Trina Chan MA, LMFT 119831 California

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, bilingual in both English and Mandarin. I received my MA degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University, CA and I am also a Certified Life Coach. I completed several years of my training in private practice in Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, and received supervision that was mainly focused on psychodynamic approaches, with an emphasis on the relationship between client and therapist.

I have worked with a diverse population, ranging from providing individual and group therapy to women and children survivors of domestic violence at the Asian Pacific Women’s Center, to providing support to those in emotional distress and with suicidal tendencies at The Samaritans in Hong Kong. I have experience in working with anxiety, trauma, depression, grief and loss, family and relationship issues and life transitions, amongst others.

After graduating with a BA degree in English and Drama with Education Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK and prior to pursuing a career as a psychotherapist, I spent a year at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles. My training in Drama, Film and Theatre and in ‘the Method’ have provided ideas and techniques to develop exercises that are effective in relaxation and healing.

My training and experience have encouraged me to approach every situation with an open mind, to be flexible, creative and empathetic. Life’s challenges often present an opportunity for growth and personal development. I am passionate about helping individuals to gain greater insight and self-awareness, explore relationship patterns, understand past experiences and unconscious processes and how they continue to impact life in the present, and work towards making certain changes in order to experience greater satisfaction in their lives. Honesty and respect are qualities that I value highly and I believe strongly in creating a safe, open and non-judgmental environment in order for individuals to feel comfortable expressing themselves and to work through difficult and complex issues.

 

Francine Duran M.A., AMFT 93316

I’ve learned that the richest experience in life is realizing and understanding one’s emotional self. Once we gain this knowledge, we can begin to realize and understand our self-experience and how much the emotional self and the rational self, play-out in our daily lives, and the importance of balancing our emotional and rational selves.

My interest is to help you understand not only the present symptoms and issues you may be experiencing, but also to promote the idea of a more meaningful life. I understand the obstacles we run into and the difficulty we find ourselves in, whether it is in a relationship, employment, or just personal growth. Often, along our journey we get stuck and don’t know how to get unstuck. Therefore, we stay stuck and life may become very heavy. Lets explore the heaviness in your journey and lets become enlightened.

I provide a safe non-judgmental environment to explore YOU in the here and now.

Francine holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Psychology with an emphasize in Marriage and Family Therapy from the California Graduate Institute of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the New Center for Psychoanalysis. She is a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist with the California Board of Behavioral Science #93316. The service provided by Francine is supervised by Michael J. Whitman, Psy.D.

 

 

Catherine Smith, PsyD, PSB 94026482

“It is a joy to be hidden and a disaster not to be found.” – D.W. Winnicott

Catherine Smith, PsyD is a Post-Doctoral Psychological Associate with six years of experience providing trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ and ND (neurodivergent) friendly, body- and sex-positive psychotherapy to individual adults and couples. Dr. Smith also utilizes creative play and art therapy with children and adolescents. Her insight-oriented psychodynamic approach is influenced by attachment, sensorimotor, object relations, spiritual/depth & postmodern theories.

Dr. Smith received her Masters’ and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, respectively) and completed training rotations with elders, adults, children and couples in Community Mental Health, school-based and private practice settings. She offers a collaborative, non-judgmental space for curiosity and exploration, which emphasizes safety, warmth and humor.

Dr. Smith’s treatment approach has proven helpful for creative, ambitious people who are undergoing difficult life transitions or experiencing relational challenges. Her approach is particularly well-suited for those seeking insight around core issues that may underlie an internal sense of emptiness, disconnection or distress. She specializes in empowering survivors of childhood trauma, abuse and/or emotional neglect to increase wellbeing and lead more fulfilling lives.

 

Micky DeSilva M.A., AMFT 115510

Micky DeSilva is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, published author and 200-hour registered yoga teacher. As a Licensed practitioner of the healing arts, Micky takes an integrative approach to therapy, using mindfulness as the cornerstone. With a background in political science, somatic practices, and clinical psychology, a lens of social justice and self-awareness inform her clinical approach.

Micky obtained her BA in Political Science at the University of Hawaii and her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University in Santa Barbara, where she specialized in Healthy Aging. She has extensive experience in the field of addiction treatment, which includes trauma work, harm reduction techniques and addressing co-occurring disorders. As a breast cancer survivor, Micky feels passionate about working closely with other women to process grief and create a sense of empowerment as they create new narratives and chapters along their journey. She has the following to say about her intentions as an AMFT:

Evolution can be messy. Healing and growth are non-linear processes, which can feel challenging at times. A holistic approach to healing ensures that we are addressing all facets of the human experience, creating a space to discover our truest and most authentic selves, even when it feels like a hurdle. Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) put it best, “Sometimes the questions are complicated, and the answers are simple.” I aim to make therapy a safe environment where those questions can be explored, either one-on-one during individual therapy, or for couples in a joint session.