Parenting Therapists in Pasadena, CA

Are you struggling with anxiety, a relationship problem, or emotional pain from a past experience? Maybe you are looking for help with the challenges of parenting your teenager or seeking help for an adolescent who is struggling. I also know the toll of failing relationships and how important it is to find the right support when it feels like your world is falling apart. Maybe you are ready for change, but struggling to take that first step. Wherever you are, I offer a safe and supportive space where we will work together to meet your goals.

I believe that all human beings have the capacity to realize their full potential and to gain insight into life’s difficulties. I tailor my approach based on each unique person's needs and often utilize story-telling, dreams and archetypes as ways to make meaning of significant events. I support individuals in strengthening existing coping skills, developing new methods of support, and identifying patterns and themes in a safe, empathic space.

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.

Jessica Richards, MS, MSW, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in providing therapeutic services to young children and families. She is endorsed in CA as an Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. Jessica uses relationship and brain-based modalities for comprehensive treatment. Jessica has been trained in Child- Parent psychotherapy, a relationship and play-based therapy with a strong evidence-based foundation for the treatment of trauma and family stressors. Additionally, Jessica uses the Neurorelational Framework (Lillas, 2009) for an integrated approach. Her specialized Dual-Masters education provides an advanced foundation in applied child development.

Recently the world as we knew it was turned upside down. With the onset of Covid-19 and a "Safer at Home" order as well as school closures, parents are under more stress and pressure than ever. I am currently providing individual therapy and parent coaching via our secure video platform. If you find yourself having difficulty managing your frustration and/or anxiety, or feeling the enormous pressure of home schooling your children while keeping up with the other demands in your life (i.e. work, home responsibilities) do not hesitate to reach out. You do not have to figure this out alone.

"I'm not enough" - smart enough, attractive enough, successful enough, popular enough, loved enough, or happy enough. Have you ever had these thoughts? Sometimes our stories are full of shame and scarcity. We feel unworthy, but don't understand where these feelings come from, what drives them, and how to let them go. Therapy is a process of uncovering underlying issues and finding practical ways to provoke change. I will walk alongside you in your loneliness, challenge, or fear, and help you safely overcome struggles.

Understanding the brain-body connection can be helpful in treating a variety of mental health concerns such as trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. That feeling of tightness in your chest when you feel anxious or a sense of calm when you feel safe are bodily sensations that affect how we feel, think, and behave. I combine brain-body techniques, that focus on trauma held in the body, with talk therapy to gently calm, repair, and help regulate the nervous system. Today we know that combining these two approaches can address both the emotional and physical components of many mental health issues.

I have extensive experience working with families who are currently fostering a child or have built their family through adoption. I use a trauma informed and neurodevelopmental lens in all of my work, and understand how in utero and early developmental trauma affect children in many areas of their life. As a former foster parent and now an adoptive mom, I further understands how close relationships are created through a sense of safety and trust.

If you are seeking therapy it’s because you are motivated toward alleviating emotional distress, which tells me that you are open to a new way of thinking and feeling. Often, when a person enters therapy, they are feeling overwhelmed by the stressors in their life. Some stressors may be with a life transition (work, school, death, move, changes in family composition, etc.), may be with intimate relationships, parenting , a loved one’s illness or disability, financial stress, community violence, housing, and so much more. Many people are unaware of how stressors in their life impact physical and emotional wellbeing.

Everyone has challenging times and hurts in their life they want to move past. Many need someone to accompany them to move through these times. I believe that the therapeutic relationship is key to helping people overcome trauma, grief, and disappointments to move toward the goals you want in your life. I have over 25 years of experience with children, youth and families who have experienced trauma, conflict, behavioral challenges, and life transitions including moving toward independence, exploring sexuality, and managing disabilities. I have seen the healing and growth that happen. Give yourself the chance.

Stepfamilies & Blended Families are the fastest growing families in the United States! With your blended family comes many opportunities to grow and learn about each other, but also may come with high-conflict former relationships/divorce(s), co- parenting issues, and other trials. I am here to help with the unique blending that occurs pre-marriage, post-marriage, and certainly when families are not blending so easily. I want your family to not only survive, but thrive!

Hello from the Founder and Director of Greenhouse Therapy Center...for growing people! We are located in two beautiful, vintage homes in a lovely neighborhood. If you are experiencing stress, unhappiness, or relational problems, growth-oriented therapy is perfect for helping you become a fully evolved person, partner, or parent . Using attachment theory and developmental psychology, we can help adults, teens, and children finish growing up fully so that you may feel better moment to moment, experience much deeper levels of intimacy and joy, and define and reach your life dreams.

Please, call me JJ. Let's find ways to create stability in your relationships. I have completed the Level 3 Practicum Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and specialize in working with couples to rebuild the bridges of communication. I am able to work with infidelity and trauma that may have occurred in relationships. When working with individuals I can help you discover the tools you need to work through life's challenges. I believe there is a way to heal trauma, both past and present, through building a strong trusting therapeutic relationship.

I believe that our lives are built on relationships. Be it between parent and child, partner and partner, supervisor and employee, or peer and peer, relationships can be healing and rewarding, but they can also be painful and difficult. We all know the stress and heartache that can come from a relationship in distress and we all know that desperate, painful feeling of wanting relief. Helping people find their way through these difficulties and back to each other is one of the most rewarding and exciting things I do. I specialize in helping families connect and thrive.

Welcome. I work primarily with couples and couples who are parents. Parenting and marriage play significant roles in our lives and they got harder during Covid. New parents especially are coping with topics that their relatives and friends with older children may have a hard time relating to. I am here to help new parents and couples navigate this transition time as individuals, partners, and parents. I rely heavily on attachment theory, Gottman method techniques for couples and raising emotionally intelligent children, and mindfulness.

Life can be complex. Take a step towards comfort and change! Therapy can help to nurture the healthy growth and development of your life and your relationships. The ultimate goal is to help you to create healthy bonds that bring joy to your life and relationships. I have experience working with children of all ages from infancy to young adulthood. I want to support you in the challenges of parenting . Together we can work to find an approach that fits you and your child.

For 23+ years I've specialized in working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families to help them live with more confidence, connection, and aliveness. I bring extensive experience in therapy, supervision, consulting, and research in the areas of child, teen, & family life, social and emotional development, and building solid and nurturing relationships. I work with clients in a talk therapy approach that is warm, interactive, and active, but that is also flexible in including support for new behaviors, creative expression, and practical help in developing new skills for living.