Therapists in Pasadena, CA

I want to work with people who are willing to try something new, to try something different, to take risks, to be vulnerable, to explore, and to discover. I am deeply committed both to the family and individual. I want to extend myself to those finding themselves ready to push through conflicts by collaborating with me on the process of being honest and comfortable in our skin. In terms of facing life's adventures, if you feel that I am talking to you please feel free to contact me to set up an initial consultation.

Author and psychologist Alice Miller once wrote, “Consciously experiencing our legitimate emotions is liberating. Repressed emotion can be resolved as soon as it is felt, understood, and recognized as legitimate.” Dr. Miller’s words capture my work as a psychotherapist. It is my hope to help my patients legitimately experience their complex emotional worlds in order to cultivate a rich and meaningful life. Although this is no easy task, I offer my partnership on this journey toward relief and healing, both internally and interpersonally.

Our ideal client is an individual, couple or organization that is interested in some sort of transformation and needs an experienced facilitator and partner in that change. I have worked as a therapist for over 35 years and a business consultant for over 25 years. I have two master degrees and one doctorate degree in counseling and clinical psychology. More importantly, however, I have invested in my own personal growth, after all, the emotional maturity of the therapist/consultant is the most important attribute they can have.

Welcome to my practice. I have been in practice since 2007 and have been featured on ABC, NBC, and KCAL as an expert psychologist. I work primarily with men who have hit “rock bottom” and would like help getting up. These men are often in crisis when we first meet. The issues I address are typically related to unhealthy sexual behaviors, infidelity, financial recklessness, gambling, drugs/alcohol, dishonesty/lying, and relational conflicts. My therapy approach is a combination of psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and the 12-Step recovery model. I also share insight from my own painful but redemptive recovery journey.

You are seeking a therapist because you are in emotional pain. Are you struggling with an addiction – sex, alcohol, drugs, or gambling? Have you been abused as a child or in an adult relationship? Have you experienced sexual assault, violence or other trauma? Are you experiencing issues with your significant other or other relationships? Sometimes addiction, depression, anger, and anxiety can happen because of a trauma history. Treating trauma can help you get your emotional health back and free you from addictive behavior and pain.

"The past can hurt. But the way I see my it, you can either run from it, or learn from it." - Rafiki. Learning from and overcoming our past can be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually challenging. However, running from our past mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining. In my practice, clients are given the warmth and support to confront the past, the tools to overcome the past, as well as the space and grace to learn from the past. My practice is geared toward helping you to put the past in the past and to be present in the present.

I approach mental health in a systemic, collaborative, strengths-based therapeutic way to help clients acknowledge the various unique contexts which impact their lives. This allows them to connect with their strengths and learn new ways to live in wholeness. My empathy and warmth help create a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients can process and heal. I utilize various therapeutic approaches. I believe that clients have the answers, and together, we will find a deeper awareness of who they are, who they want to become, and how to propel them onto a path of healing, growth, and actualization.

I primarily work with leaders and their family members to find healthy work/life rhythms, manage stress, heal from trauma, and develop strategies for health. As a pastor and licensed clinical psychologist (PSY35006), I work with individuals, couples, adolescents, and children who are facing varying challenges in life to find pathways through pain and into healing, growth, and vitality.

I am honored to be able to work with adolescents and adults to provide them with contained space where they can work through obstacles that hinder inner strength and wisdom. For many of us, psychopathology can be traced back to trauma or relational issues of the past. I never tire of exploring this material with my brave clients.

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!

Everyone has goals in life, but at times it may be difficult to achieve those goals, resulting in feelings of anxiety or depression. Using a holistic, strength-based approach we will explore factors that may have gotten in the way of achieving your goals, such as life stressors, relationship difficulties, or insecurities. Together we will focus on addressing these obstacles in order to allow you to achieve your goals and thrive. I also offer psychological testing to investigate what obstacles may be present (i.e., ADHD, memory problems, personality characteristics, etc.) and provide recommendations on how to best overcome them.

Sometimes life is just too hard. There's confusion and hurt around school, work, relationships, this crazy new world of which we're all trying to make sense. But there's good news too! You are not meant to do this alone. It is my true privilege to be able to walk alongside my clients, helping share the weight of their burdens. Together we will create a place of peace and trust, a relationship full of compassion and encouragement and without judgment (and we'll likely have some laughs together as well!). From there we will work together to find new ways to grow and learn and manage the things that make life hard.

Finding the right therapist from a website is difficult, which is why I offer phone or in-person consultations. It takes courage to address challenges such as relationships, personal problems, or general unhappiness. Your success in treatment will depend on your readiness to open up and my authentic presence that will help create a safe space for you. Together we will work on identifying, experiencing and expanding your capacity to tolerate all ranges of feelings. You will become more conscious of your limiting patterns while developing healthy ones as your sense of a genuine and stronger self emerges.

I specialize in working with people who want more love and peacefulness in their lives. I have had post masters level training doing depth work in psychoanalysis. I have been in practice for over 20 years. We will work together for a better understanding of your unconscious inner world and how it affects your life. Close and intimate relationships with others are possible and a basic human need that are yearned for and people deserve. I can help with opening your heart and opening your mind in many new and powerful ways.

When it is overwhelming to be faced with life's many challenges, having an experienced and compassionate ally on your side can help you get through the tough times and also begin a process of growth and discovery. Seeking psychotherapy is a courageous step to create meaningful and lasting change. Dealing with the end of a relationship or the loss of a loved one can leave you feeling paralyzed; Uncertainty about how to face into the fears about career, school, and relationships can leave you feeling stuck; Occasionally one may just wake up feeling depressed, anxious or in physical pain.

DIVORCE is devastating. As a skilled and trained Divorce Mediator, I specialize in assisting difficult and litigious couples through the entire process of their divorce. With 3 decades of experience, I mediate spousal and child support, investments, properties and pension funds, along with establishing a careful and appropriate parenting plan. My firm prepares all of the legal documentation. Mediation is one tenth the cost of Litigation. The stress, anger, physical exhaustion and emotional pain of the court system takes an enormous toll on ones life. Research shows that a litigious divorce in the courts creates significantly more trauma in children.

Are you a spiritual person wanting psychotherapy that addresses all of who you are? Are you looking for healing painful past issues that keep surfacing? Do you suffer from childhood traumas that have been difficult to heal? Do you want to have better relationships, more meaningful work? Do you want a deeper spiritual life? I would be honored to be of service! I love working with clients that want an integrated psychotherapy that deals with mind, body, and spirit. APPLYING LOVING TO THE PLACES INSIDE THAT HURT LEADS TO HEALING!

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment! Trauma Reduction Treatment! PTSD Treatment! No charge first consult, to determine treatment needs. $200/hour and $100/hour fee for limited income. $50/hour for unemployed & students. Reduced fees are a community service! Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD Trauma Reduction, and Panic Disorder treatment with Hypnotherapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy are specialties. Treatment Planning is Solution Focused and Time Limited. My practice utilizes only the most extensively tested (evidence-based) treatment interventions including Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Hypnotherapy.

The most fascinating and important part of my job as a therapist is how to have a really good conversation. It may sound too simple, but it cuts to the heart of what to expect from therapy. Through good conversation, you experience connection and understanding. When we are understood, difficult feelings change with resulting freedoms to engage life. Trained both as a Marriage and Family therapist and a psychoanalyst, I work with complex relationship issues, divorce and blended families, depression, anxiety, addictions, men's issues, and sexual trauma recovery, and integration of psychology and faith/spirituality.