What's My Approach to Therapy?
Trauma-informed therapy for high-performing adults who have hit a wall—burnout, anxiety spikes, shutdown, grief and loss, or a relationship turning point. I am an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA) certified therapist with 15+ years’ experience and a Jungian-informed, depth-oriented lens. When eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is appropriate, we work at a steady, resourced pace so insight becomes lived change—in your body, relationships, and daily life.
If it feels like a fit, start with the contact form on my website. I will reply there with next steps.
My Practice & Services
I offer one-on-one and couples psychotherapy, tailored workshops, and intensive retreats designed to address your unique needs. These custom-made retreats focus on achieving real change and breakthroughs in specific areas of your life or relationship. Whether you’re seeking individual growth or couples therapy, my goal is to help you experience meaningful transformation and lasting results. Visit my website for resources and upcoming events.
How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist
My name is Nattan, pronounced "Nah-TAHN." I identify as a white, cis man and use hehim pronouns.
My ancestors were Eastern European Jews and my maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Although rarely spoken of, the trauma was palpable, manifesting as a deep-seated anxiety about loss. This fear of loss drove my spiritual pursuits but often overwhelmed my imagination as a child.
Imagination was the cornerstone of my childhood. By day, I created using anything and everything available to me. By night, I was tormented by the imaginings lurking in the corners of my room. As a teenager, I centered my identity around art. I was fortunate to attend an arts high school, where my creative life was nurtured by a caring printmaking teacher. His inspiration led me to pursue further art education, ultimately bringing me to study at CalArts in Southern California.
Art education was both a revelation and a crisis. I was excited by the opportunities it provided to explore and experiment but was emotionally unprepared for the impact of critique and criticism. When it came time to plan my graduate exhibition, I opted to leave my artwork in the studio and transform the gallery space into a meditation room. By this time, I was living at a Zen Center in Los Angeles, practicing a form of Korean Zen.
Looking back, the meditation room was a continuation of facilitating sacred encounters, though I lacked the words and emotional sturdiness to express it then.
Around this time, I fell deeply in love with the woman who became my wife. When she met my grandfather, who was in the throes of dementia, he brightened up and spoke with a clarity that seemed to come from having one foot in this world and one in the other: ?The most important thing in life is love.? I believed him at that moment, and I believe it even more now.
I took his advice with me to graduate school, where I studied counseling psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, a school that emphasized depth psychology. Choosing this field of study was a leap of faith. I can now see how this work intersects with many of my deepest values: nurturing the imagination, creating a space for the sacred to impact the person, and doing it all as an expression of love. My journey has taught me how to use imagination and creativity to navigate and heal deep emotional wounds. I am committed to helping others find their path to healing and creative expression.
Following my graduate program, I underwent rigorous training in EMDR as part of a comprehensive trauma treatment program at the Southern California Counseling Center. My extensive hands-on experience with numerous clients over several years has allowed me to deeply understand EMDR's power in healing profound and complex trauma. This gentle technique initiates a transformative process that engages both the imagination and the body, facilitating deep and lasting healing.
As a therapist, I am drawn to working with the creative lives of others, whether or not they see themselves as artists. As an artist who has faced the pressures and critiques of the art world, I understand the unique challenges artists face. My goal is to help you reconnect with your creative self and find new inspiration and joy in your work. It is sacred work to take the articulations of our imagination and bring them into the world where others can experience and be moved by them. I am most at home when I can support others in processing everything that is hindering their natural, creative functioning, and witnessing the blossoming of their innate gifts.
Whether you are new to therapy or seeking to understand what?s missing in your life, I am here to support you. My approach combines creative exploration with deep emotional work to help you find clarity and purpose. I believe in the power of creativity and love to transform lives and ventures.
I am an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community and practice antiracist, anti-bias, culturally-sensitive approaches, ensuring that my practice is a safe and brave space for everyone regardless of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, or any other aspect of identity. My commitment is to provide a healing space where all people feel respected, heard, and supported.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.
