Find a Therapist in Pacoima, CA

The story of our growth is often a story of change — in the layered identities we inhabit, the relationships that anchor us, and the responsibilities we are called to step into. Moving through life changes like becoming a parent, shifting careers, separating from a partner, or losing a loved one can make us feel unmoored and overwhelmed, stranded someplace between who we once were and who we are becoming. I work with my clients to explore the unique complexities, challenges, and opportunities for empowerment that lay inside these vulnerable, vital periods of transition. From a place of humor and empathy, I offer a warm, non-judgmental space to explore and evolve your own thought processes, relationship patterns, and habitual responses. Working as collaborators and fellow travelers, we will source creative new approaches that better support your agency, resilience, and wellbeing through life’s inevitable changes. I love working with new parents, ambitious professionals, blocked creatives, and those struggling with relational trauma loss grief. I also thrive in working with men seeking a greater understanding of themselves and their relationship patterns, and who are looking to deepen a connection to their emotional world. My work is grounded in relational psychotherapy with an asset-based approach. We will center your strengths, emphasizing and reinforcing what may already be working. If any of this speaks to you, I'd be honored to connect.

I take a directive, compassionate, client-led approach to help clients uncover their intuitive truth, develop their creativity, and navigate complex emotions. I work with creatives and neurodivergent clients to help build careers and relationships that support their unique needs. I work with industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and people looking to create or live unique lifestyles. I also do psychedelic integration. I work with clients in polyamorous relationships, kink, LDR, intercultural, and other various relationship styles. I work to help people bring more creativity and energy into their lives. I am also a professional astrologist, energy healer, yoga, meditation, and tantra teacher as well as an ayurvedic practitioner, and an artist, and these services are available as well.

Hi! I'm glad you're here. Navigating the ups and downs of pregnancy, postpartum, or challenges like infertility can feel overwhelming and deeply personal. I’m here to walk with you every step of the way, offering support and understanding as you go through this journey. I find great fulfillment in walking alongside people as they navigate the many stages of life. My particular passion lies in supporting women as they experience the trials and triumphs of pregnancy, postpartum, and child-rearing. I also partner with women who are facing the heartache of infertility, miscarriage, and child loss.. When I was pregnant with my daughter a few years ago, I had the typical dream that I would move into motherhood smoothly and adjust to all the changes easily. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) throughout my pregnancy and suffered from intense Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. After working through my own healing journey, I realized that no parent should have to walk through these challenges alone. My goal is to provide you with a safe and supportive space where healing and growth can flourish. I am committed to meeting you with empowerment, encouragement, support, and empathy as you share your story. Anna McDonald is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist under the supervision Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Rebecca Johnson, LMFT 99028

Plot twist: that voice in your head saying you're 'not doing enough' isn't motivation- it's trauma dressed up as productivity culture. What would change if you could feel worthy without the performance? I'm deeply passionate about this work because I've been there. As a survivor and queer woman, I know firsthand what it's like to confront anxiety, navigate trauma's aftermath, and discover your authentic identity. I understand the courage it takes to move from victim to survivor and the profound growth that occurs when we face our pain with compassion. Difficult experiences are incredibly human, yet we're rarely given the support and tools we need to heal. That's where I come in. My journey began as a Crisis Interventionist at a rape crisis center in DTLA, inspiring me to pursue my master's and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology. During my clinical training, I gained experience providing therapy at a shelter for BIPOC domestic violence survivors, at the world-renowned LA LGBT Center, and in a private practice focused on the neuroscience of trauma. Now an IFS-Certified Clinical Psychologist with over a decade of clinical experience, I specialize in healing trauma and anxiety, women's empowerment, and LGBTQIA+ struggles. I view therapy as a sacred, collaborative process honoring the mind, body, and spirit. I firmly believe effective therapy does more than alleviate symptoms; it transforms wounds into sources of strength. With a strong background in neuroscience, I go beyond traditional talk therapy to work directly with your nervous system where trauma and anxiety are stored. I believe you deserve the support it takes to achieve a life full of joy as your best self, and I'm here to offer it. When I'm not in session, you'll find me exploring the outdoors with my dog, brunching with my friends, or engaging with my feminist and LGBTQIA+ communities through activism. I'm energized by powerful and inspiring women, seeing my plants grow, music, and the simple joys of life.

At its core, my approach to psychotherapy is three-pronged: 1. It is centered around the exploration and discussion of the full range of your emotions. I help you gain a more felt and embodied experience of your emotions (rather than one solely based on intellect or insight), which in turn, can facilitate greater spontaneity, flexibility, creativity, and vitality in your life. 2. The relationship that you and I co-create is full of interpersonal information that we can use to change recurring patterns that are painful or self-defeating. 3. I understand that cultural context matters in all aspects of our emotional lives. As such, my hope is that therapy gets you more interested in your own individual differences and the various influences or systems that have shaped you. I see my role as an empathic companion as a well as an active guide who creates a safe base from which to walk on paths less trodden. I follow your map of the terrain, but ask that we pause and pay attention to the shapes, colors, and, lines, so to speak, of such a landscape. Often in this deep exploration, things emerge that we least expect -- and I offer spaciousness and steadiness to you as we navigate what's coming up in the here and the now of a session. Throughout these endeavors, I respect the nuances and particularities of your complicated and (likely) contradictory emotional truths.

