? Are you a spiritual person but you don't find this impacts your daily life? It is my aim to create a safe and welcoming space where one feels known and accepted just as they are. When one feels accepted, one is able to share more and more of their journey, including the painful parts. Feeling deeply heard & understood is a starting point toward transformation.

Often, when we are hurting, we don't know why. We think it might be work, or problems at home. It might be money, or worries about health. These vague, nameless feelings are sometimes softened just by feeling understood. Feeling better in the world, sometimes, is achieved by feeling deeper connections to others, feeling responded to rather than ignored, and just simply feeling that who you are is important to another human being. I believe that being seen, recognized, and having explanations that make sense, can improve your life, both on a deeper level, and on a day to day basis.

For both individuals and couples, we'll work to address the root of the problem in order to create long-term change and growth. While I'm good at helping people build copings skills, I'm best at addressing issues that arise around relationships trauma, sexuality, identity, and self-esteem. We will work toward helping you feel and function better while wrestling with the deeper, messier issues at the root of the problem.

You know something isn't working in your life, and you want to figure out what's holding you back. Not a temporary band-aid, you want to get to the root of the problem. I work with adults and couples who want to live life to the fullest - but find obstacles in their thoughts, feelings, relationships, or experiences in their past. Together we'll confront these obstacles at your pace, without judgment.

As a solution-focused therapist, my goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavior patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life. I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

I am an experienced psychologist specializing in the treatment of adults, children, teens, and families. With adults, I help with life transitions, improve relationships with loved ones, overcome worries, sadness, and destructive habits, and build confidence. I am up-to-date with the research in treating depression, anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, and adult ADD. With children, I help with ADHD, behavior problems, self-esteem issues, coping with major life transitions, and fighting within the family. If your child acts-out, seems distractible, or needs someone to talk to during difficult times, I can help.

When it is overwhelming to be faced with life's many challenges, having an experienced and compassionate ally on your side can help you get through the tough times and also begin a process of growth and discovery. Seeking psychotherapy is a courageous step to create meaningful and lasting change. Dealing with the end of a relationship or the loss of a loved one can leave you feeling paralyzed; Uncertainty about how to face into the fears about career, school, and relationships can leave you feeling stuck; Occasionally one may just wake up feeling depressed, anxious or in physical pain.

I specialize in providing psychological services to children and adolescents. These include neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy. Assessments can be invaluable tools that provide diagnostic clarification, treatment recommendations, and the basis for academic accommodations. The therapeutic interventions I provide to young clients can be used to address a range of common challenges including, but not limited to emotional dysregulation and behavior problems. Based on the client, therapy may take various forms and could entail a talk or play-based approach. I regularly integrate parent or family sessions when appropriate.

Finding a therapist who's the right fit can be stressful and time-consuming. Thank you for taking a minute to see if one of our therapists is right for you. You may be feeling stressed, worried, anxious, angry, hopeless - or all of the above! - and you just want to feel better. Maybe there's a problem you need to talk through, find some clarity around, and take action on. Or perhaps you're looking for someone who can help you clarify your goals, develop your potential, and bring your dreams into reality. In any case, we'd love to help!

I was a middle school teacher for ten years. I enjoyed working with children and adolescents more than I did grading papers. I became a psychologist to help children and their families live healthier, more productive lives. I approach psychotherapy first from the perspective that insight into oneself provides then the power to choose and to change. If you don't understand what is going on, you are unlikely to make changes. Secondly, the power to change is enhanced by learning and applying better coping skills. Insight and tools provide a growth experience.