Find a Therapist in Pacoima, CA

Many of the problems that bring people to therapy are the result of using defense mechanisms to avoid facing uncomfortable emotions and conflicts. I help patients identify the defense mechanisms that they are using and overcome them so that they can lead better lives. This process is known as intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP), and there is a strong body of research to support its efficacy. I also use standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy, and common sense to help my clients solve their problems and improve their lives. If you're interested in a different way of looking at or approaching your problems....Call me! :-) To learn more about my approach to therapy, please visit my website (link under my pic) or call me :-)

I specialize in working with adult individuals and couples, facing challenges with relationships and divorce, coping with anxiety and depression, and navigating life's myriad challenges. I also work with executives and professionals helping them understand how their inner world affects their professional effectiveness and efficiency. All of my work is grounded in evidenced-based treatments including: DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), PCM (Process Communications Model) and value-oriented and mindfulness-based approaches—tailored to best fit the needs of my clients. I am empathic, direct, and dedicated to your progress. Together we’ll achieve the changes you desire and need as quickly as you need it.

Hi! I'm glad you're here. Navigating the ups and downs of pregnancy, postpartum, or challenges like infertility can feel overwhelming and deeply personal. I’m here to walk with you every step of the way, offering support and understanding as you go through this journey. I find great fulfillment in walking alongside people as they navigate the many stages of life. My particular passion lies in supporting women as they experience the trials and triumphs of pregnancy, postpartum, and child-rearing. I also partner with women who are facing the heartache of infertility, miscarriage, and child loss.. When I was pregnant with my daughter a few years ago, I had the typical dream that I would move into motherhood smoothly and adjust to all the changes easily. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) throughout my pregnancy and suffered from intense Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. After working through my own healing journey, I realized that no parent should have to walk through these challenges alone. My goal is to provide you with a safe and supportive space where healing and growth can flourish. I am committed to meeting you with empowerment, encouragement, support, and empathy as you share your story. Anna McDonald is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist under the supervision Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Rebecca Johnson, LMFT 99028

Hi! I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who enjoys working with children, adolescents, families, and young adults. I have experience supporting clients from diverse backgrounds who are navigating concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-esteem challenges. I believe therapy works best when it feels safe, supportive, and collaborative. My role is to walk alongside you on your journey—listening, supporting, and at times gently challenging you—while always meeting you with compassion and without judgment. My hope is that therapy becomes a space where you feel comfortable being yourself and sharing openly. I work through a holistic and culturally sensitive lens, recognizing that our identities, experiences, and relationships all shape our mental health. With a background in child development, and experience as a school social worker, I have a strong understanding of how family systems and early attachment relationships influence our emotional well-being. I am deeply passionate about this work because I believe everyone deserves access to mental health care, and the chance to feel happy. Life can be challenging, and asking for help is a courageous step. I'm already proud of you! You are more than capable of achieving your goals. If you’re considering therapy, I would be honored to support you in this journey to healing.

I help people find relief from depression and anxiety and build deeper connections with the ones they love. I will guide you towards a new understanding of how your emotions work and how your relationships operate that will facilitate a shift towards wellness and increase joy. My approach is warm, creative, interactive, and relationship-based. I create a space free from judgment and criticism, a place where you can connect to your true self and find clarity for your life path. I collaborate with people on their goals, build skills and incorporate a variety of creative interventions. There is an organic piece to anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship dynamics that provide critical information about you, your creative voice and your unique life path. I recognize that we are all influenced by early family dynamics but I am also aware of the impact of culture and societal pressures. Please feel free to contact me for a free initial consultation to discuss how I can best support you.

The women I work with are thoughtful, capable, and accustomed to managing a great deal on their own. Yet beneath the surface, they may feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in patterns that are difficult to change. Therapy offers a space to step out of the role of holding everything together and better understand yourself, your relationships, and what may be keeping you stuck. My approach is warm, thoughtful, and collaborative, helping you develop greater self-awareness, emotional flexibility, and a stronger sense of agency. I work with women experiencing anxiety and depression related to trauma, childhood experiences, relationship patterns, and major life transitions. My approach integrates internal family systems (IFS), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and insight-oriented therapy. Together, we’ll explore the patterns shaping your life, cultivate greater self-compassion, and create meaningful, lasting change. If you’re seeking support, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute phone consultation. This is a no-pressure opportunity to discuss how psychotherapy might help you, ask any questions, and see if we might be a good fit. I look forward to speaking with you.

