Licensed Psychotherapy & Board-Certified Art Therapy in Los Angeles for adults and children.
Specialized experience & training in:
Why do so many of us struggle to navigate life’s challenges, when all we really want is for everything swirling around us to stop and just let us find our joy?
The nights are long, your patience is short and it just doesn't seem to be getting any better.
At each stage in life, we seem to say "if I can just get to the next level things will be great!" But then you get there and BAM, a new set of challenges keep you up at night —and you find yourself hitting the snooze alarm while still struggling with anxiety or overwhelm, just yearning to be heard, seen, and respected for who you really are.
Why does it always seem like each generation reinvents the wheel? And why is it that much harder for creative thinkers? These life-cycle transitions can be difficult and cause anxiety, panic & overwhelm, yet they don’t have to be. Things can be easier. Your day can be calmer.
Developing a toolset and positive strategies for each stage of life enables us to smoothly move through the rough spots and prepare for new challenges that lie ahead with calm. My greatest joy is helping those in search of peace, love & brain understanding make it through life in a way they can appreciate, not just painfully muddle through.
Using artmaking as a language and as a visual & kinesthetic modality lens, we together explore which science & evidence-based treatments fit your needs best: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help manage problems by changing the way one thinks and behaves; Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) a mindful approach which can be especially effective for people who have difficulty managing and regulating their emotions; Narrative therapy to help separate people from the issues they are experiencing and uncover the many skills, capabilities, beliefs, values, and strengths that can assist them to problem solve or be able to tolerate distress better in their lives; Bilateral guided artmaking is used in a gentle & trauma-informed manner to help integrate different areas of brain function in a safe and self-regulated way much like EMDR when processing trauma or difficult historical situations. All is done in a comfortable, sensory-informed, neurodiverse affirming space we create together for your needs. In office, online, by phone, or a hybrid of all options.
Together we develop customized tools to process where you (or a loved one) have been, and make a solid plan for where you are going —not someday in the future, but today, when you need it most. Click on a topic below for more info on getting real help for the life challenges that you are facing right now.
Which life stage do you need understanding & better tools to help you or a loved one navigate?
So what exactly is clinical Art Therapy?
How can it help?
“Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship. Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.
Art Therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art Therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.
— Southern California Art Therapy Association
Who is qualified to practice Art Therapy? Art therapists are master-level clinicians who work with people of all ages across a broad spectrum of practice. Guided by ethical standards and scope of practice, their education and supervised training prepares them for culturally proficient work with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Honoring individuals’ values and beliefs, art therapists work with people who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth.
Art therapists are professionals holding a minimum of a master’s degree in art therapy or a related field with specialized training in art therapy. They are skilled in the use and application of many forms of art and the use of many art materials (drawing, painting, sculpture and other media) for assessment and treatment. Art therapists work with individuals, families, couples and groups of all ages with a variety of mental health issues and life challenges. Art therapists work in a variety of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation, psychiatric, medical, residential, educational, and in private practice.
— American Art Therapy Association
As a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and a Board Certified Art Psychotherapist, I can help. I have specialized knowledge and passion for the areas of Creativity & Neuroscience. I help you (or your loved one) learn to understand how your unique brain works, so that you can cope and problem solve better when under extreme emotional stress. Together we help bring calm and joy back into your daily life so you can move forward with what makes you happy —or with what just needs to get done in your daily life without a giant hassle.
No art experience necessary, but if it is your language then this is the little safe spot in the world you’ve been looking for. Whether they are makers themselves, or long-time lovers of an artful life, my clients are used to their lives being filled with art, design, music, photography, dance, storytelling, film, broadcast or commercial production, architecture, culinary craft, or other creative passions. They are not always visual artists, yet because Art Therapy is not about talent but about a vehicle for expression, comfort is found in processing visually & kinesthetically rather than through talk therapy alone. The making of shapes, marks, and lines with painting, drawing, sculpting, creative writing, or song, has been used by many cultures for centuries and is now evidence-based & scientifically proven as a way of processing emotions when words alone just don’t fit. The art-making is itself a coping and problem-solving skill that feels good doing, as well as a great catalyst for cognitive understanding, stimulation & communication. It provides a way to stand back and externalize your issues so you can see what is going on in your mind and take an active role in your wellness, rather than passively letting problems continue to just happen to you.
Neurodiversity is affirmed & celebrated here. Often many struggles come up for creative people of all ages that form a pattern that may be very distressing to you, but which I am quite familiar with as a neurodiverse clinician myself. When brains work differently, they engage with their sensory environment, learning, task demands, and task completion much differently than what might be considered typical. I offer kind and genuine understanding along with real help with executive functioning issues. We explore the many strengths and honest limitations at play here to help overcome some of these daily challenges. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative, Humanistic, and Diversity-affirming approaches are all used in the service of your unique needs. Neurodivergent individuals can be so much more productive than those with “typical” brains, but there is also a greater incidence of mental health difficulties like anxiety and depression among us due to a lack of knowledge or understanding of our neurobiology, or from having to constantly try to fit into a world where we need to act or be, more like “normal” people. Note: Neurodiversity is a non-medical umbrella term that includes the conditions autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD. Click here for more info on CreativeTypical brains.
Why The Limbic Lounge™? Your Limbic System is the part of your brain & nervous system that is responsible for how you handle the tough emotional situations that life throws at you. Understanding the science behind natural human behaviors can mean the difference between a loud emotional reactive outburst, and a calm grounded response that is appropriate to the problem in front of you. CreativE Decision making and exploration also takes place in this area of the brain. your Art made here is about the process (not the final product), giving you a visual & non-verbal way to express Your thoughts.
I know picking up the phone can be hard, but living your life the way you have is so much harder. Usually, by the time a person calls for counseling or therapy it is years past when they originally wanted to reach out for help. Call today for a free 20 minute phone consultation and let's get you past this challenge and back on track to a creative and productive life with the calm, joy and peace of mind you desire.
