PHONE:  (323) 638-4152  

EMAIL:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

  EeEEEEE

I specialize in helping bring relief to sufferers of anxiety, panic, stress, chronic feelings of nervousness, terror and dread. I offer extensive experience in treating victims of domestic abuse, rape, accidents, child abuse, and other traumatic life events. I strive to create a warm, and safe environment by developing a meaningful, nurturing relationship with individuals that begin therapy with me.

I have extensive experience in treating adult victims of trauma, child emotional/physical/sexual abuse, and difficult life circumstances. Anxiety Disorders are my area of special interest.  I specialize in treating Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobia, Social Phobia, OCD, and PTSD.  I am trained in EMDR for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress.  I am also an experienced couples therapist, and have helped couples (straight, gay, alternative) with issues including, but not limited to, domestic violence, cultural differences, divorce, unfaithfulness, sexual problems, parenting, and finding common ground through communication.

Psychotherapy is a truly unique experience. It provides for you a safe place to breathe emotionally. Psychotherapy is your time, and here you are free to just relax and explore.  It is important to feel the sense of safety that only a skilled and highly competent therapist can provide. Clinical Psychology has been my focus and my passion for most of my life, and I have 15 years of experience in the field.  I acquired my BA in Psychology from UCLA and my MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University.  I knew I wanted to be a psychotherapist from a very young age, and began working in the field at the age of 19 with Autistic children and their families. I simultaneously volunteered my time on the Suicide Prevention Hotlines where I honed my skills in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. 

I then moved on to an inpatient residential setting for homeless adults recovering from chronic and persistent mental illness where I versed myself in psychopharmacology, group therapy, and addictions of all sorts.  My next valuable experience was as a clinician working with teen girls in a group home setting.  This challenging setting brought me expertise in trauma related disorders, self mutilation/cutting, sexual identity, and family therapy. Currently I am a psychotherapist with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services working with a variety of clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, presenting with trauma, abuse histories, parenting issues, anxiety disorders, depression, relationship problems, money problems, vocational dilemmas, and plain old stress management needs.  

Iam also currently proud to be a contracted therapist with the group LA Trauma Therapy Specialists, and work closely with Cynthia Henrie, MFT, an expert in traumatic stress, and feminist therapy. I currently work closely withthe LGBTQ community.  I have published articles on various online resources for anxiety and stress.  Such articles include information about the benefits of therapy, how anxiety manifests in everyday life, addiction to food, the role of acceptance and forgiveness in relationships, self esteem, and panic attacks.

I am also bicultural, and have special insight into immigrant family dynamics, and the issues of immigrant or first generation children assimilating to a new culture.  I speak and provide services in Farsi, as well as provide consultation to other mental health professionals on providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy to Iranian/Iranian American individuals, couples, and families.  

A little about my approach to therapy:  I believe in creating a unique therapeutic sketch for each client, and use many different types of theoretical orientations. From CBT to Client Centered, logical to emotional, I try and get to know how you tick and develop my approach from there. In most cases I emphasize Practice makes Perfect, Freedom of Choice, and a Genuine, Collaborative Therapist/Client Relationship.  In more detail:

A Genuine and Collaborative Client/Therapist Relationship: My priority is to offer you a strong and meaningful therapeutic relationship.  My goal is to create a nonjudgmental, nurturing alliance, while simultaneously fostering authenticity and sincerity.  I am knowledgeable, well versed in treatment approaches and issues.  At the same time I place great importance on seeing the palate that you, the client, uses to paint the world. Our sessions are as important to me as they are to you, and I encourage you to openly discuss your reactions to them. 

Freedom of Choice: Once we discover our patterns and their origins, we can begin to illuminate new approaches to life, new ways to be.  We don't have to be stuck, so we start to make better decisions.  I believe that we all have choices in life, but that we do not always see them.  Therapy can illuminate choices that were before hidden.

Practice makes perfect:  It is not easy to learn to think, feel or behave differently than we already do.  This is why we need to practice new approaches to life just as we would practice the piano.  Therapy is work, in and out of sessions.