I believe therapy should be a safe space where someone in need of help can express themselves without being judged. Eliminating behaviors and beliefs that no longer serve you can help you grow. I use a range of approaches tailored to your needs, assisting you to develop skills and tools that nurture your growth. I use a blend of humanistic and cognitive approaches in therapy, focusing on creating a supportive, empathetic space while helping you develop practical tools for change. A key goal of treatment is to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns that can negatively impact your emotions and mood, allowing for healthier perspectives and more balanced emotional well-being. (Mi lengua materna es el español para los que prefieran comunicarse asi).

Updated: 61426 If you're exhausted from overthinking, self-doubt, or feeling stuck in the same painful cycle with your partner - you're not broken; you're just carrying too much for too long. My ideal clients are overwhelmed adults and couples who feel disconnected, stuck in conflict, or caught in patterns that keep repeating despite their best efforts. Together, we look beneath the surface to understand what's really driving those dynamics, then rebuild communication, connection, and trust at your pace. I offer both in-person sessions in Woodland Hills and telehealth throughout California. You don't have to keep white-knuckling it through anxiety, shame, or repeating the same painful patterns with your partner. I specialize in anxiety, trauma, self-worth, and couples counseling - helping you understand what's really driving your emotions and conflicts, not just manage symptoms. Together, we rebuild communication, connection, and trust. You don't have to carry this alone - whether you're struggling individually or stuck in repeating conflict with your partner. If overthinking, disconnection, or painful patterns have left you exhausted, it's okay to want something different. Reaching out doesn't mean commitment - it's a chance to be heard and start finding a way forward together.

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver I work with my clients to resolve whatever is getting in their way. My approach is generally mindfulness based, informed by attachment and family histories. It focuses on widening and deepening resilience and core strengths that are already there (even if it doesn't feel like it). Then you can meet life's inevitable challenges without getting knocked off your game. You can also make peace with your past and discover valuable resources that have been waiting for you all along. There's only one of you on the planet. Let's figure out why you're here and what your best life looks like.

Danielle Matthew, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist whose lifelong mission is to treat and support bully victims and their families, aid schools and health and wellness professionals, and educate others about the bullying epidemic. Danielle has worked as a clinician in the field for over 25 years with children and adolescents in various environments including day treatment programs, residential facilities, and outpatient services. She has supervised a therapeutic one-on-one behavioral program, facilitated therapy groups and conducted clinical authorizations for an insurance provider. Danielle has additionally conducted group and individual therapy with adults. In 2014 as Danielle became concerned by an increase in patients suffering from bullying, she conducted research which concluded that while there are many bullying prevention programs, there are few programs in Los Angeles that address the crisis point of bullying to help children and adolescents heal. In response, Danielle developed The Empowerment Space Bullying Therapy Program to ensure that there is crucial support available to empower children and their parents with skills to address bullying and create stronger, more positive support systems for children. Danielle educates schools, medical professionals and the community about the bullying epidemic. She has authored Amazon Parenting Best-Seller, The Empowered Child: How to Help Your Child Cope, Communicate, and Conquer Bullying, and has been featured in Huffington Post, TODAY.com, and has appeared on Fox, ABC and CBS Morning Shows and Mom Talk Radio.

My mission as a therapist is to affirm the best in you. I believe that as human beings, we require a sense of safety and affirmation in order to take the courageous step of examining our own lives, even those aspects that are painful. I seek to create that safety with a warm, collaborative, and down-to-earth approach to treatment. The services I provide are trauma-focused and identity-affirming. I use interventions from a number of philosophies, including internal family systems, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), attachment theory, and the existential tradition. Throughout my work, I have helped many first-time or initially reluctant, participants overcome paralyzing anxieties, insecurities, and heartbreaks they once believed would be a part of their lives forever. Reach out when you feel ready to start the healing journey!

In my practice as a therapist I use the research on what works to help my clients get the outcomes they want: better relationships, managed anxiety, less depression, and more control over life. I pursued a few paths in life before my career in mental health. I studied Modern Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I worked for years as a math, science and SAT tutor. I trained and competed extensively in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. My approach as a therapist is multidisciplinary, drawing on my previous experience coaching and educating adolescents and adults in athletic and academic environments. Every client has unique needs so I do not limit our work into any single modality. I blend a variety of techniques to create a customized approach to treatment for each individual. The primary modalities I draw influence from are cognitive behavioral, humanistic, and dynamic psychotherapy. Whether you’re meeting with me as your first time entering therapy or have sought out help in the past and are looking for the right match for your journey moving forward, this is an exciting step to take! Therapy is a place to develop and apply philosophy to get to a different place than we are able to get on our own. I'm excited to join you!