IF YOU WANT THINGS TO BE DIFFERENT, YOU HAVE TO DO THEM DIFFERENTLY! Life has a flow. When the flow is blocked, we suffer. Suffering takes form in many ways and affects every aspect of our lives. Trauma, adverse life events and sudden tragic circumstances all contribute to suffering. The manifestations appear as drug and alcohol dependence, depression, and anxiety. The consequences can be physical in nature, such as chronic pain and stress, mental in nature, such as isolation and fear, and spiritual in nature, when all hope seems lost. My approach is to help you unblock the natural flow of your life. Regain balance and empowerment in the areas of romance, finance, sex and spirituality. Combining EMDR and Mindfulness therapies, I can help you find your FLOW: Fulfillment, Liberation, Ownership and Well-Being. You can choose a better way to live. You can live the life you choose. Now is as good a time as any!

It’s a very confusing time in history for men. There is so much messaging from all sides about what it means to “be a man”. Many men have been told their whole lives to “toughen up” and restrict their humanity to the culturally sanctioned “manly emotions,” such as anger. Society also tells men that it’s acceptable, even ideal, to possess women as a sign of their masculinity. Now, women are expecting more emotional literacy and maturity from men, who may now be called insensitive or toxic when behaving in the ways they were trained. Everyone deserves to be free to be their truest self, and to not be held back by gender roles or shame. I believe that the patriarchy has hurt and misled men. I am honored to witness any male identifying person become a confident leader without a need to dominate others. If you identify male and want to explore how to embody your masculinity in a healthy, authentic way, call or email me today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

We are all navigating the ups and downs of life the best that we can, where at times it may feel effortless and other times a bit more difficult. Life challenges such as transition, unhealthy relationship dynamics, unhealed trauma, divorce and loss, can cause us to lose touch with our inner voice and leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves. I help individuals and couples to reconnect to that inner voice that guides you towards what you want, what you believe is right, and towards any healing that may need to be done. I am a student of all things related to the human experience and truly believe that one person’s healing has significant positive ripple effects. Our bodies are messengers for our feelings and often, we need to find our way back into our physical body in order to find balance again. With a passion for understanding complex human behaviors, I work with adults, couples, and families looking to restore balance to their lives. My process incorporates my academic and professional background in trauma informed therapy, Ketamine Assisted Therapy, EMDR, and somatic awareness with different therapy modalities to create a therapy experience that resonates with you.

Ultimately, I’m passionate about supporting you. You choose what intrinsic and extrinsic life experiences you'd prefer to have. Tell me what's not working in your life, what emotions you wish to no longer feel, and what behaviors you'd like to no longer repeat. We'll target, identify & dismantle the cycles that create and maintain those unwanted patterns. We'll create the direction, motivation and progress that allows you to build the external outcomes you'd like to reach, as well as the emotions you want to consistently feel. I'm very assertive in my therapeutic process. I hold my clients accountable and point out patterns that create and maintain unwanted habits, thoughts, emotions, behaviors or outcomes. I have a very goal oriented approach to therapy, I place a higher value on creating measurable progress as opposed to spending extended time deeply developing insight around the past.

Have you been feeling stress, doubt, and worries in your relationships and work? You may have been suffering for a long time and have tried to find relief not getting the results you want. You may be hesitant to seek help or doubt there is a way to feel better. Through my years of experience I have seen countless clients move through suffering to having more hope for the future, a more fulfilling life, and feeling joy in their relationships. Working together as a team, we find new ways of thinking and you will see yourself in a different light.

I work from a compassionate, non-judgemental, client-centered perspective. I believe that the unique rapport that develops between client and therapist is one of the major components of emotional and psychological healing. Creating a therapeutic environment in which you--the client--can feel safe and explore your feelings is my primary objective.

It may very well be that our deepest longing and need is for connection. To be heard. To be understood. To be known in our deepest places. To learn to be more connected to the lost neglected parts of ourselves and those we care for. It isn't always an easy road. Perhaps even considering connection sounds intimidating or scary or dangerous. Often it entails letting go of destructive habits. Sometimes we just want to get unstuck. Sometimes, you and I will need to look at old patterns and create new ones. There may be moments of laughing, or crying, or facing hard truths. You may need to take a new path or forge a new future that is unknown. On the other side is the gold, or the jewel, or new life. Through hard work, you can create a more satisfying life, with less pain, less hurt, and less fear. You can live a more authentic life, being fully who you are. More able to love and be loved. More able to move through the world with ease. More forgiving of yourself and others. All along the way, I will be with you.