Find a Therapist in Huntington Park, California.

Therapy can provide teens and college students with a safe and trusting environment that facilitates healing, transformation, and growth. The therapeutic relationship is built over time to create a safe refuge from the storms of life. Dr. Parke has a highly relational approach that also integrates what the research has shown to be most effective in addressing people's suffering. Therapy is an opportunity for you to examine your life story and create new meaning for a brighter tomorrow, regardless of the circumstances of your past. No matter what your story has been, there is hope and change is possible.

The unconscious always wins. Often times we think we know why we do what we do---but we don't. The opportunity cost of not knowing can be huge. In my work I help clients get to the bottom of why they are doing what they are doing. When we have the insight, we can make new choices. Maybe you're dealing with a big decision in your career or relationships, maybe you struggle feeling confidence or self esteem. Whatever the case may be--I'm here to help.

My approach to psychotherapy does not involve years of talk about issues until the client reaches a "catharsis," and suddenly is cured. It is more of a collaboration and involves the client to engage in his own therapy. We look for solutions, rather than talking about "problems" endlessly. As a person-centered therapist, I believe an authentic, respectful and caring relationship with the client fosters growth and self-actualization. The use of cognive-behavioral methods, allows us to look for underlying beliefs the client may have about his place in the world, and unrealistic thought patterns, such as "all-or-nothing" thinking. These can be redirected to provide positive outomes.

I take a strengths based, humanistic, person centered focus toward psychotherapy. This allows us to approach your issues directly based on your experience with the issues you are facing. Beginning with your strengths, we will look at how you have managed the issues so far focusing on what has worked and expand on these options. At times you may be challenged and confronted with difficult yet realistic options for change. I work to provide positive feedback and encourage you to consider new techniques which may be just a little bit outside of your comfort zone. Through discussion in an open, honest, safe and supportive environment, we will work toward your growth toward your goals.

As a psychotherapist, I specialize in Jungian Dream Analysis and Mindfulness to help you heal and achieve a sense of inner peace. These powerful tools can help you make positive changes and work towards a healthier and more fulfilling life. Through Brainspotting, you can break through and overcome past pain and trauma. The many benefits of psychotherapy include building more meaningful and lasting emotional connections, creating healthy boundaries in your relationships and achieving your goals.

Psychotherapy is not anything to be scared of, or intimidated about. Seeking out a therapist or being in therapy isn't an admission of weakness or some kind of character flaw. Therapy is a collaborative process and a partnership with someone who is trained in and experienced with facilitating personal growth. And in this process, you are in the driver's seat. Our minds and emotions and relationships involve complicated machinery just like our bodies do and in the same way a medical doctor helps you stay physically healthy, Psychotherapy is designed to help you be and stay mentally and socially strong, and continually in a position to take on life's many challenges as your best self.

I have almost 20 years experience treating individuals and couples in psychotherapy. I find that finding a good match with your psychotherapist is of utmost importance. One needs to feel safe with the therapist and in the environment in order to feel more comfortable to share extremely personal and become emotionally vulnerable for the process to be more beneficial. I have treated individuals and couples of ethically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTQ community who have offered me the feedback of feeling surprisingly comfortable undertaking the psychotherapeutic process with me.

People go to therapy to address a problem that is distressing them and causing interference in a significant aspect of their life (work, social life, interpersonal relationships, sleep, etc.) After the immediate problem is resolved or significantly reduced, most of my clients continue to stay in therapy because they have started noticing a change in themselves that they like! To me, therapy isn't just about reducing symptoms. It is about much more. It's about experiencing meaning in life. It's about connecting with the best version of ourselves and knowing that person is there within us. That's true self-confidence. My clients tend to tell me they feel more "whole". That's therapy to me.

I am broadly trained in Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic therapy. As needed, I will utilize and borrow from various other approaches including ACT, CBT, and art therapy amongst others. I believe to create lasting change, it is necessary to discover the roots of the underlying problem. We will then create and utilize the tools required to bring about change.

My clients often find me easy to talk to and say they feel comfortable with me, trusting quickly. This can make the psychotherapeutic process easier and more effective for my clients, especially if they are nervous or don’t know what to expect. Therapy with me can range from just talking casually with each other, leading to insights, increased self awareness, and processing through emotional issues, or it could be more intensive deeper therapy like EMDR.

My approach to psychotherapy is warm, relational, and collaborative. I view therapy as a space for clients to explore who they are, what they want, and what may be getting in the way of feeling fulfilled. Together, we’ll examine patterns, beliefs, and emotions that are impacting your well-being, both past and present. I integrate evidence-based modalities like EMDR and DBT with insight-oriented talk therapy to support lasting, meaningful change. Whether you're navigating life transitions, relationship issues, or seeking deeper self-understanding, therapy can help you reconnect with yourself and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

If your young adult is feeling isolated and alone, I can help them explore the circumstances that have led them to this place in their life. Sometimes healing is derived from simply gaining understanding of how their life experiences have impacted them and shaped who they are. I can help your young adult examine how their early childhood experiences have influenced the lens through which they currently view the world. I can also help them evaluate any rules they made up about the meaning of life. Together, we can design a new and more fulfilling story for their future.

My view of psychotherapy is a very personal one. My relationship with my clients is of utmost importance, because our work needs to feel safe, respectful, caring and effective. My clients and I decide together on goals for our work. The safety can allow my clients to explore parts of themselves and their histories that have shaped their views of self and views of others, including the meaning of life and their deepest fears and needs. Our work will respect who you are, what you have experienced, your fondest desires, and the blocks you have learned to set up for your protection and that perhaps no longer serve you. You may find that you no longer have to feel alone and untended.