Family Therapy in Santa Monica, CA

Welcome! I take a holistic approach to therapy to meet you where you are, whatever that looks like. I know that there are different orientations in addition to each one of us having unique needs, coming from diverse cultures and life conditions. To honor you and your lived experience, I draw upon the clinical education and training that I have received; but most importantly, I utilize my intuition and my learning and witnessing of you to guide me. Through our connection it is my intention that you feel more integrated, authentic, and whole.

CURRENTLY ACCEPTING NEW TELEHEALTH CLIENTS. IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY. In the years that I have practiced therapy, what my clients want, above all else, is to feel relief - relief from anxiety, emptiness, or feelings of worthlessness. They want to break free from the endless cycles of pain in relationships, or from the debilitating fear of rejection amongst family and friends. My goal is to not only help you find that relief but also support you in discovering greater purpose and fulfillment.

Your past pain is real and it is common for that past pain to hurt in the present. You don't have to "just accept it". I have success working with clients experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, domestic abuse, maternal mental health issues, family discord, and also have extensive experience working with children, adolescents and families. My clients trust that I can help them over come whatever their challenges are. One of my passions is Prenatal Bonding and psychology, enhancing the bond between mother and child to improve birth outcomes and reduce difficulty in delivery.

I am passionate about helping my clients explore the intersections of adoption, racial/ethnic identity, childhood trauma, confidence, and major life transitions. Throughout life, we continually revisit and re-negotiate our understanding of the experiences that have shaped us. It’s especially hard if you’ve been impacted by unique circumstances such as international/domestic adoption, multi-cultural family , or even just the experience of being a minority in America. I provide a warm and safe space that allows clients to explore their authentic self.

I work with motivated, loving clients and with folks who are ready to heal from childhood wounding. My clients engage in self-study, discovering who they are and how to love and re-parent themselves. I work with teens, young adults, and families. I offer parent coaching to parents who want to learn how to effectively communicate and intervene with their children. My style is warm, curious, direct, and relationship focused. In the course of our work together, my clients learn skills that are accessible yet powerful. I've been in the field over eighteen years and feel lucky to support such incredible people on their healing path.

I take pride as a psychologist in the area of personal growth when dealing with life's challenges. This involves meeting your needs and starting where you are now and going from there. I work collaboratively in order for you to get to a 'better' place. I have accumulated a wealth of experience helping others combat challenges of not being able to have children by traditional means. I worked with patients exploring 'good' solutions to this heart-rending process. My goal involves helping individuals deal with the normal and not so normal life challenges of depression, self-esteem, anxiety, relationships, children, parents, and more.

I am a therapist with significant experience working with men through various stages of their life. I also have a strong background in substance abuse issues and family dynamics that impact our growth. My goal is to help you see opportunities to address the real issues in your life and help you make lasting changes for your personal growth and healthy relationships.

Do you feel like your past prevents you from enjoying your present and looking forward to your future? Do you find yourself repeating patterns of behavior that no longer serve you? Do you struggle to maintain meaningful and stable relationships? If yes, perhaps it’s time to take a deep breath and look inward. By exploring the wounds from your past, you can find empathy and understanding. You can be free. “Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” – Peter A. Levine

It can be heartbreaking to be the parent of a child who is struggling. It feels like other parents don’t have to work as hard as you do. There are tears, tantrums, and challenges at school. They seem to worry about things that other children don’t even notice. You’re feeling exhausted and like no one has the answers. Finding the right person to support you means trusting someone with your child’s wellbeing. It can be scary to reach out to a therapist. You want to make sure that you find someone who can connect to your child and work with you to help you understand what’s going on with them.

To experience our deepest recesses of joy and peace, we must first have the courage to face our fears. That’s why our therapists use a wide range of research-proven therapy techniques to help transform anxiety, depression, and loneliness into joy, freedom, and connectedness. Whatever your situation, our goal is to help you find clarity, purpose, and strength. Through the therapy process, we will help you cultivate an unshakeable resiliency that you carry into every challenge you face. The purpose of our therapy practice is to help you become free from the grip of anxiety, depression, addiction, and hurtful relationships.

Building Emotional Resilience is key towards achieving a balanced life. You may be a parent dealing with the challenge of a defiant child, or a spouse suffering with a critical or distant partner. Perhaps you're a high-powered professional grappling with the demands of career and family , or a sensitive teenager navigating the precarious path towards young adulthood. In either case, whether it's relationship issues, difficult feelings, worrying thoughts, unwanted behaviors, or even just searching for answers to some of life's biggest questions, I can provide guidance, support, and wisdom towards realizing obtainable solutions.

Are you struggling with family conflict, difficult life transitions, or stress and anxiety? I am passionate about creating a safe, warm, and culturally humble environment for individuals and couples to explore their unique life shaping experiences and be their authentic selves. As a first-generation Mexican-American, I understand the need to develop effective communication skills to work through intergenerational conflicts and acculturation differences in order to build healthy relationships and improve family dynamics. Through support, empowerment, and the development of greater insight, meaningful change is possible.

All couples will experience problems that will bring stress onto their relationship, which can cause pain, disconnect, anger, stagnation, anxiety, and/or depression. This can manifest in many forms and range in severity-up to the point where it feels like things are falling apart. Many couples feel they have completely “lost the spark” and struggle to find continued meaning and purpose in their relationship. At a certain point comes the realization that enough is enough, it is time to get powerful support that actually works.

I offer relief from depression, anxiety, and life issues that feel overwhelming, intolerable and unmanageable. I can help you with with forming and growing relationships where you feel loved and comforted, not hurt, injured or criticized. We can address family conflict, power struggles and help build a life-long partnership with family members. I understand feeling lost, hopeless and can guide you on a discovery of your true purpose in life. Change is possible. Happiness is deserved and within our power. I utilize techniques based on current neurological research that shift brain and nervous system patterns .

Charles Dewell, M.A., LMFT I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with adult individuals and couples, helping them navigate their relationship, career and personal issues. My mission is to provide a safe refuge where my clients feel understood and encouraged to persevere through the ebb and flow of life's challenges.

Are you struggling emotionally from a divorce or other challenging life transitions? Are you feeling like life just isn’t working for you? Whether you are experiencing deep loss, sadness, or other intrusive feelings, please know that therapy can help. It is my passion to assist people in working through the difficult times in their lives. Prior to becoming a psychologist, I worked for 16 years in Family Law & Mediation assisting clients through the divorce process. I offer individual psychotherapy, divorce support & recovery counseling, couples counseling, and divorce support groups. I would be honored to work with you.

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with many years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults, couples and families. I offer 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 life. My specialties include eating disorders and body image issues, also self-injurious behaviors. My 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 EMDR trained and incorporate as needed