Find a Therapist in Paramount, California.

Psychotherapy is when an individual has mental health support from a therapist for emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy has the potential to help reduce undesirable symptoms and at times eliminate them. The goal of treatment would be to focus on individuals symptoms and create goals with the therapist support to then gradually increase overall well being of individual.

Psychotherapy on it's own or in combination with medication services can have a profound positive impact on a person's livelihood. Often times, there are patterns and cycles in life that an individual might be unaware of. It is my job to learn about a person through talk therapy, and conceptualize and help bring awareness to these patterns and cycles. Awareness is the first step towards change.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in a positive manner. Its aim is to help people understand the thoughts behind feeling anxious or depressed and addressing these thinking patterns. Psychotherapy will help you change behaviors and habits that are limiting you, to experiencing your fullest potential.

Abby provides comprehensive psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families seeking deeper understanding, healing, and growth. Her integrative, trauma-informed approach blends psychodynamic, relational, and evidence-based modalities tailored to each client’s unique needs. Whether addressing anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, or life transitions, Abby creates a safe, collaborative space where clients can explore their experiences, strengthen emotional resilience, and develop lasting change. Her work is grounded in empathy, clinical expertise, and a deep respect for each person’s journey.

I believe that psychotherapy is helpful to help clients who are experiencing a wide variety of issues. I employ a blend of cognitive behavior therapy and psychodynamic therapy to help clients start feeling better quickly while giving them time and space to work on deeper issues. This approach can help you in making progress with anything from anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, self-esteem, panic, and more. My approach is collaborative, supportive, and direct. We will work together to determine your goals and tailor a plan to reach them. Let me help guide you towards feeling your best self.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist who is sensitive to the challenging and delicate process of being in therapy. My relational and warm approach will create a supportive and safe environment for you to explore your struggles and work towards the healing and fulfillment you deserve. I bring myself genuinely into my work with my clients, and I believe they feel known and understood, rather than judged or overanalyzed. Whether you are seeking individual therapy or couples counseling, I am committed to helping you gain insights into yourself and your relationships.

I am a psychodynamic trained therapist. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a form of depth psychology and is similar to psychoanalysis. It is also known as insight-oriented therapy and focuses on unconscious processes as they are manifested in a person’s present behavior. The goals are for a client to become self-aware and understand the influence of their past on their present behaviors. The psychodynamic approach enables the client to examine unresolved conflicts and symptoms that arise from past dysfunctional relationships.

Most of us don’t think about our mental health until we have a disorder or a serious problem that impacts us negatively. Many of us have learned communication, coping skills, and parenting skills from our caregivers which have not always been positive or helpful. Through our life experiences we develop good or bad habits, a positive or negative world view, effective or poor communication skills, healthy or unhealthy coping skills. Therapy by a professional can teach you new skills and behaviors to improve your relationships, increase your satisfaction and happiness, and improve your overall well being.

I work with an entire person--the mind, emotions, body, spirit, relationships. I offer an alternative approach to traditional psychotherapy because sometimes we are stuck beyond our thoughts. I believe we are often stuck beyond how we think about something, but by how our body holds and remembers the experiences. After all, we feel the anxiety in our chest, shoulders or stomach. When we are depressed, we struggle to move, sleep, concentrate etc. I work to remove the block from wherever it is stuck. My clients come to me after years of ineffective therapy. They are looking for more than talking about their struggles or identifying how they think about them in favor of a change in living.

A number of benefits are available from participating in psychotherapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues, and creative blocks. Many people find that therapists can be helpful in managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and daily stress. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn

The issue is not what happened to you, it’s the impact it had and how you are able to deal with it. Psychotherapy helps. It involves our talking together to address the problems you’re having in your life. We’ll see what works, what doesn’t, why not, what you’ve tried, and what other options there may be. We’ll look to understand how the difficulties came to be and what gets in the way of changing them. We’ll see what’s happening in your life now and how old patterns of thinking and behaving may interfere for you. We’ll explore other alternatives. I strongly believe people can change, and I see that happening in my office regularly. You’d be surprised how therapy can change your life.

As a therapist I am trained in and specialize in feminist therapy, trauma therapy and therapy with adolescents and their families. I am also a specialist in therapy with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender/gender variant individuals/families. I use feminist therapy, a form of therapy whose focus is on empowering you as an individual. I am specially trained in the treatment of GLBT issues and have over 20 years experience. I am a trauma expert and am trained ina variety of treatment approaches. I am able to offer you very specialized help with traumatic experiences that will resolve anxiety, depression and relaionship problems caused by traumatic origins. Holistc approach, whole body!

Psychotherapy can be a frightening word because “psycho” brings up images of Norman Bates and he is certainly someone none of us want to be associated with. The truth is that psychotherapy is just a fancy word for counseling. If “therapy” is used alone, people ask if it is physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. A prefix was needed to distinguish it from other therapies and unfortunately “psycho” was chosen. Please don’t let the word stop you from seeking any necessary help you may be seeking. Needing help doesn’t mean you are crazy or that you are weak. We all need help at various stages of our lives and if you are in need now, please let me assist you. Call me at 714-751-0888.