Family Therapy in Westlake Village, CA
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Patricia A. Ruddy
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT
Verified
Verified
As a Marriage and
Family Therapist
, I have been providing psychotherapy for almost thirty years with all ages and all different populations. My treatment modality encompasses an electic style based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Reality Therapy, and Brief/Solution Focused Therapy. An integral part of my work with clients includes establishing a collaborative and therapeutic alliance, identifying goals, and developing solutions. I empower clients to identify their resilience, resourcefulness and systems of support where I guide clients through the process of discovering their aspirations and developing solutions.
Waitlist for new clients

Danielle Selvin Harris
Psychologist, PsyD, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I am a Solution Focused Therapist who utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and
Family
System modalities.
Is your teenager feeling anxious or sad, grieving a loss, having problems in school or using drugs? Are you having trouble talking to your child about the changes they are going through? Your teenager experiences many stressors which can lead to various issues that impact your entire
family
and these stressors can be explored in therapy to give your
family
the relief you are searching for. Your teenager needs a safe place to express his/her feelings and learn healthier ways to cope with struggles to help him/her go on to lead a healthy life.

Samantha Molinar
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I use DBT and CBT informed therapy, while incorporating Strength Based, Psychodynamic, and
Family
Systems to help individualize treatment to best meet the needs of my client.
Hi! I want to first acknowledge that you have made the effort to seek out help by coming to this website, which means you already have awareness and acceptance that you may need additional support in your life right now. I commend you for taking that first step, it takes enormous strength. If you are someone who is finding your self stuck in unhealthy and maladaptive cycles, leading to strained or unhealthy relationships, unmet goals, lack of fulfillment, poor self esteem, or unhealthy behaviors, I am confident that I can help support you to overcome those barriers and help guide you towards achieving your goals.

Allison Welsh
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Allison has experience providing individual, group, and
family therapy
to adolescents and adults suffering from a variety of challenges. Furthermore, she has extensive experience treating mood disorders, trauma, depression, substance abuse, personality disorders, and dual diagnoses in various acute treatment settings. As a former Director of the Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs with the adolescent population, she developed expertise in co-occurring disorders in the field of addiction and mental health utilizing a variety of evidence based practices.
Waitlist for new clients

Chelsie Silveira
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
My clients typically come to me because they are struggling with anxiety or depression and they want to work on their ability to interact with others or improve relationships, complete tasks, sleep better or feel better about themselves; all of which may stem from past trauma. I use a variety of approaches including Brainspotting, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interventions, Dialectical Behavior Therapy interventions, and when indicated Behavioral Interventions. I work from a strengths-based perspective to find the best parts of you and/or your
family
and I work to build your strengths so you can grow and thrive on your own again.

Kara LeRose
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Growth... strength...confidence... resilience. These are things you want more of in your life. Sometimes inner struggles and life situations get in the way of you feeling at your best in your relationships with your partner, your work and your
family
. When it's time to start looking at what is getting in your way, make the move to finding the support and the solutions you need to take your life from so-so to great!

Terry Nestel
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I'm a certified practitioner of Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT),
Family
Overcoming Under Stress (FOCUS).
As a parent/caregiver, a certain level of stress is normal, however when your stress level becomes unmanageable, it is time to seek professional support. I help infants and their parents; individuals and their families repair the effects of trauma and stress in their lives. I believe the earlier we address emotional, developmental, relational, social and individual (behavior) functioning, the better we can assist the
family
or individual to make life-long changes.

Daniel Veselak
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I am a licensed therapist working for the Ludington Institute for
Family
Enrichment.
I have worked with teens and adolescents as a camp counselor, youth director, and also high school water polo coach. I offer individual therapy for adolescents, teens, and adults who are depressed, stressed, anxious, or irritable at home, in school, or in social settings. I am interested in fostering positive identity in my practice with individuals, families, and couples. My work is guided by a belief that clients need to feel safe enough to explore why they "feel" the way they do, and to help them develop a positive self-regard.

Leslie Spero LCSW
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I have provided individual and
family therapy
for over the last 18 years.
Is your child, tween, teen or college age adult, having problems with increasing stress, increasing anxiety, feeling hopeless, depressed, harming themselves or threatening suicide? Do you have a child that has special needs in school and needs help to get them the services they need and deserve? You have taken the first step in finding a therapist that can both benefit your child and your
family
, by working as a team. As a women, are you going through one of lives transitions such as: birth, children with special needs, divorce, empty nest, grief and loss, personal growth, etc. Lets talk.

Hanna Avnon
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I work alongside the child and your
family
to create meaningful change.
Is your teen acting differently? Are they feeling anxious, isolating, displaying low self esteem, having challenges at school or relationship issues with their friends or
family
? Being a teen today is not easy, especially in a society where social media and comparison consume their developing minds. Do you want to help your teen overcome the many complex issues that impact them daily? You don't have to go through this difficult period alone. Many teens benefit from having a safe place to process their thoughts and feelings while learning coping skills to manage their symptoms.

Lisa Ann Noack
Counselor, MS, LPCC
Verified
Verified
It's not easy asking for help. When walking through life's challenges finding a trained therapist you feel comfortable with is extremely important. My goal is to balance supportive connection with skilled intervention, helping clients create healthy and meaningful lives. I believe in a holistic, integrative approach to therapy that includes all dimensions of health. I perceive every person who enters therapy as valuable and courageous, deserving treatment tailored to their specific needs in a supportive, safe, caring environment. I will always respect your unique personality, cultural background and
family
context.

