Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist | 6 Kiki Place, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 | 310.962.4330


Is Trauma Making You Irritated and Angry?

Do you reach your boiling point too quickly or explode for no apparent reason at all? It isn’t unusual to feel hurt and angry if you have a traumatic past. Understandably, the memories of your ordeal may give rise to a sense of injustice and violation. However, if you notice that the anger you’re experiencing feels in someway beyond your control, or difficult to rein in, trauma may...
read more

How Racial Trauma Survivors Can Start Finding Peace

It’s hard to believe that we’re still dealing with racial trauma in the 21st century. But, the reality is that, though it lay dormant in the consciousness of large swaths of the country, it’s still just as widespread as ever.  Racial trauma can come directly from someone else (or a group of people), from an experience, or even from watching the news. Experiencing or seeing a racial bias...
read more

Secret or Forgotten? – Why It’s Often Challenging to Identify Traumas

Many people go through life wondering why they struggle in certain areas but aren’t able to pinpoint any reason. Maybe it’s anxiety, chronic aches and pains, or an enduring sense of loneliness. People yearn for answers about their emotional and behavioral difficulties and sometimes end up blaming themselves for the way they are. If this sounds familiar, you may have unidentified trauma....
read more

Growth After Trauma: Finding Purpose & Meaning

After going through a traumatic experience, it’s normal to grieve. It’s normal to feel as though you’re going through a period of suffering. Many victims of trauma blame themselves and end up feeling guilt or shame for what happened.  As a result, it can be difficult to find any purpose in your life or what you’re doing.  But, it doesn’t have to be that way.  You don’t have to blame yourself for...
read more

How You May Be Minimizing Your Trauma & Key Ways to Honor Your Emotions

Trauma impacts everyone differently. But, one of the biggest mistakes those dealing with a traumatic event can make is ignoring their own feelings and emotions.  It’s not uncommon to feel as though you need to push your emotions down for a variety of reasons. Maybe you think they aren’t justified. Maybe you’re embarrassed. Perhaps others are telling you to “get over it” or move on. ...
read more

Trauma Recovery Happens in the Here and Now: 8 Strategies for Staying Present

By definition, a traumatic event is something that happened to you in the past. It could have been last week, last year, or a few decades ago. However, such episodes can wound deeply and therefore keep the emotions feeling fresh and new. This happens on both a psychological and physiological level. As a result, you may feel trapped in the past even as you strive to heal and create a better...
read more


Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. - Nido Qubein