Psychodynamic Therapists in Westlake Village, CA

I believe that healing, growth, and change are available to all people, regardless of their present circumstances or their past misfortune. I help clients identify their challenges and their goals, and to find viable ways to help each client make changes along their psychological, social, and biological axes of life. I believe that no one is an island and that there is no shame in reaching out for help. I seek to provide an empathetic and intellectually engaging environment to cultivate insights and promote growth.

If you strive to make a meaningful change in your life, finding the right therapist is the first step on the journey to self-improvement. The bond between client and therapist is an agent of change in itself, as it helps the client to develop healthy connections with others. In my practice, I help my clients live more fulfilling lives by identifying their highest values and helping them overcome the obstacles that hold them back.

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.

I passionately believe in the human capacity for growth through empathy, insight, and connection. I use a gentle but direct approach to help my clients to navigate the road to change. I will help you to examine how your life experiences, interpersonal relationships and environment connect to your thoughts, feelings and actions. I have extensive experience in mental health and substance abuse recovery, and have worked with adults and adolescents in inpatient and outpatient treatment settings. In my practice I see individuals and couples, and have a strong background in family therapy.

I offer a safe, supportive and caring space open to folks of any gender, orientation, race, or religion to gain insight and change problematic patterns of behavior. I enjoy working with kids, young adults in transition to an independent life and adults encountering life difficulties. I provide individual couples and family therapy. My specialties are with eating disorders, other addictions, self harm, trauma, ADHD, anxiety and depression.

What if, we all possessed the skill set to build strength, resiliency and hope in our lives? Working in the Co-occurring disorder and substance abuse field for many years, I know that it is possible to heal wounded spirits and repair lives. Working with the HIV(+) and LGBT community, emphasizes my belief, that all people are born, "good enough." I can help you remove the barriers to remembering this.

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.

Have you tried dealing with things on your own but need to reach out to a professional for yourself, your relationship, your child, or your parenting skills? I will work with you to help you gain understanding of your issue and gain insight about yourself. We will find tools to help you build resilience and coping skills, while enhancing your well-being. I hold a safe, supportive, nonjudgmental space, where we will work toward improvement and where you will receive understanding and empathy, while working toward your goals.

I understand the challenges, hopes, and fears you face in the process of seeking therapy. Our goal is to create together a safe atmosphere that will enable you to explore. At the same time, I look at underlying issues you may have and confront them in an empathic manner. In addition to private practice, I teach, write, and present locally and nationally. While I work with both women and men from many walks of life, my specialties include men's issues, fatherhood, sports psychology, working with executives, and diversity training.

Life can be unpredictable and feel out of our control. The day-to-day stress, exhaustion, and relationship difficulties can be overwhelming and hold us back without us even realizing it. Our therapeutic collaboration will help you learn how to react, cope, and move forward, no matter what the circumstance! Every person is different and deserves to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their potential, and their personal desires. My eclectic approach combines psychodynamic , CBT, and DBT skill techniques with an individualized approach for each client.

As a queer, bi-ethnic EMDR-trained (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) clinician, I broadly apply a social justice, sex-positive, feminist, and psychodynamic approach to help my clients get “unstuck” by moving through trauma and finding clarity within the context of the world we live in. I received my Master’s degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley and have extensive experience working in community mental health and with individuals involved in the criminal justice system. My current work is informed by my years of experience as a public servant.

Navigating life's challenges is never easy, but reaching out for help is a brave first step to living a more genuine and fulfilling life. I have expertise in working with individuals struggling with childhood trauma and trauma-related symptoms such as grief, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relational conflict. I believe every client is unique and deserves to be listened to and understood in an empathetic way. I am passionate about creating a safe, kind, collaborative and judgment-free space where clients can attain new insights, experience new feelings, and find a renewed sense of physical and mental well-being.

As a Marriage & Family Therapist, my clinical area of expertise is the treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Couple/Relational Issues, Grief and Loss and Parenting Issues. Welcome to my profile, it is my belief that by entering psychotherapy, one is opening the door for change towards personal growth and fulfillment. Therapy is a collaborative process and treatment goals are reviewed throughout the course of treatment. Treatment goals consist of reducing undesired problems and symptoms while aimed at increasing insight and personal growth. Psychotherapy consists of learning more adaptive coping skills, enhancing communication and improving emotional well being.

Experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma can be hard to navigate on one’s own. Through the use of integrative modalities, my goal is to help you find your way so that you can manage symptoms, feel your best, discover who you truly are, and move forward in the direction of your dreams whereby your past no longer holds you back. Using warmth and compassion, I also aim to provide trauma-informed care to discuss your struggles without judgment and safely process unresolved trauma and feelings.

Do you find yourself having a difficult time coping with anxiety, depression, and trauma? Do you have a hard time communicating and setting boundaries with others? Life is full of obstacles and hardships that may be difficult to overcome without the right tools, resources, and, guidance leading to the manifestation of these symptoms. I specialize in working with adults, couples, and adolescents using a Psychodynamic approach to explore unconscious thoughts and behaviors. In doing this, we are able to collaboratively recognize old ineffective patterns and process unresolved feelings and trauma.

Are you having difficulty in your relationships and wondering, "how do I make things better?" Are you experiencing a loss of self, feeling confused and/or depressed? Is it difficult to identify your feelings? Have your feelings become too painful to experience on your own? It is only natural to want to avoid feelings that are painful. It is our basic human instinct to avoid anything that is painful especially emotional pain. Unfortunately, avoiding pain results in maladaptive behavior and difficulties within relationships. Avoiding feelings can result in feeling numb and/or loss of self.