Therapists in 90046

Damon Holzum, LCSW. I bring a fresh, passionate and compassionate approach to your concerns and engage with you as someone desiring a powerful, nurturing, and solutions focused experience. My focus is an integrative approach blending CBT, experiential, Gestalt, and narrative therapies to assist you and your significant other or family to thrive within your environment and understand your thoughts and feelings to be the best you. I engage with all genres of individuals and focus on sex-positive therapy, polyamory, alternative sexual practices and the destigmatization of all things sexual and intimate within your relationships.

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.

Exhausted by the way you think about yourself? We are often (if not always) our own worst enemies. Whether this has caused you problems with guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, addiction or you name it - the starting point is generally the same. When we embark on the project of therapy you will be asked to put your painful thoughts and feelings into words. As the process unfolds, the strength / fervor used to overthink and condemn yourself will become accessible to use productively in reaching your goals.

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? 

All too often struggles deplete our energy and leave us feeling down on ourselves. Through rigorous conversation and a highly supportive relationship, I help people gain the clarity and confidence needed to produce desired change. I have extensive training in postmodern therapies, which examine how dominant cultural discourses can have oppressive effects on our lives, identities, and relationships. Prior to working in private practice, I was part of UCLA's network, where I brought social justice aims to integrative models of mental health. I have many years of experience working with couples, families, youth, and adults.

Welcome! I'm glad you are here! My name is Dr. Lara Loest and I am a psychological associate working under the supervision of Dr. Inga Simonian. My ideal client is a trauma survivor who is aware, reflective, and wanting to go deeper within themselves. I have an extra special place in my heart for artists and other creatives. My training is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive.

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.

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.

You see yourself as a high-achieving person, but there are parts of your life that feel unbalanced. Perhaps there are self-destructive behaviors that are getting out of control. Or your relationships may be causing you grief. There may also be an empty feeling or nagging fears under the surface. Even if you are accustomed to solving things yourself, this may be the time to reach out for help from a professional who specializes in working with high-functioning clients like yourself. I offer a rare combination of two decades of experience in the MIT/tech world with substantial training as a psychotherapist.

Native to Los Angeles, Amanda was captivated from a young age by the stark discrepancies in mental health services available to marginalized communities compared to the surrounding populations living only just next door. Prolonged exposure further lead her awareness of a growing divide for which there seemed no clear solution. Frustrated by a lack of meaningful social impact, Amanda was driven to commit her life to seeking clinical solutions to broad societal issues.

Early on, Adam was intrigued by how we connect with ourselves and the world around us. His interests led him to explore a diverse range of cultures and beliefs. He received his masters degree in psychology, and further delved into meditation, sound healing, and other consciousness ideologies. Today, he uses a variety of those tools to help those around him. In an atmosphere free of judgement, Adam helps guide each individual through their journey to understand and love themselves more fully.

Are you stuck, unable to move forward in your life? I believe that we as human beings are resilient, and that, when we find ourselves stuck unable to move forward in our lives, it's important to seek guidance outside ourselves to unravel and breakfree from whatever is blocking our inner light. I am here to assist you to unravel and break free from whatever is blocking your inner light from shining.

I provide psychotherapy to young adults, adults, couples and families who would like to explore trauma, anxiety, and relationships. I am passionate about working with clients who are self-explorers, question askers, and have a profound desire to increase well-being. I specialize in the treatment of relational trauma, anxiety symptoms, relationship and attachment challenges. Our work will help you develop self-understanding + self-compassion, improve your relationship to self + others, build self-esteem + self-worth, challenge perfectionism + people pleasing, learn to set healthy boundaries, build coping skills and healthy habits.

Change starts with the first step. Insight paired with action drives lasting change. However taking the step to foster change in one's emotional life can be frightening and overwhelming. With me you will find a safe, caring environment, where together we travel a path of emotional discovery that will lead you to a better life. Based in West Hollywood, my practice is designed to help you understand yourself at a fundamental level, to give you tools and craft an approach that is healing and meets your specific needs. Building trust in the therapeutic journey, in an atmosphere that supports emotional growth and lasting change.

If at this moment you find yourself seeking guidance but are unsure of where to turn, first know that these are perfectly natural uncertainties to have around finding the help you seek. In fact, these questions demonstrate your resilience and awareness - you've still got your wits about you! My therapeutic practice is dedicated to supporting individuals, couples, and families grappling with an array of challenges including depression, isolation, anxiety, trauma, relational conflicts, and existential unease.

We all have the potential to create the lives and relationships we want, even in the most challenging of situations. Grappling with the normal questions and challenges of being human can, at times become overwhelming. I work with clients to tap into the inner and outer resources that may have been unrecognized or perhaps forgotten, and to utilize these resources and skills to transform difficulty and pain into ease and wellbeing. You don't have to stay stuck in habitual patterns that don't serve you. Through thoughtful exploration and practice you can build a life of greater freedom and possibility.

“I’m having an existential crisis” & “I’m struggling with my goals” are oftentimes one of the first sentences that a person says to me when seeking therapy. My clients are vibrant, smart, creative individuals who want to increase their quality of life. People who come in for therapy are struggling with life transitions, grief & loss, career issues, artistic blocks, anxiety, disappointment, depression, anger, frustration, addiction issues, and interpersonal, or romantic challenges. They are looking to feel better, make strides in their personal lives and careers, understand themselves, and seek opportunities to change their lives.

Changes in relationships, starting a family, navigating a breakup, leaving for college, changing careers, or unexpected situations, to name a few- could elicit discomfort that makes us feel stuck, anxious, and/or depressed. Navigating life might feel difficult due to the uncertainties but we do not have to continue to feel this way. I firmly believe everyone has the tools within them to survive, thrive, process, and grow. Together, we will discover these tools, find tangible ways to achieve your goals, and gain clarity about the unknown while exploring your strengths and building resiliency toward healing and empowerment.

The fact is that everyone at some point in their lives, will face challenges, traumas, circumstances or relationships that overwhelm their ability to cope. While navigating these experiences can be painful, difficult, and complex- no one should have to go at it alone. I view the therapeutic experience as collaborative. My intention is to create a safe, supportive, and judgement free space where together we'll explore what brings meaning into your life, and dismantle the obstacles that get in your way. My role is to bolster skills that encourage meaningful reflection, communication, and connection to self and others.