Narrative Therapists in West Hollywood, CA

Your best therapist is a witness to your life. Your hope is that if your pain and struggle is seen by another, so will your desires, resilience, and resourcefulness. My place in your therapy is to see you, hear you, and reflect your power back to you. Sharing your journey lets me witness your transformations, big and small. I see and ask: How has systemic oppression affected you, your family, and your communities? I work with Clients anywhere on the spectrums of gender/sexuality, (non)religion, ability, and cultural & racial identity; who express body and sex positivity everywhere from asexual to kink…monogamous to poly…and beyond.

Healing from trauma, reclaiming power, growing from struggle and learning to work WITH emotions rather than AGAINST them are the goals I strive to support my clients in achieving. I want to help my clients move beyond simply not feeling so depressed, anxious, angry or manic. I want to help them transcend their pain, feel like they are fulfilling their purpose in life, are able to truly love themselves and are cultivating relationships that feed their soul. Narrative Therapy teaches my clients to transform the meaning of what they have been through and techniques from Existential Therapy help clients create or discover their purpose.

Living with guilt, worry, and irritability can be exhausting. A sense of overwhelm that feels inescapable. Perhaps you feel disconnected from yourself and those around you, and you aren't sure why. You are tired of doing it all for everyone, all of the time, and making it look easy. Juggling relationships, a job, a family, and much more can be challenging. I can support and guide your journey toward a more calm and peaceful inner world. My ideal client is someone who comes to therapy with an open mind and a willingness to explore and work through their struggles.

I specialize in treating Eating Disorders, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and related issues, as well as Family Therapy. I meet the client where they are at, and help build a supportive team around them, depending on each client's personalized needs. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Narrative Therapy. To me the most important part of therapy is building a safe and trusting relationship.

I believe that we all have the ability to heal from our past and learn to grow in the present. Sometimes life presents us with challenges that require guidance in order to change our patterns of thinking and beliefs that are making us feel trapped. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, relationships, low self-worth, body image, gender & sexuality, grief, or addiction, I would be honored to walk this path with you and find the form of therapy that suits your needs. Practice experience: Private practice, LA LGBT Center, NC State University Health Center, community mental health non-profits. *Free 15-minute phone consult bookable online.*

Dawn, a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, is wholeheartedly committed to providing essential support to LGBTQI+ individuals/families, foster/adoptive families, and diverse communities. Guided by a cultural and social justice lens that celebrates your resilience, strength, and resourcefulness, Dawn embraces an integrative approach. Techniques such as Internal Family Systems, Attachment-Based Therapy, Strength-Based/Solution-Focused Therapy, Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, Community Resilience Model, and Non-Violent Communication are woven into her practice.

Are you feeling anxious, depressed, or stuck? Do you have relationship, family, or career issues? I can help you figure it out, feel better, and move forward, making changes to allow you to live life on your terms. Experienced working with entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and motion picture industry professionals. I utilize solution-focused, narrative, CBT, and family systems therapies. LGBTQ+ and polyamory/CNM/ENM allied. I am currently accepting new individual clients, and offer flexible Telehealth scheduling options for clients anywhere in California. Call or email for a free consultation.

I have been in practice for over 10 years, helping clients to explore and resolve relationship issues, as well as anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. My work is client-centered, which attempts to tailor the therapeutic approach to the needs of the client. I incorporate Cognitive-Behavioral techniques, Mindfulness Practice, Narrative Therapy and Attachment Theory, which looks at the ways in which childhood experiences may affect one's relationship to self and others.

It takes courage to reach out for help, something we all need at various times in our lives. My work as a narrative therapist over the past 25+ years has been grounded in the assumption that every human being is inherently resourceful. Behind every one of life's challenges lies the possibility for change. A collaborative, respectful relationship of safety that nurtures these possibilities is what I offer to all clients who consult with me.

Life will present us now and then with the unexpected.  This clearly is a time of major change for all of us. Not all of this is new nor is it novel. Even in the most normal of times we often do experience unwelcome events, the loss of a loved one, disability, addiction, economic insecurity, loneliness. To live is perhaps also to suffer. But we need not suffer alone. You will find me to be a compassionate, capable psychotherapist. Working together, I can help you to live a happier, more contented and fulfilling life. So then, where are you now? Where would you like to go from here? Would you like to create a new narrative? 

