Couples Therapists in Santa Monica, CA

Are you and your partner stuck in a negative cycle of interaction? Do you find yourselves constantly fighting, hoping to revive the connection you experienced when you first met? Do you have problems with mismatched sexual desire or premature ejaculation? I specialize in working with couples and individuals struggling with relationship and sexual issues. Step by step, I help couples learn how to communicate effectively, restoring their connection and intimacy. I introduce specific tools engineered to assist couples and individuals in identifying and dissolving core issues. Ever-lasting, passionate love is possible.

In my many years of experience, I have been fortunate to witness the curative benefits of the therapeutic relationship. My interest lies in working with individuals, from young children to adults, who are suffering from anxiety, depression, relationship issues, grief, loss, and trauma. The children and adolescents I have had in my practice have struggled with issues of divorce, adoption, peer pressures, anxiety, depression, sibling rivalry, and social difficulties. Utilizing a somatic understanding and focus has deepened the work with many clients, especially those who have experienced trauma.

Tracy Pollack, Psy.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with many years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults, couples and families. She offers a warm, collaborative and confidential place where you will feel heard and understood while working together to identify issues of conflict and remove the obstacles that are getting in the way of your ability to have the life you want. Her specialties include eating disorders and body image issues, as well as self-injurious behaviors. Tracy's practice also focuses on women's issues such as those related to beginning a family, fertility challenges and perinatal and postpartum anxiety and depression.

I am a psychological trauma specialist who has spent over 25 years working with children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced child abuse, family violence, rape and assault, traumatic loss of loved ones, and the psychological effects of serious or severe medical problems or injuries. I offer individual, couples , and family therapy for these and other problems, including relationship issues and the problems associated with working in the entertainment industry. I work with clients who have experienced a single trauma as well as those who have experienced complex trauma. At this time, I am limiting my practice to traumatized adults.

I am a licensed psychotherapist (MFT) specializing in hypnosis and NLP (Neuro- Linguistic Programming). I help people live the life they dream of, which includes removing unhealthy patterns and assisting in goal achievement. I work with individuals, couples and families. In a safe and warm environment I combine psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and/or neuro-linguistic programming with emotional support and tools to transform you into your highest potential self. I am proficient in eliminating or decreasing depression, anxiety, panic attacks and fears/phobias. In addition, I work with increasing healthy self-confidence.

A commitment to growth, change, and understanding oneself and one's relational dynamics is the key to successful therapy. My role is to create a space in which you feel safe and supported to do so. I believe the best therapeutic relationship develops through trust, empathetic understanding, and teamwork.

My practice is devoted to working with adults, adolescents and couples to help them deal with difficulties in their relationships and in their personal lives. I am a licensed Clinical Psychologist, and I am continually honored and intrigued by being able to help people in their lives. I received my degrees (Summa Cum Laude) from Washington University, and my doctorate in Psychology is from CSPP. In addition to my years of work in private practice, my experience includes years of intensive supervised client counseling, and now I am a supervisor at a well established clinic, in addition to my practice.

Feeling stuck in familiar self defeating patterns? I can help uncover unconscious habits or behaviors that keep you anxious and depressed. Through active listening, interactive exercises, my direct approach helps you encounter hidden parts of yourself, enabling you to integrate these into one whole, thriving person with greater capacity to live and love completely. With extensive background in Western Psychology and Eastern practices I treat the whole being which leads to deeper awareness, changes in behavior and more satisfying relationships with others. Nothing changes if you don't take action. The journey begins with you.

I provide a safe environment and compassionate, non-judgmental counseling to help you explore the personal and relationship challenges you are facing and begin working toward lasting solutions. Whether you are looking for personal growth, relationship healing or overall support, I can help you to more clearly understand why you are struggling and what steps you can take to feel more confident and in control of your life. When you develop new coping skills, you give yourself the resources and confidence you need to effectively manage challenges rather than giving into unhealthy compulsions and negative self-talk.

Change is possible and I believe therapy is a place where you can explore the challenges and achievements that make our lives feel more fulfilled. My approach to therapy is one of empathy, collaboration and practicality. I like to make therapy fun, engaging, and a safe place for you to comfortably explore your emotions and learn new healthy coping skills to support your growth. I have a passion for helping others achieve more fulfillment and balance in their lives. My goal is to provide a safe space to explore feelings that may contribute to ongoing difficulties, re-process experiences, and ultimately co-create your next chapter.

