Our first session focuses on getting to know each other and understanding what brings you to therapy. We'll discuss your goals, my approach, and what you can expect from our work together. This is also your opportunity to ask questions and see if we feel like a good fit.

Therapy can be helpful if you're experiencing recurring patterns in relationships, feeling stuck, dealing with anxiety or depression, going through major life transitions, or simply wanting to understand yourself better. If you're curious about therapy, that's often a good sign it might be beneficial.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, I'm specifically trained to work with relationship and family dynamics, focusing on how past experiences and unconscious patterns influence current relationships. LPCCs (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors) provide mental health treatment for individuals with various concerns like anxiety and depression. LCSWs (Licensed Clinical Social Workers) combine therapy with social services and advocacy. Life coaches focus on goal-setting and future planning but aren't licensed mental health professionals and can't treat mental health conditions or provide therapy.

I like the explain what psychodynamic therapy is through the quote "the map is not the territory". Bear with me...

Imagine your life experiences have given you a "map" that helps guide you throughout life. This "map" is all the beliefs and expectations about yourself and relationships that you formed early in life, often without realizing it. Psychodynamic therapy helps you see that you may be living your life based on an old map that doesn't match where you actually are. If you keep treating this map like it's reality, you might be causing yourself distress where it's not needed.

In therapy, you explore where this map came from and start noticing when you're reacting to the map instead of what's actually in front of you (the "territory") Once you can see your map as just a map, and also appreciate that other people have maps of their own that may or may not align with yours or with the territory itself, you're much more empowered to update it and respond to your life as it really is.

Most therapies acknowledge that your thoughts and beliefs shape your experience, but they differ in what they focus on and how they create change.

One very popular modality that you may be familiar with is Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT identifies unhelpful thoughts in the present and teaches you skills to challenge and change them directly, without spending much time on where they came from. In contrast, psychodynamic therapy goes deeper into the unconscious roots of your childhood experiences, hidden conflicts, and patterns you're not aware of. It also uses the relationship with your therapist as a key tool, noticing how your perceptions shows up within the therapeutic relationship itself, whereas CBT focuses more on what happens outside of sessions.

The psychodynamic approach is less structured and more exploratory, and places more of an emphasis on understanding yourself holistically rather than fixing specific problem areas.

I don't typically assign formal homework, but I might suggest paying attention to certain patterns or reflecting on themes we've discussed between sessions.

Most clients benefit from weekly sessions, especially when starting therapy. As you progress, we might adjust the frequency based on your needs and goals.

This varies greatly depending on your goals and what brings you to therapy. Some people find relief in a few months, while others benefit from longer-term work. We'll regularly check in about your progress and goals.

Yes, I offer both in-person sessions in Los Angeles and secure virtual sessions. Many clients find virtual therapy just as effective as in-person sessions.

Please provide at least 24 hours notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will be charged the full session fee.

Yes, with rare exceptions required by law (such as imminent danger to yourself or others, or suspected child or elder abuse). I'll always discuss these limits with you and, whenever possible, involve you in any decisions about breaking confidentiality.

It's important that you feel comfortable with your therapist. If at any point you feel we're not a good match, we can discuss this openly and I can provide referrals to other therapists who might be better suited to your needs.

Find out more information about rates here. 

Yes, I do! Get in touch with me here and we can schedule an initial consultation and figure out if we're a good match.