Couples Counseling Therapists in Sierra Madre, CA

The clientele I work with come into my office with a variety of pressing life issues that are affecting their relationships. My practice is devoted to being an empathetic ear and a constructive partner in my clients' growth. I work with individuals, couples , families, and children. I specialize in working with LGBT clients.

I am passionate about working with individuals and couples toward the goal of discovering how to access and express our deepest selves and form meaningful connections. I specialize in relationships, addiction and recovery, trauma, body image issues, and transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. I am committed to celebrating LGBTQ and gender variant people and communities and have a particular interest in working with gender variant individuals and their loved ones. I use psychoanalytic and postmodern theories in making links between subject and culture/subculture, always challenging gender stereotypes that keep us limited.

Better is possible. Crises, life transitions, and losses can bring new triggers to old traumas. You may find yourself struggling with feelings that are debilitating, even immobilizing. Anxiety, sadness, and overwhelm can leave you feeling unable cope in healthy, appropriate ways. But it can get better, and you don't have to go at it alone. Therapy is an invitation to attend to your feelings and thoughts. In the deep reflection that therapy allows, you can become aware of the choices hidden behind the pain and confusion. You can gain reconnection to your core, essential self. You can move towards recovery and wholeness.

You’re pretty resilient but life has thrown you a curve ball. Maybe you’ve recently experienced a major transition (marriage/divorce, birth/death, aging, job loss/gain) or; your identity disrupts essential relationships (sexual orientation, religious affiliation, loving outside your race/ethnicity). Maybe a societal ill is beyond your control (racism, sexism, implicit bias, global pandemic). Your spouse / partner , boss, family or a friend has noticed it too but; you can't seem to talk to them about what's happening or you don't feel understood by them when you do. All you want is to feel better and tolerate life's ups and downs.

Are you feeling confused, scared, anxious, overwhelmed, disappointed about you're going through and what it all means? Are you an expecting parent? Are you a parent to a child or to a teen? Are you stressed or overwhelmed in your marriage or relationship? Are you a parent that's overwhelmed and need help connecting with your child? Are you a parent or a caregiver to someone with special needs or Autism? What does this all mean? What are you supposed to do? Do you feel alone? Do you need support?

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Doctor of Bioethics practicing psychotherapy in Sierra Madre. I am Masters and Doctoral trained in Bioethics at Loyola Chicago and completed an additional Masters in Social Work and psychotherapy training at USC. I am experienced in treating depression and anxiety, grief and loss, those with chronic illness, and working with challenging family systems.

Are you wanting your relationship to get unstuck from a negative pattern of interaction? Are you and your partner feeling hopeless about your lost connection? When things like this happen it's easy for well-meaning friends to come to the rescue with ideas, but sometimes they just don't understand. Talking to a couples counselor can help. If you'd like to get started, give me a call.

Do you ever dream of living a life that is brave enough and large enough to hold all of you? Do you dream of relationships with depth enough to hold the intricacies of connection that you and your partner or partners yearn for? Do you dream of creating sexual interactions to which you can bring your full self; nicks, bruises and hiccups included?

Therapy is a delicate art and a science. Finding the right therapist is important. The connection by an understanding, intuitive professional, someone with wisdom and effectiveness, who also respects the time and the cost of your investment is valuable. I use an attachment-focused orientation, and tools from EMDR, Ego State Theory, CBT, 12-step recovery model, and other modalities. I have enjoyed a rich 25-year career as a trauma informed specialist. I have supervised and directed programs in public and non-profit sectors. Adoption is my specialty, as well as work with teens, young adults and families.

I am a licensed psychologist who works with adults and couples who face either temporary distress in their lives or longstanding problems with depression, anxiety, trauma, or personal/communication difficulties. I also specialize in the treatment of the psychological problems and decisions encountered in infertility and have expertise in helping persons, within their religious framework, resolve negative or traumatic experiences.

My practice provides a unique blend of therapy and coaching. I specialize in helping individuals realize their full potential. This usually means giving people the boost they need to get from where they are to where they want to be. I help people manage transitions, anxiety, depression, adult attention deficit disorder, work place concerns, relationship issues, and look at factors that promote balance both professional and personal needs. My effectiveness in coaching developed as the result of first-hand executive-level experience where I have coached both executives and managers.

I utilize a holistic approach to mental health; addressing emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being, while generating momentum towards transcendence

Because I have had the opportunity to work in many venues,I have had vast experience working with families, couples and children/adolescence. Addiction is a family issue & not only affects the person using but the whole family unit. I work with the entire family whether the goal for them is to stay together or not...I guide them in the adjustment in whatever decisions they make.FEE DETERMINED ON SLIDING SCALE My motto is: IF YOU HAVE HOPE, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!

My mission is to empower those that I work with to have meaningful connections to themselves and the world around them.I specialize in supporting individuals, couples and families who are in transition - specifically, if a family member is in treatment or struggling with abuse, trauma, eating disorders or chemical dependency. It is very important to me that I respect my clients' philosophies, values and goals in therapy. As I work with a family, I'm sensitive to the experience of being invited in and I only offer solutions that fit within the family culture.

I am invested in helping my clients find their strengths among the challenges they may face in life. I consider it a privilege to create and hold space for them to do the work which will allow them to live to their greatest potential. My experience working with individuals, couples and families in a multitude of settings helps me better understand the complexities and uniqueness of individuals. I partner with my clients to create meaningful change in their lives, so that they feel connected and thrive.

Humorist, Mark Twain once wrote, "I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." Left unchecked, fear-based thinking shapes reality and impedes potential and growth. The unknown and mixed messages surrounding the pandemic has reinforced this mindset and may have left you with perpetual feelings of sadness, uncertainty and doubt. The first step of our journey together is establishing a relationship built upon trust, respect, and safety. Through shared conversation, mindfulness, and self-regulating techniques, we create a bond that honors your unique story and circumstance.

Immediate Openings! It’s never too late to create the life you’ve been longing for, free from the past that is holding you back! If you want an empowering, collaborative professional that will work with you without judgement and help you work towards solutions that can help you feel less stuck and more in control, I can help!

I have had the privilege of working with adults and couples for over 30 years, helping with a wide range of issues including: depression, anxiety, self esteem, relationships, stress, ageing, family of origin issues, cross cultural issues, identity, grief/loss and mild addictions.

I specialize in relationship issues pertaining to Infidelity, Youth (most often impacted by familial stressors) and Communication, which correlates and can manifest as obsessive thoughts, anxiety, depression and related addictions. Infidelity is a symptom of underlying issues. Trained in EMDR to identify and manage trauma, I became a therapist due to personal experience in dealing with affairs. I understand the emotional roller coaster infidelity creates. Emotional education and processing is important to understanding why you are experiencing the emotions you are dealing with.