Therapists in Tarzana, CA

I received a B.A. in Psychology from Cal State University, Northridge. I am currently earning my Master's in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

Would you like to deal with life's stresses effectively? Are you struggling with uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, anger, fear, worry, anxiety, jealousy, guilt? Would you like to improve family relationships, raise healthy, happy and confident children even in challenging situations? Do you need marital/ premarital counseling? Do you want to improve self-esteem & achieve personal growth? With my deep understanding of emotions and compassionate approach, I will create a safe place to explore your emotions and identify which ones you can rely on as a guide to your needs and which ones are no longer helpful & need to be changed.

Life is full of challenges. We all face hard times, stress and struggles at some point during our lives. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past, but we can change our thoughts and feelings about what has happened to us and choose how to deal with it and the effect it will have on us in the future. I specialize in working with children, teens, adults, families and couples dealing with depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, relationship problems and life transitions (marriage, divorce, becoming a parent, moving, becoming empty nesters, grief and loss, etc.).

My name is Katherine and I am a licensed therapist. I have a deep passion for this work as I too, have endured my own personal struggles related to trauma, anxiety and depression. Growing up, I had a strong will, often feeling that I needed to hold in my feelings and handle life on my own. After I endured various traumatic events in my life, I sought out therapy. Reaching out to a therapist was a terrifying first step for me. It was hard for me to imagine that I could trust a stranger to hold my pain. Being vulnerable was my greatest fear.

We are each born with the capacity to live a full, joyous and productive life. Through the natural events of our less than perfect world, this capacity is diminished. In some way we know that this is possible and at the same time realize that we are limited. The area of limitation may be in our relationship to ourselves - somehow being unable to experience compassion or appreciation for our own beings. These limitations create pain and unnecessary suffering. Just as we have the capacity for living full and productive lives, I believe that we all have the capacity for healing.

I utilize a holistic and integrative approach that offers a safe, supportive setting, using dream analysis, mindfulness, art therapy, journaling, meditation and other creative ways leading to an authentic and more rewarding life. From my studies under Rev. Kawakami, deputy head priest of Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto in Mindfulness and Zen Meditation, I have developed this therapeutic approach that treats, balances, and nourishes the mind, bodily, emotions, and soul. I use a variety of therapeutic perspectives and techniques including Psychodynamic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Jungian, and Mindfulness-based interventions.

West Valley Counseling Center offers a wide range of therapeutic interventions and services to bring affordable mental health services to the San Fernando Valley. Our qualified therapists work with individuals, relationships, traditional families, and non-traditional families to help ease life's burdens and to provide specialty services, such as marriage counseling, child custody mediation, and parenting education.

As a practical, interactive, therapist, my treatment approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients resolve current problems and long-standing patterns. With sensitivity and compassion, I help clients find solutions to a wide range of life challenges and psychological issues. Blending conventional and alternative approaches, I draw on a variety of styles and techniques to incorporate what will be most helpful for each client. I work with each client individually or as a family to help them build on their strengths in order to identify and achieve their life goals.

Everyone experiences moments of challenge and struggle at some point in their lifetime. The first step could be hard in asking for help, but take comfort in knowing a caring and supportive therapist will hold your hand through it. I provide my patients with a safe and non-judgmental space to express their thoughts and feelings. I believe that every individual has the potential to heal from past trauma and current situations to improve their quality of life and emotional wellbeing.

How are you functioning in your life? In your relationships? Are you joyful, confident, optimistic? Or are you feeling stuck, sad, frustrated, or lonely? Relationships are the primary force in our lives; without healthy relationships our lives suffer. Because relationships are so important, the way we attach to others is within those relationships, and how we create healthy attachments is extremely important. What I work toward is healthier relationships for my clients; relationship with self as well as with others. In our work together it will be our relationship that provides a safe place from which to explore change.

The clients which I feel very adept at working with effectively could be presenting any number of issues that haunt couples, children, adolescents, and individuals. These concern developmental, emotional, relational, and social topics.

My approach values each person’s lived experience, the messiness of life, and the deep well of strength that resides within each of us. I meet clients where they are and tailor sessions, using an integrative approach.

We only know what we know, no shame in not knowing what we don’t. Consider it a privilege to accompany you on your journey to a more fulfilling life. Therapy shouldn't have to be complicated or intimidating. I work with a compassionate, supportive, and individualized approach reducing your distress and symptoms and build your strength and resilience. I'm a lmft with over 35 years experience. My style is interactive, direct, and supportive. I focus on the here-and-now but recognize that one's past impacts choices, feelings, and behaviors in the present. I hope you find therapy with me to be a safe, nurturing, productive experience.

Fear is often a reality when the truth is concealed. Anxiety, depression, addiction, etc. can manifest by keeping individuals in fear and bondage to the unknown. There is liberty when fear is confronted. I assist with the process and provide a safe place to reframe a new narrative and reality.

During a time of instability, some sort of consistency helps create a small sense of normal. Establishing a routine is essential, especially during a time of a Pandemic, when our ground has shifted, habits altered or broken. During a time that we are required for social distancing and isolation, we are also forced to slow down. We are provided the choice to find ways to connect and look within, to learn, to adapt and grow. My name is Channie Amato and I have hand selected a team of excellent therapists with various specialties. We strive to create a therapeutic space of comfort and support and meeting the client at where they are at

For most individuals it is difficult to know where to turn when seeking help for depression, anxiety, self-harm, or interpersonal relationships. It is important to find someone who understands and above all someone to trust this change with. It is my belief that it is through this relationship and the will to find the real person underneath the hurt that we grow. By incorporating awareness of the mind, body and spirit there is little an individual cannot overcome. But this requires support and guidance.

Are you in crisis, suffering from a traumatic event or facing a major life change? The support I offer in therapy will help you process complicated emotions and traumatic memories. My goal as a therapist is to guide you toward strength, confidence and excitement about your future. I hold an undergraduate degree from U.C. Berkeley and a graduate degree with honors from Phillips Graduate Institute. I offer individual, couples, and family therapy and specialize in trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, among other issues.