Counseling Online & South Pasadena, CA
Individuals, Relationships, Couples
Life gets complicated. Relationships become strained. You find yourself stuck in patterns that no longer serve you. If you're over 30 struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, or simply feeling lost about who you are and what you want, you're in the right place. I have 18 years of experience as a Licensed Therapist dedicated to supporting Individuals and Couples through difficult times.
I work with individuals (30+), couples, and families who are ready to do the real work of understanding themselves and improving their relationships—with partners, friends, coworkers, and most importantly, with themselves.
My Approach
Relationships Are at the Heart of Everything
Much of what we label as anxiety, depression, anger, or grief are symptoms of problematic relationships. When we address these relationship issues directly, the symptoms often resolve themselves.
My focus is on helping you understand and improve your relationships with your spouse or partner, friends, coworkers, and yourself. This includes your relationship with work, substances, or anything else that plays a significant role in your life.
Knowing Who You Are Changes Everything
If you don't know who you are and what you want, it's nearly impossible to set meaningful goals or find real direction. A central part of our work together will be developing a strong identity that's well differentiated from others.
Differentiation is the active, ongoing process of defining yourself—your own thoughts, feelings, wishes, and desires. It's difficult work because it requires deep self-awareness. It means expressing your desires openly, which carries the risk of seeing differences, facing conflict, and potentially disrupting attachments. But it's essential for living authentically.
The Power of Acceptance
We must learn to accept people as they are, not as we wish them to be. You don't have to like it or agree with it but wanting others to be something they're not never works. With acceptance comes choice: you get to decide if you want to be in relationship with them and how to engage. For the more challenging relationships you choose to maintain, you'll need to set clear boundaries.
How I Work
I draw from several therapeutic approaches, using what fits best for your situation:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Awareness alone rarely creates change, but it guides us toward making different choices. Through conscious, considered decisions, you can change your behaviors and actions to create the outcomes you desire. Over time, these new behaviors become integrated into your life.
Gestalt Therapy: Before you can change, you need to accept your imperfect self as you are right now, in this moment. Without this foundation, you're expending energy trying to be something you're not—your ideal self rather than your authentic self. This gets in the way of real growth.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Meaningful change requires awareness of how you got to where you are. We'll explore how unconscious thoughts, past experiences, and unresolved conflicts influence your current feelings, behaviors, and relationships.
Solution-Focused Therapy: We'll identify behaviors that are working and build on them. We'll also identify what isn't working and help you stop doing those things. This strengths-based approach focuses on your goals and past successes rather than dwelling endlessly on problems.
Why It’s Hard to Change
Let's be honest about the obstacles:
We don't know what changes to make
We can't tolerate the anxiety that comes with change
Fear holds us back
The suffering caused by our current situation feels less threatening than the perceived suffering change would bring
If you're reading this, you're likely ready to face these obstacles.
What We'll Do Together
In our sessions, you'll have space to:
Talk openly without judgment or being told what you "should" do
Gain insight into the issues you're struggling with and how they came to be
Understand your feelings about situations and identify what you need
Appreciate how others see things differently and what their needs might be
Discover new perspectives and actions you might take
Identify and overcome the obstacles keeping you from what you want
Understand how past experiences affect your current situation
Develop practical tools for handling difficult situations
Establish more helpful ways of thinking and behaving
The Frequently Asked Questions page might answer any questions you might have.
Ready to Start
If you're tired of feeling stuck
If you're ready to understand yourself better
If you want to build the relationships and life you want.
Give me a call. You can tell me what you want to accomplish and will let you know how I can help.