Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist
The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.
- C. G. Jung
Welcome.
We come to therapy for many reasons: to untangle old patterns, to seek relief from emotional pain, to move through grief, to develop our capacity in relationships, to know ourselves more deeply.
In our therapeutic work together, your process will be unique. We will explore what you feel and how you express it, how your past experiences are influencing your present, and what calls your attention when it has space to be heard. We will have the opportunity to slow down dynamics and work with them. Curiosity, collaboration, and compassion will guide this work.
About Me
I am a licensed psychotherapist in Los Angeles, CA. I see a diverse group of adults, couples, and relationships in my practice. My style is engaged, curious, and warm. Many people in my practice come to therapy to address anxiety, depression, grief, and relational issues. I support people working through major life changes such as career shifts, relationship transition, coming into new identities, or mourning loss. In moments of great change, we have the opportunity to deepen our understanding of ourselves. Therapy offers us the space to be held while we do the hard work that leads to growth and transformation.
I’ve worked extensively with LGBTQIA+ people, therapists and those in training to become mental health practitioners, creatives and performers, emerging adults, people considering the expansion of a relationship by having children or exploring consensual nonmonogamy, to name a few.
Often a person will come to therapy looking for help to make sense of a deeper persistent feeling that they cannot verbalize. In other words, sometimes we are led to seek out help by parts of ourselves we are not yet in touch with. Psychoanalytic therapy is a wonderful tool for bringing some of these deeper feelings out of the depths and into a space where we can verbalize, explore, and make meaning of these feelings.
Psychoanalytic work is based on the idea that we are often motivated and influenced by unconscious thoughts, feelings, and wishes, and that these may underlie our present challenges (anxiety, depression, disconnection, etc.) We explore these through close listening, dream analysis, paying attention to the relationship between the therapist and patient, knowing that it may connect to past relational patterns. We work to understand defenses that block emotional awareness, and address issues related to how you see yourself. Sessions take place 1-4 times a week and asks that patients communicate as openly and freely as possible. The frequency of sessions allows for the work to deepen, maintain instensity, and see shifts move from inner life to outer life.
In addition to working as a therapist, I supervise pre-licensed clinicians in my practice and offer consultation to clinicians seeking to deepen their understanding of LGBTQ-Affirmative therapy, and psychoanalytic concepts and techniques.
In line with my commitment to ensuring access to quality mental health care, I serve as the Executive Director of Coldwater Counseling Center, a community mental health clinic in Studio City, CA. For over 40 years, the clinic has offered Jungian depth psychotherapy to the community at an affordable cost.
As part of the LGBTQ community I have seen how intersecting systems of oppression affect individual and community mental health. One’s relationship to power via race, class, gender, and ethnicity is present in all parts of our experience, and the therapeutic space is no exception. I am a white cisgender queer woman, and I bring consciousness of these aspects of my identity into our work together.
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Alison earned her B.A. from McGill University in Montréal, QC, and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles, where she specialized in LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy. Her practicum training while a graduate student took place at The Maple Counseling Center. She studied and completed a certificate in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the New Center for Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles, where she serves on the committee for Diversities and Socio-cultural Inequities and teaches topics of Sexuality and Gender in the Adult Psychotherapy program. She is currently studying at the Psychoanalytic Center of California.
Alison has completed an externship in LGBTQ-centered Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) and regularly attends workshops and conferences to continue developing clinical skills and stay current with advancements in the field. She is a member of the American Psychoanalytic Association, APA DIV 39 Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology, and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
If you are interested in learning more or working together in therapy, supervision, or consultation, please feel free to reach out.
Info
My fee for individual therapy is $225 for a 50 minute session, and for couples/relationships the fee is $250 for a 60 minute session. I see people in person or via tele-health anywhere in California. I reserve sliding-scale availability for 30% of my cases at any given time. You may inquire about sliding scale, keeping in mind that these spaces are intended for people who may not have access to family or earned assets, systemic privileges or advantages, and have a lower income.
The Associate therapists that I supervise in my practice are able to offer lower fees. These clinicians are gaining supervised experience in order to become licensed. We meet weekly to discuss their work, and to provide support and guidance.
We are not in-network or paneled with any insurance companies. If your insurance provider reimburses for out-of-network services, we can provide you with a document to request reimbursement (a "Superbill"). If you plan to do this, please consult with your insurance provider to get accurate information about what rate and percentage they will reimburse you at.
Other Resources
LOW-COST THERAPY OPTIONS
TEXT & ONLINE RESOURCES