Elaine Skoulas, MA, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Los Angeles, California
VerifiedTelehealth Available
My Approach to Therapy
My approach to therapy focuses on understanding how stress, trauma, and long standing pressure shape the way the nervous system responds to the world. Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, capable adults who appear to be functioning well on the outside but feel tense, exhausted, or disconnected internally.
I integrate talk therapy with mind body approaches including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing, and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. These methods help the nervous system process experiences that have remained stuck, reduce chronic stress responses, and support meaningful emotional and physical change.
Our work moves at a thoughtful pace and stays close to your real experience rather than forcing insight or quick solutions. Many of my clients are sensitive, perceptive individuals, including professionals, creatives, and caregivers who have spent years holding a great deal of responsibility. Therapy becomes a place where those patterns can be understood and new ways of relating to yourself and others can begin to develop.
My Practice & Services
I offer secure virtual therapy for adults throughout California, as well as in person sessions in West Los Angeles. Online therapy allows many clients to access support from the comfort and privacy of their own home while maintaining a consistent therapeutic space.
My practice focuses on trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, chronic pain and illness, and addiction. I draw from training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing, Somatic EMDR, and Pain Reprocessing Therapy to support nervous system regulation and address both the emotional and physical effects of long standing stress and trauma.
My work is integrative, combining psychodynamic therapy, somatic approaches, and mindfulness based practices. This allows therapy to address not only insight and understanding, but also the body’s stress responses and the deeper patterns that shape how we move through life.
My View on the Purpose of Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is not only about reducing symptoms. It is about understanding the patterns that shape how we think, feel, and respond to the world. Many people come to therapy after years of coping, pushing through, or trying to manage things on their own. At a certain point it becomes helpful to slow down and look more carefully at what is happening beneath the surface.
In my view, therapy creates a space where both insight and nervous system awareness can develop together. When people begin to understand how past experiences, stress, and learned survival patterns are shaping their present life, real shifts become possible. Therapy becomes less about fixing yourself and more about developing a clearer relationship with your own mind, body, and history.
On the Fence About Going to Therapy?
It is very common to feel uncertain about starting therapy. Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, capable individuals who have spent years figuring things out on their own. You may wonder whether therapy is really necessary, or whether you should be able to handle things yourself.
Therapy does not require you to be in crisis. Often it simply creates a space to slow down and look more carefully at patterns that have been difficult to shift alone. Having a consistent place to think, reflect, and notice how your mind and body respond to stress can open the door to meaningful change.
If you are curious but unsure, it is completely reasonable to start with a conversation and see whether the process feels useful for you. Therapy works best when it feels like a thoughtful choice rather than an obligation.
Expertise & Specialties
Age Groups I Work With
AdultsElders
Groups I Work With
I specialize in working with thoughtful, high achieving adults experiencing anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, burnout, and mind body symptoms such as chronic pain. Many of my clients are professionals, caregivers, creatives, and sensitive individuals who carry significant responsibility in their lives but feel overwhelmed, tense, or disconnected internally. I also support people exploring their relationship with alcohol or substances, as well as adults living with chronic illness, disability, or persistent physical symptoms where the nervous system may be involved. My work is especially helpful for psychologically minded individuals who want to understand deeper patterns such as perfectionism, people pleasing, relational trauma, and long standing stress responses in the nervous system.
Therapy Services & Specialties
Concerns & Challenges Addressed
Adjusting to Change / Life TransitionsAnxietyBreakupCareer Issues Caregiver Issues / StressChronic Illness / DisabilityChronic PainDepression
Therapeutic Approaches & Evidence-Based Methods
Body-Mind PsychotherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)Mindfulness-Based InterventionsNarrative TherapyPerson-Centered Therapy (Rogerian Therapy)Process Oriented PsychologyPsychodynamicRelational Psychotherapy
Industries & Communities
BIPOCEducationEntertainment IndustryFirst Responder/Medical ProfessionalsLGBTQ+Military/Law EnforcementSelf-Employed and Freelance Professionals