Call: (323) 388-5578
Text: (323) 388-5578
Book Consultation
Mental Health Therapy
Supportive and Effective Psychotherapy
Ready To Get Started?
Book Consultation
Call: (323) 388-5578Text: (323) 388-5578

trauma

What’s Happening to Me?: Pregnancy, Mental Health and Postpartum Challenges

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, becoming parents, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
Content Warning: This article includes references to suicidal ideation, intrusive thoughts, and other mental health challenges. Please note that while most of the research refers to birthing mothers as it relates to peripartum and postpartum mental health challenges, nonbirthing parents can also experience many of the same difficulties.  I desperately wanted to be a mother ever since I was a child. I had a baby…
Read More

Will I Ever Trust Again?: Understanding the Cost of Betrayal and Conceptualizing Recovery from Betrayal Trauma

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy, work stress
Romantic partners have betrayed my confidence, I have felt deeply hurt and wronged by the actions of trusted colleagues, and I have friends that I am no longer in contact with due to feeling betrayed. Not a single incident is easy to recall or write about, but I can still feel the sting and remember the nights spent ruminating. I would stay up trying to…
Read More

How Do I Know if I Need Therapy?: Exploring the Benefits of Psychotherapy for Mental Health and Finding the Right Therapist

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, trauma, trauma therapy, work stress
I have heard people say that therapy is a human right, and I have heard others call it a luxury. In Los Angeles, therapy can be costly if you’re hoping to see someone immediately or looking for a therapist with a specific specialization. Conversely, it can be really difficult to find a provider who is in-network with your insurance company and has availability (and availability…
Read More

Do I Have ADHD?: Understanding ADHD, What It Looks Like, and How to Befriend It

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, trauma, trauma therapy, work stress
This morning, I started making my bed. In the middle of making it, I looked at the closet and noticed that my overnight bag was in the wrong place, so I picked it up to put it away in the other room. On my walk to the other room, I noticed I hadn’t finished washing the dishes, so I put the bag down to clean…
Read More

Why Do I Feel So Anxious in Social Situations?: Understanding Social Anxiety and Cultivating Connection

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, communication challenges, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
An old friend was recently in town, and we made plans to get together. I was nervous to see her and her partner; we hadn’t seen each other for years, and it meant a lot that we were connecting again. Then, during our time together, I made a joke that I quickly realized could be harmful. I felt my face turn red. I wasn’t sure…
Read More

How Does Gaslighting Work?: Understanding Gaslighting and Learning to Trust Yourself Again

anxiety counseling, anxiety therapy, boundaries, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family challenges, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
In my twenties, I was in an abusive relationship with a partner struggling with a substance use disorder. I didn’t know what was going on until I was way too deep into the relationship, and at the time, I didn’t know enough to get him (or myself) the support necessary. What I do know is that the relationship made me my worst self. My partner…
Read More

When Will I Feel Better?: Understanding and Combating Shame

anxiety counseling, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
As I prepared to work on this article, I tried to think about a time when I experienced shame that I could comfortably share to set the stage. Unsurprisingly, that prompted me to avoid working on the article for days… I was suddenly too hungry, tired, or distracted to write. It finally became clear to me that I didn’t want to share my major shame…
Read More

What’s the Point of Crying?: The Benefits of Tears for Mental and Physical Well Being

anxiety counseling, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
I have always been sensitive. Growing up, that meant a lot of tears and, unfortunately, a lot of frustration on my parents’ part. “Why are you crying?” and “that’s nothing to cry about” were frequent refrains in my home. When most frustrated with me and my feelings, my mother would say, “I hope you don’t cry like that at my funeral.” So I spent many,…
Read More

Why Can’t I Love Myself?: Learning to Develop a Loving Relationship with Yourself

anxiety counseling, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, family dynamics, poor self-esteem, relationship challenges, self-care, self-image, , trauma, trauma therapy
There have been periods in my life when I didn’t necessarily like myself, much less love myself. After brutal breakups, when I wasn’t accepted into the college of my choice (or any of the places I had applied to, to be honest), when I lose my temper or am unkind to someone I care about, and when I am just struggling. Showing myself love is…
Read More

How Do I Keep Going?: The Importance of Finding Joy (Even When Things Seem Hopeless)

anxiety counseling, coping patterns, culturally affirming therapy, depression, depression therapy, trauma, trauma therapy
When we started working on this article, things in our country and the world were swiftly crumbling, and I certainly felt the impact. And then last week happened, and it felt as though the rug was pulled out from under my feet. I was recently reminded, “intellectually knowing that something is coming does not prepare you for the devastation in the body when it hits,”…
Read More