Category: Standard

Psychotherapy is a creative space. I believe that therapy is both a science and an art. My training has centered on contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This approach focuses on the unconscious — that there are things that impact our decisions that we are not aware of. My approach will help you understand your unconscious dynamics in order to bring more balance and choice into your life. I also use my intuition and pull from other approaches, such as mindfulness meditation, dialectical behavioral therapy, and the trauma resiliency model. Open yourself up to new experiences. Living with anxiety, or being in unhealthy relationships leaves you repeating negative experiences over and over again. Have you felt stuck and powerless in your life? Psychotherapy allows you to tap into your vulnerability and guides you towards truly taking care of yourself. I love working with people and helping them discover all of the possibilities that are out there when they feel strong enough to let go of old ways of being or thinking. Uncovering new facets of ourselves brings about a true shift in character that can help bring you towards a happy and healthy future. [Read More]

I specialize in sex therapy and have 25+ years experience in both private practice settings and public health issues regarding human sexuality. I am experienced in treating all the dynamics of individuals and couples issues ranging from finding satisfaction with sexuality in relationships and in identity to sexual dysfunction. I am a nationally-recognized expert in Surrogate Partner Therapy and currently serve as the national Referrals Director for the International Professional Surrogates Association. I hold a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from an APA-accredited program and a M.A. in Marriage and Familyy therapy as well as having focused on clinical sexology and sex therapy throughout my clinical training and practice. I use my many years of experience and specialty training in helping patients discover their own paths to happiness and fulfillment. My life’s work has been dedicated to addressing the sex-negative outcomes of a puritanical culture and to helping people evolve into self-loving and happy sexually functioning individuals and couples. I take pride in fusing my empathy, skills and training into making a difference for you. [Read More]

Joanna is a Los Angeles psychotherapist, speaker and author of Healing Your Hungry Heart: recovering from your eating disorder. She specializes in eating disorder recovery for adult women and with an emphasis on building a fulfilling life beyond recovery. [Read More]

Having been in practice for well over 27 years has given me lots of opportunity to see what actually helps people who REALLY want to change their lives. Merely talking about something that is bothering you once a week to a well meaning and caring person, might help you to feel soothed for the moment, but it won’t necessarily help you to develop self care skills, a healthy mind and a positive relationship with yourself, all essential to living a satisfying life, enjoying good relationships and raising successful children. To become a resilient person who can steer oneself through all the challenges that life offers and take the risks which are required to fully actualize ones true potential, takes daily practice. Overcoming self limiting beliefs and developing a new and more satisfying self concept is like changing the course of a river. Digging away at the river bank, daily consciousness and strategies for positive change need to be applied so that the river of the mind can take a new course and one can begin to experience oneself in new and exciting ways, free to fully be your most authentic and powerful self, outside of the cage of others’opinions and the fears of a doubting mind. I see the therapeutic relationship as a partnership in which the intelligence and wisdom of the client joins with that of the therapist to create a safe and trusting space, so that a journey of self discovery, personal empowerment and full self expression can be achieved. In addition to what is achieved in sessions, I provide simple but powerful emotional/spiritual “exercises” for willing clients to do. This creates a link between sessions and speeds up the change process considerably. Dreams, writings, imagination and art are all welcome contributions to this exciting journey. [Read More]

Catherine Auman’s distinguished career in psychology has included working in virtually all aspects of mental heath: private practice, psychiatric hospitals, chemical dependency treatment centers, residential treatment, and consulting nationally with mental health facilities. She was previously Director of Behavioral Health Services at Glendale Memorial Hospital, Redlands Community Hospital, and the Alpha Recovery Center. She taught psychology and counseling at JFK University, the University of Phoenix, and The Chicago School for Professional Psychology. Catherine received her M.A. in Psychology from Antioch University in 1983, her license as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 1993 (30784), and she is a Certified NLP Practitioner. In 2011, she was elected by her peers to the State Board of her professional organization CAMFT. [Read More]

My work as a therapist is to help people move beyond their emotional pain and limiting beliefs toward their own vision of the life they are meant to live. As one of the founding therapists of the Los Angeles Gender Center I have been seeing transgender and gender non-conforming clients for more than 25 years. In the early years, I learned more about gender diversity by listening to the stories and struggles of individual clients rather than the pathologizing psychological theories of the day. Now I continue to learn from working with people whose identity is not limited by the binary conception of gender. This work inspires me to grow in compassion and to continually expand my own understanding of gender. I take my cues from my clients and work in a collaborative way to help them clarify, express and celebrate who they really are. My clients are the authors of their own lives and I see my role as accompanying them on the journey in a supportive and affirming way. For clients who are already clear about what is next on their path, I can provide the tools and support to move forward. I counsel spouses, family members and friends who may need help supporting and understanding their loved ones. I also conduct seminars and trainings on gender for employers, mental health professionals and the public. [Read More]

Sara received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Prior to joining the clinical staff of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, Sara was a counselor at Exodus Recovery, where she utilized behavioral therapy techniques while providing individual therapy and group therapy for clients with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction disorders. Sara also previously worked as a crisis counselor at Spokane Mental Health where she was trained in suicide assessment, crisis de-escalation, and advocacy for victims of sexual assault. She also has experience as a research assistant at Pepperdine University, where she was certified by the National Institute of Health as being ethically knowledgeable in conducting research involving human participants. In addition to treating individual clients, Sara also currently leads our Tuesday and Wednesday evening low-fee therapy / support groups for adults with OCD. Prior to entering the field of counseling, Sara earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Sara is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and the Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC). Contact me at: https://ocdla.com/contactus [Read More]

As a licensed clinical social worker, Heidi has provided psychotherapy to individuals, groups and families since 2003. She has experience working with relational problems, impact of divorce, emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression, grief and loss issues, and dealing with cognitive disabilities (such as learning disabilities and ADHD). Heidi joined the practice of Cauley & Associates in 2013. Heidi provides a compassionate attitude of non-judgment and respect for her clients, offering practical strategies to calm anxiety, transform difficult emotions, and foster greater self-acceptance. She uses an integrated approach, which includes cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, positive psychology, and an awareness of the impact of early relationships. Heidi helps clients become aware of their inner dialogue and learn to relate to themselves and others in a more effective, kind and adaptive way. It is through the trust and support of the therapeutic relationship that her clients come to develop self-awareness and self-compassion, leading the way to a more fulfilled, satisfying, and peaceful life. [Read More]