Couples Counseling Therapists in Pasadena, CA

I work with clients on issues such as depression, anxiety, relationships, identity, self esteem and recovering and resolving trauma. I am available to work with individuals, couples and adolescents. I have significant clinical experience with sexual assault, intimate partner violence, childhood sexual trauma, and eating disorders.

I truly admire those willing to embark on the courageous journey towards transformation, and I am honored to stand beside them in their quest for happier, more productive and successful lives. I understand individuals can experience pain associated with tremendous fear and shame that often prevents them from living healthy and authentic lives. I facilitate a nurturing environment for individuals, couples and adolescents seeking to explore and understand themselves more fully through reflection and attunement.

Interested in short-term, solution-focused therapy that will enhance a positive state of mind and increase emotional and spiritual growth, health and well-being? If so, call me. You can develop the self awareness necessary to have a more peaceful and joyful life. I will guide you through this process with the use of positive interventions that will allow for optimal health, resilience and stress reduction. Clients report that, through my insight, guidance and humor, they are leading happier, more enriching lives. I offer a non-judgmental, safe, interactive and, of course, confidential environment. Call for a consultation.

Maybe today's struggle feels bigger than your ability to cope. Asking for help may make you feel a little sick, but more of the same just isn't an option. Your self-esteem has bottomed out; a harsh inner critic is running the show. Maybe you’re experiencing grief after a death or the loss of a relationship. You’re getting pushed around by anxiety or depression; you've reached mid-life and are asking, is this it? You’re dating and wondering why nothing seems to work out. Your relationships cause more stress than fulfillment and you want marriage counseling or pre-marital counseling. Whatever the reason, welcome.

Do you find yourself struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, identity, and difficult life transitions? Do you find yourself feeling stuck and can’t seem to focus or move forward? There are many ways to get unstuck, and this is the work I love to do to help you heal, grow and live a more fulfilling life. I use an integrative approach including attachment-based work, DBT, CBT, IFS, and mindfulness, bringing in each as needed. Above all, I strive to hold space and empathy for your life experience.

Are you facing overwhelming adversity in your life? Are you are having difficulty maintaining healthy relationships or struggling to adjust to new roles or life changes? Do you want to achieve fulfillment and direction in life but are unsure of where to start? Are you ready to become the best version of yourself? In our work together, you can expect to learn more about yourself. By understanding who you are, you can potentially achieve meaningful relationships and learn how to adapt to challenges. Become empowered to achieve your potential; self-improvement is within your reach.

Finding a therapist who's the right fit can be stressful and time-consuming. Thank you for taking a minute to see if one of our therapists is right for you. You may be feeling stressed, worried, anxious, angry, hopeless - or all of the above! - and you just want to feel better. Maybe there's a problem you need to talk through, find some clarity around, and take action on. Or perhaps you're looking for someone who can help you clarify your goals, develop your potential, and bring your dreams into reality. In any case, we'd love to help!

In everyone's life, some heartache will happen. Some days, the things we do to cope with stress no longer work as well as they once did; other days, it may feel like everything is falling apart. No matter what your struggle is, we will work together to understand the source of your problems and develop practical strategies to reach your goals. In your first session, we will begin to answer the question, "What would help look like right now?" and help you cultivate and develop tools you may not even know you had within your reach.

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.

Sometimes we feel lost, angry, or sad about our romantic relationships. I have been using the Gottman Method for couples therapy for 7+ years. This method is based on extensive research on what tools "master couples" use to have successful relationships.

Welcome home to yourself. You are a creative entrepreneur, person of color, neurodivergent and conqueror. You want to obtain inner and outer peace, connect with others in ways that work and stop creating the same negative cycles in relationships. You want to better manage your emotions, be confident in your decision-making and transform the deeper pain which has been troubling you (and possibly generations before you). Pain often indicates the need for our compassionate attention to certain aspects of our inner life which need tending to.

I focus my work with couples, families and individuals to improve connection and secure functioning within relationships. I also work with mothers and fathers struggling with perinatal/postpartum symtpoms and parenting needs. During big life events we all need support, compassion, understanding, and sometimes guidance to return to feeling whole, connected, and allow joy back into our lives. Learning to care for yourself/partner/child and obtaining evidence based tools to improve your life is what you can gain working with me. My hope is to help you heal so you manage life's stressors and feel confident to face the world.

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.

Life is not easy but you are not meant to do it alone. Being vulnerable with another person can be uncomfortable, intimidating, and may even bring guilt and shame. I believe that you are worthy to be heard, restored, and to thrive. As your therapist, I seek to advocate for and provide a safe, caring, non-judgmental, & collaborative space for holistic care (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually) that can promote deeper healing and growth. My goal is to help and empower you to uproot unhealthy patterns of behaviors and thoughts & to discover and experience what it means to be hopeful again and become a healthier, true self.

I am a Clinical Psychologist with more than 25 years of experience in treating adults for a variety of issues. These include depression, anxiety, and life adjustment problems such relationship or career concerns. A significant portion of my practice is devoted to helping people overcome traumatic experiences such as violent crimes, domestic violence, and childhood abuse. Regardless of what brings a person into therapy, I work actively in an atmosphere of support and empathy to help my patients understand themselves, to heal, and to learn how to live happier, more productive lives.

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California since 2006. I was a registered psychologist, counselor, and family mediator in New Zealand before moving to the United States as a professor in marriage and family therapy at San Diego State University. I worked and trained in educational psychology before being immersed in narrative therapy, narrative mediation, and solution-focused therapy in the 1990s. I have worked a lot in schools with children and teens, addressed parenting challenges, helped blended families address unique crises that arise, help clients with separation and divorce.

*Accepting new clients. These are really tough times. Uncertainty and shifting social norms are taking a toll on our mental health. Have you been going through the motions only to find that now everything feels intolerable? Are you finding that what has worked in the past isn’t working any more? Do you feel like you just don’t care, or just feel disconnected? I can help. Let's get you to that place where you are enjoying yourself and others, even when life throws you challenges. I work with individuals and couples who want a safe place to get curious, be honest and explore old patterns that are keeping you stuck.

Often, when we are hurting, we don't know why. We think it might be work, or problems at home. It might be money, or worries about health. These vague, nameless feelings are sometimes softened just by feeling understood. Feeling better in the world, sometimes, is achieved by feeling deeper connections to others, feeling responded to rather than ignored, and just simply feeling that who you are is important to another human being. I believe that being seen, recognized, and having explanations that make sense, can improve your life, both on a deeper level, and on a day to day basis.

"How we do anything is how we do everything." We move through life in a distinct way that was shaped before we can remember, reinforces itself everyday, and inevitably leads to the same problems despite our best efforts to change. Do anxiety and depression color your everyday experience? Has addiction taken hold of your life? Do you struggle to build satisfying relationships? Through courageous self-exploration, I can help you find compassion for yourself and come to understand why you encounter the same issues again and again. Building this understanding and taking responsibility for your life can empower you to heal and grow.