Mark A Emmitt
Marriage & Family Therapist, MEd, MFT, NBCC
Verified
Verified
Has life become stressful and overwhelming? Are your
family
relationships being impacted? I believe this stress can wound the spirit and cause parents to be angry, children to be angry and act out and spouses to become resentful. I can help families and individuals communicate in ways that help to heal old wounds and restore a sense of hope. I work with your own internal strengths to support change and help you discover your unmet needs. I strongly believe in the power of self-exploration to create opportunities for positive life changes.

Julie Lynn Ross
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Hi, I am Julie, a Licensed Marriage and
Family Therapist
in California (LMFT118583). I understand if you are seeking counseling that you are looking for someone who can help you through something that is beyond what you can usually handle on your own. You are looking for someone with professional training as well as experience. I offer both. Additionally, I establish a warm rapport with my clients and provide a safe, supportive environment.

Rob Scheidlinger
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, JD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
The decision to engage a therapist is deeply personal and may seem challenging. It is a unique relationship, where ideally, you can be in a safe, empathic environment and talk to someone with in depth psychological training and significant life experience. I offer both to my clients, treating individuals, couples, children, adolescents and families. These relationships have led me to focus on the treatment of: anxiety, depression, relational communications, work place stressors, substance use/abuse, attachment disorders, emotional regulation issues, self image,
family
systems, ADHD, grief and loss, parenting, obsessive/compulsive behaviors, impulse control, mood disorders and relational conflicts.
Not accepting new clients

Traci Page
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, RPT
Verified
Verified
I am a Licensed Marriage &
Family Therapist
(LMFT 89396) and a Registered Play Therapist. I specialize in Play Therapy, Individual,
Family
and Couples Therapy and have experience working with addiction in both adults and adolescents. I am in private practice in Westlake Village. I am also studying Animal Assisted Therapy and use my Newfoundland dog, Bentley, as my co-therapist in-training.

Olga Frances Garcia
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I have worked with adults and children for over 10 years in the areas of trauma, anxiety, depression, victims of crime, relational issues (couples), attachment issues (child caregiver) and
family
dynamics.
My goal as a psychotherapist is to provide you with a genuine, warm, caring experience where your thoughts and feelings can be held and mended over time. Sharing the negatives of one's life and self can be such a debilitating experience. Whether you just need a listening ear or a more directive approach, I am honored to be a witness and participant in whatever modality you feel works for you. Working with adults and children over the years has changed my belief of pain and trauma. If you are ready to take that leap and trust in me, I would be honored to accompany your healing journey.

William Perry
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I would like to briefly highlight a few experiences and specialties. 1st:MARRIAGE &
FAMILY
: I have worked successfully with hundreds of couples and families to bring love and harmony back into their relationships. 2nd: ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, & TRAUMAS of all types: molestation, fear of flying, public speaking, driving, performance, and more. For well over a decade I've specialized in the therapies of EMDR & TFT; studied personally with Roger Callahan, PhD., and Francis Shapiro, Ph.D.,the creators of TFT and EMDR. This work is highly effective and rapid - often ending years/decades of suffering.

Cynthia D Weston
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
Sometimes beginning the process of therapy can be a little scary. The gifts that can be discovered through the challenge may inspire, transform, generate, and insight a new outlook on one's future. I have great compassion for those that want to make changes in their life.
Family
, child (play therapy), teens and individul, along with groups are all a part of my practice. Helping to discover your ultimate truth and having healthy, intimate, communicative, and nurturing relationships can bring freedom to your world and that is the goal.

Christie Limcaco
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I utilize Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and
Family
Systems, but also use different therapeutic interventions based on the client's needs.
Human beings are complex and unique. We go through challenges that we cannot always see our way though on our own. My experience and interest includes working with children, adolescents, individuals and families on a variety of different issues; including depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, multi-cultural families and trauma.

Bobette Fleishman
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Having retired from a 45-year career as a
Family
Law Attorney, Ms. Fleishman is now devoting her full-time efforts to Insight Counseling and Forensic Services which she established in 2017.
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Family Therapy
What do family therapists do?
A family therapist facilitates the process of understanding and improving how a family functions. The therapist will help family members develop empathy for one another. They’ll seek to understand existing patterns, misunderstandings, and conflicts that arise, in order to help the family arrive at a realistic, unified understanding and develop the coping skills they need to build stronger relationships.
How long does therapy for families take to work?
Therapy manifests differently in every family; a common time frame is 12 weekly sessions, but some families may see improvement after just a few weeks. Families should discuss their goals with the therapist at the beginning of the process and periodically revisit those goals to assess their progress together.
How can you encourage a family member to attend family therapy?
You can encourage family members to attend therapy by expressing with both love and concern the challenges you see and explaining how a therapist could help the family navigate those challenges together. An outside perspective can help everyone feel heard, get on the same page, and develop new skills. If family members are still hesitant, it may be helpful to emphasize that family therapy is short-term—it won’t last forever.
Is therapy for families effective?
Family therapy can significantly improve family dynamics and relationships. Research suggests that family therapy can help individuals understand their role in the family, communicate and solve problems together, reduce conflict and draw boundaries when necessary, and develop coping skills for stressors, major life changes, and mental or physical illnesses within the family.