My Approach

Choosing therapy is a sign of strength

The decision to begin psychotherapy is a sign of resilience, self-awareness, and inner strength. Sometimes, the same self-reliance and determination that contribute to our personal, professional, and academic success can get in our way and leave us feeling isolated and reluctant to reach out for support.

I have extensive experience working with those who may feel stuck, sad, demoralized, or increasingly anxious and whose usual ways of coping may not be working well right now. I strive to be warm, engaging, collaborative, compassionate, and inclusive. I will listen closely to you, ask questions to promote your curiosity and awareness, offer feedback, support, and insight, and introduce you to skills to help identify and soothe difficult feelings. You’ll be encouraged to gradually integrate changes into your daily life to help you move toward the life you want to live.

Evidence-based, integrative

The evidence-based therapy techniques and perspectives I use are based on methods that are scientifically proven to be effective. My integrative therapy approach incorporates over thirty years of clinical experience in practicing therapy using insight-oriented, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and acceptance and commitment perspectives. A powerful form of cognitive behavioral therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an empirically-based treatment that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies and commitment to behavior change strategies to increase your psychological flexibility. The goal of ACT is to create a richer and more meaningful life and to learn to cope with and accept those inevitably painful moments you face. ACT helps us feel less “stuck” when we cannot change challenging life circumstances while also empowering us to move forward in ways that leave us feeling less distressed, calmer, and eventually happier in our everyday lives.

Format & frequency

I offer brief or longer-term therapy customized to your life situation, interests, and the issues you wish to address. Depending on your goals, the duration of therapy may be short-term or long-term, and the frequency may be weekly or more than once a week. Psychotherapy sessions take place in my Beverly Hills office or via teletherapy (video or phone) and typically last 50 minutes. Teletherapy allows for more flexible ways of meeting. It is helpful when face-to-face sessions cannot occur due to illness, unexpected work and/or travel obligations, childcare needs, or other issues.

See FAQ for information about how psychotherapy can help you.