Change can feel impossible. No matter how badly we want it, we feel stuck in a loop trying the same things over and over again. We want a sense of relief, for things to feel easier, but it can feel hopeless constantly fighting the same battles. Despite this, I do believe we are all inherently resilient. We possess unique strengths, but they get shielded from our view because societal expectations and past experiences box us into how we think we ‘should’ be or act. We no longer see ourselves as who we actually are, but rather who the world has told us we are. We want to hold more hopeful beliefs about ourselves and the future.

Whether you are going through a transitional phase, making a major change in your life, looking to work on your relationship, or just feeling lost in your life and in need of community - I am here to walk alongside you and help guide you through it. Do you feel like your life needs balance? Has work taken over too much of your life? Are you and your partner experiencing a stage of flux or miscommunication? Maybe you just moved in together and are finding this new dynamic challenging? Or perhaps you want to open up the relationship (or close it)? Attempt polyamory? All of these can benefit from some guidance.

Relationships are a cornerstone of life, but we all know that challenges arise. As a therapist specializing in working on relationships, I help both individuals and couples navigate these complexities. Let's be honest, it is not easy to find a therapist whom you connect with. And when you're going through a really difficult time, it's even harder. A foundation of my approach is making sure my clients feel safe and truly comfortable doing this vulnerable work together. We will take the time we need to develop a strong working relationship so we can honestly and openly explore the areas that need support in your life.

I truly enjoy working with clients who are seeking understanding of themselves and wanting to create some change in their lives. I also understand that true intimacy is created from the client-patient relationship, therefore it is tantamount to find the right therapist that you (the patient) feels safe/comfortable enough to say anything that is needed in order to illicit insight/change. I ask that all my clients outline specific therapeutic goals so that together we be clear as to our purpose and stay the course of treatment. I am client-focused and open to feedback since treatment is made for the client.

For as long as you can remember, you’ve felt different. You learned early on that there were parts of your identity that you had to hide. So, you built a façade to protect yourself. You felt safer pretending you were just like everybody else. As you’ve gotten older, you’ve learned to accept these parts of your identity more, but it still feels like you’re hiding. You still watch what you say and how you behave around certain people. And a part of you continues trying to conform to society’s expectations. You wish you could just be your authentic self without fear of judgment, but you don’t know how. You feel trapped and helpless.

I am not a typical therapist. I see myself as a co-author, witness, helpful ally, teammate, collaborator and useful resource. Rather than taking a role as an “expert” by making assumptions or interpretations about your life, I love to use skillful conversation and artful question-asking to help you get past obstacles and problems. You are here on this page because you have strength in you, you have desire in you and you have healing in you. You are the main character in your own life. Therapy can either help or hinder the development of this character as someone powerful, capable and whole.

Is anxiety, depression, or trauma keeping you from living your dreams? Are you looking to take the first step in healing, taking control of your fears, and creating better relationships? Taking that first step and reaching out to a therapist can be intimidating. My hope is that you will take that first step so that you can live whatever dream you might have. My commitment is to amplify your strengths, resilience, and tenacity to guide you towards your goals.

Having had a prolific 25-year career in the entertainment industry, I can personally understand what contributes to depression, anxiety, and a compromised self-esteem. Through talk therapy, a perception shift and changing the narrative we tell ourselves, I believe we are all capable of having the life we deserve. We don't have to be defined by our past, our fears or that negative self talk. My approach to therapy is one of complete honesty, directness and a little sarcasm/humor when appropriate. I believe we are all capable of having the life we want, getting out of our own way, and getting closer to our goals.

Do you want to enjoy the present moments and be more present in your daily experiences, especially during times of change and transformation? Do you want to create a solid foundation during your current life transformation? Do you want to improve your communication and connection in your relationships during times of transition and growth? Do you seek to break cycles within yourself and overcome patterns that have been reinforced by societal, familial and personal narratives? Would you like to tap into your intuition and connection to your roots to find more balance, ease, calmness and creation in your life?