La Cañada Counseling

                                 I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and I work with individuals, couples and families to help them with issues of depression, anxiety, relationships, parenting, childhood issues and adjustment to different stressors.

    For me, being a therapist is not just a job; it is a passion. I feel that my life's journey has lead me to where I am and I try to integrate it with the professional training and knowledge I have received. I know first hand how being married and becoming a parent can be challenging. My personal experience, along with my professional and academic training, have shaped the kind of therapist I have become. I am passionate about what I do and the services I offer are a reflection of that.

    I have a BA in Psychology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, in Pasadena, California. I have two years of training in Brief Therapy with the Gregory Bateson Institute in Liege, Belgium, and have completed an externship and a Core Skills training in Emotion Focused Therapy for couples. I am currently pursuing certification in that approach, through continued training and supervision.

    My experience:

    I have worked with children ages 0 to 18, in different settings such as daycares, group homes and community mental health agency.

    Couples'therapy is one of my passions and I have worked with engaged couples, preparing them for marriage through the PREPARE/ENRICH program. As mentioned above, I have and continue to pursue extensive training in Emotion Focused Therapy, which I use with married couples or couples who have been together for a while and have reached a place of stuckness in their relationhip. 

    Teaching parenting classes and coaching parents as they adjust to this new role has been another important part of my experience for the last five years, and something I really love doing.

    I also have several years of experience working with women victims of domestic violence and/or childhood abuse. The problems these women struggle with as a result of their traumatic experience usually entail depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, low self-esteem. I have worked in individual sessions, as well as empowerment groups, to help my clients regain a sense of self-worth, safety, stability and independence.

    If you think I might be able to help you, contact me for a free 20 minute phone consultation to see if I am the right person to embark on that journey with.