Love, work, and emotional health are the areas that challenge us. Whether you are single or in a relationship, love can be tough to find or keep. Don't settle for loneliness, fights, circular arguments or cold distance. Good communication can be learned. Affairs can often be survived. In your work life, are you suffering from anxiety, perfectionism, lack of confidence, or time crunch? I understand the specific challenges of being in the business world, and the needs of sensitive, creative personalities. Read what I have written about these subjects on my blog at: http://joycehouser.com/blog/

My aim is to help you live with a feeling of wholeness and sturdiness, even when life is difficult. You need no longer feel tired, never enough, and at the mercy of your own performance. I encourage my clients to dream bravely about the changes they hope to see in their lives. We work to get there by identifying and shifting the patterns keeping them stuck, with the goal of cultivating more meaningful relationships, as well as greater freedom and joy. I am passionate about working with people on relationship issues, whether you are single or in a relationship.

I offer a personalized, highly-trained approach to psychotherapy. My work is characterized by intuition, compassion, optimism and collaboration. I pride myself on being approachable and try to be straightforward and encouraging. I specialize in showing individuals how to reach their full potential, and achieve their own definition of success. I work with individuals, couples , families, kids and adolescents who are struggling with various life's difficulties. My personal specialties include relationship issues, postpartum support, parenting skills, depression, anxiety, Asperger Syndrome, self-esteem issues and women's issues.

Utilizing EMDR & other approaches, I work with individuals who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and those going through life transitions looking for change. Because healing and growth occur interpersonally, therapy can be an impactful addition to one's life during difficult and challenging times. If you're feeling overwhelmed by emotions or stress, or feel like you're current life is being impacted by past events, there is absolutely hope out there. Many of the leading brain-body therapies now available are targeted for these types of experiences.

I specializes in MFT and ABA. While working with clients, I supports their work by identifying behavior patterns, identifying healthy replacement behaviors, and support my client’s understanding of emotional and cognitive states. Through the understanding of the self, my clients learn how their behaviors impact their environments. And more importantly how they can make changes to enhance their life, relationships, and experiences in their daily environments. I have experience working with adults, couples , groups, and children.

We are a group of skilled clinicians committed to helping clients achieve goals and make change. We work In Network with Kaiser and Aetna. We do so by creating a relationship that is based on genuine care and concern, non-judgment, and support. Our mission is to help you help yourself live a happier and more satisfying life. We offer sessions on Saturday and Sunday and all weekdays and evenings.

Dr. Smith's genuine, grounded and integrated therapeutic approach allows for a connection to her clients where through modalities such as EMDR, IFS (parts work), and attachment-based talk therapy, there is a focus on insight shifting to somatic integration and actionable change, discovering and healing the core self, learning to regulate emotion and express needs in healthy ways, adapting internal dialogue, core beliefs, and reinforcing coping resources. Dr. Smith believes in building an authentic therapeutic relationship based on respect, empathy, challenge and change while creating a renewed sense of self, empowerment and hope.

I am enthusiastic and passionate about bringing people closest to the most pure and honest versions of themselves through understanding, insight, and acceptance so they have the freedom for connection, enjoyment, and prosperity in a better world. People enjoy my strengths-based approach and I often incorporate therapeutic techniques from interpersonal, family systems, and culturally-informed treatments. Clients find me sincere, attentive, and compassionate and I thoroughly enjoy building a relationship with my clients. Clients often mention that I provide a sense of security for them through my active listening. I mostly work with emerging adults, adults, and elders as individuals, as a couple, or within a family.

"Being listened to." That is the experience of being at the Saturday Center: intensely, deeply, actively, empathically listened to; seen, heard and understood. For over 30 years we have provided this type of counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, couples , and families. TSC is committed to dynamic psychotherapy and to providing treatment based on need rather than economics. The Center is staffed by advanced psychological interns, psychological assistants and marriage & family therapist interns who are supervised by a group of experienced, licensed private practitioners dedicated to the practice and teaching of psychotherapy.

"The function of a psychotherapist is to become obsolete as soon as possible." That quote is from my own psychotherapist and mentor, years ago, and it's the model and motto of my practice. There are, of course, exceptions, including couples or individuals who return for a "tune up" once in a while and others who call me in as co-strategist when some new turbulence hits. Another exception is my work with schizophrenic spectrum patients, who need a long-term connection with consensus reality from wherever they happen to be stuck "on the other side of the mirror".