Therapists have special training, education, and experience.

A licensed clinical psychologist has spent years learning about human behavior, relational dynamics, and effective interventions in graduate school and through over 3,000 hours of closely supervised clinical training. To become licensed, one has to take and pass both a Board of Psychology exam and a state-issued exam after earning a doctorate in clinical psychology. Therapists are trained to listen in order to understand, encourage new ways of thinking and self-reflection, recognize and identify unhelpful patterns, highlight blind spots, recognize unique strengths and and help you build upon them - all in order to support lasting change and growth. Friends and family can provide incredible support, love, and empathy, however a therapist can provide objective expertise in helping you understand your symptoms or concerns and provide interventions to reduce your distress.

Therapy is objective and always focused on you.

Therapy is designed to help you discover and achieve what you truly desire, and not what anyone else wants for you. It is a space where you can explore, without fear of upsetting a loved one or being judged, how you are feeling and what you are thinking. Therapists will meet you with an objective response, different than someone in your life who may have a stake in choices that you do or do not make. 

Therapy has clear and defined boundaries.

Your therapist will be there for you at a determined time and location, focused and ready to listen to you. Therapy is also not free, like talking to a friend. This investment in attending to your well-being on a weekly basis will likely increase your motivation and dedication to make the changes you are seeking.

Unlike friends and family, we do not expect anything from you emotionally other than your engagement in the therapy process. Your relationships with friends and family are important! They are "two-way streets," however, therapy is "one way only." Therefore, time is dedicated and limited to one person: you. 

Therapy is confidential.

Therapists are ethically and legally bound by the rules of confidentiality. Not only are you permitted to share without fear or worry that what you say will be shared by your therapist, there may be experiences or feelings you are simply not comfortable talking at length about with the loved ones in your life. The confidential nature of therapy creates safety and security.

Note: While talking to a therapist is different from talking to friends and family, it is ideal to be using as many sources of support during our times of need as possible. Friends and family can provide us with love and support when we need it most.

Consider sharing your therapy expectations.

It is not uncommon to have expectations regarding what will happen in therapy. These impressions may have been shaped from movies or television, our own past experiences in therapy, or what we have heard from others regarding their experiences or opinions.  

Consider sharing what works and doesn't work for you.

We are all unique. You can help me by sharing what type or style of questions works best for you. While I have expertise and good reasons for using the interventions I use, I know that there is always room for flexibility. If you have been in therapy before and found some aspect particularly helpful, be sure to let me know.

Consider sharing when a session is particularly helpful.

Letting me know when you have found a session especially beneficial can be helpful to the therapy process, as a whole. This feedback will guide me in future directions and we can discuss what made a session shine in order to incorporate more of that in sessions to come.

Consider sharing your concerns.

While you may not feel sure, I encourage you to share your reactions with me. An open discussion about any questions you may have helped me address your concerns to make appropriate adjustments.

And finally, ask questions!

At any point in the process, please feel free to ask me questions. I am more than happy to answer and address any inquires, whether it is regarding the therapy process, treatment goals or methods, or any other questions that arise.

Initial contact

If you are curious to learn more and are interested in working with me, please don't hesitate to reach out by submitting the form on the Scheduling page or by giving me a call. If I do not answer, please leave a voicemail with the best time to give you a call back and we can begin our brief phone consultation.

Free consultation call

Once we have determined a good time to talk by phone, I will want to know about what it is you are hoping I can help you with, in addition to answering any questions you have about me and my approach to therapy. After I get a sense of what it is you are looking for, we will determine if it is a good match. and then schedule a first meeting if we believe it to be a good fit.

Intake forms and practice policies

Once we have scheduled a first meeting, I will email you an invitation to the secure client portal* to fill out and complete intake forms and review my practice policies. Having this complete prior to our first appointment ensures that we can get started upon your arrival.

Note: I utilize a HIPAA compliant, electronic record keeping service to store all client related information.

First appointment

My office is located in located at 10436 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 3005.  When you arrive, you can push the call light button. This will help me know you have arrived.

Finding the right match is about connecting with a therapist with whom you feel safe and at ease. The first session is also an initial assessment, therefore I will be asking questions to learn about you, your history, and what it is you want to focus on. This information will help guide me in a considering a plan and direction for therapy.

Follow-up appointments

At the end of our first meeting, I will check in with you about how the appointment felt and if you are interested in making another appointment. We will then go ahead and schedule a next appointment. During the appointments to follow, we will dig deeper and explore the initial concerns that brought you in and move towards increased self-knowledge and understanding.