I take an integrative approach to therapy with an emphasis on a client-centered approach to build rapport and meet the needs of my clients. I specialize in working with trauma survivors, anxiety disorders, and relationship-based issues.

I believe in the power of a warm, holding, and consistent therapeutic relationship as the catalyst for profound and long-lasting change. Working from a client-centered, psychodynamic, and relational framework, I aim first and foremost to create an environment within which you can feel secure enough to enter into the journey of self-exploration that is the therapeutic process. My goal is to support you in building bridges between the past and the present, using the therapeutic relationship as a means for understanding internal patterns, and what may be keeping those patterns in place. This, in turn, leads to deeper self-awareness, paving the way for growth and the possibility of new ways of being and relating to the world. My approach to this work is rooted in an understanding of the impact that social marginalization and intergenerational trauma can have on mental health, and I am committed to helping clients identify this impact as it emerges in the work. I am passionate about working with individuals across the lifespan, and of diverse identities and social locations, including the LGBTQ+ community. I identify first-generation, bicultural and bilingual, and I am able to provide services in English as well as French.   It is my hope that through the therapeutic process, we can work together to support you in building greater self-understanding by making meaning out of your experiences. I believe that this can put you on the path towards becoming more fully yourself, living in a more integrated way, and standing more confidently in your own personal power.

If you’re looking for life to get easier then you have found the right profile! My personal and professional experience have taught me how to help my clients achieve exactly that. My clients generally find me to be compassionate, knowledgeable, non-judge mental, and easy to connect with. Before I was a psychotherapist I was a client myself and have since recovered from the majority of what I struggled with and it is my intention to help you do the same. I specialize in the areas that I have personal experience with: trauma, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and codependency. Dealing with these issues can be scary, difficult, and confusing, but with the right guide this process can be made significantly easier leading to an increased quality of life. I encourage you to reach out and book an appointment or consultation with me to find out if we are a good match.

I offer empathy and compassion in my work while only challenging my clients whenever necessary. I believe the therapeutic relationship is the key to great work, and I invite you to reach out to see if we’re a good fit. I utilize humor throughout treatment (whenever appropriate, of course), and you are my driver; I will simply read the map to you.

Hi there! I want to give you a warm welcome. I work with individuals who are navigating the complexities of being human. My clients often feel stuck in perfectionist patterns, overwhelmed by internal pressure, or weighed down by painful relational experiences. I have a special focus on supporting high-achieving folks, specifically student-athletes and emerging adults. As a former collegiate athlete myself, I can empathize with the unique pressures. I work with clients facing burnout, injury, identity shifts, and the transition out of sport - as well as those healing from sports-related trauma, including the long-term effects of high-pressure or harmful coaching dynamics. My approach is warm, collaborative, and LGBTQIA+ affirming. Together, we’ll explore what’s beneath the surface: the beliefs you’ve internalized, the roles you’ve taken on, and the parts of yourself that want to be seen and understood. Additionally, I provide testing for ADHD Evaluations and Psychodiagnostic Assessments to individuals across the lifespan. My work is grounded in relational and psychodynamic approaches, informed by trauma theory and a deep belief in the healing power of connection. I’m here to walk with you—not to “fix” you—but to help you reconnect with yourself in deeper, more compassionate ways. If any of this resonates, I’d love to connect over a free consultation call!

Space for the deeply feeling, the over-functioning, and those who’ve spent a lifetime holding space for others. I’m Kirstin Carl, LMFT, an Encino-based therapist with nearly 20 years of experience helping adults heal attachment wounds, navigate relationship patterns, and create emotional balance in dating, partnership, and parenting. I work with clients in-person across Los Angeles and online throughout California who are ready to move beyond anxiety, over-functioning, or self-blame into relationships that feel safe, mutual, and real. I believe healing happens in the context of authentic, trusting relationships. Many of the challenges we face in dating, marriage, or parenting trace back to early attachment patterns — the ways we learned to seek closeness, protect ourselves, or earn love. Through an attachment-based and trauma-informed approach, I help you understand how those old strategies no longer serve you in your relationships today. Our work is collaborative and deeply relational. We slow down together to notice what’s happening in the present moment — in your body, emotions, and internal dialogue — and connect it to the story beneath the surface. I integrate guided visualization, somatic awareness, and parts work to help you build inner safety, emotional regulation, and self-trust. Over time, therapy becomes a space where you can risk being fully seen and still feel secure — the foundation for lasting change in love, family, and self. Learn more about my approach to healing and growth at my Los Angeles therapy website: kcarlmft.com where I share insights on dating, relationships, and parenting.

Life can feel overwhelming, lonely, or directionless at times, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I provide a compassionate and supportive space where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences without judgment. My approach is person-centered, meaning you lead the session at your own pace while I guide and support you in gaining deeper self-awareness, healing emotional wounds, and creating meaningful change. I specialize in working with adults (ages 18-64) struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, or significant life transitions. Together, we’ll explore the patterns that may be keeping you stuck, uncover your strengths, and develop tools that empower you to move forward with confidence and clarity.

Are you experiencing overwhelming feelings, struggling with anxiety, depression, or in your relationships? Or maybe you feel that past negative life experiences continually disrupt your ability to positively engage in your life? I want you to know that I find nothing more satisfying than helping you to find stability and supporting you as you develop and embrace the fulfilling life that you deserve. Therapy with me will be a warm, safe, and trusting space in which you can open up and be your true self. I will help you increase your positive coping strategies, while developing your self-understanding, self-acceptance, and communication and relationship skills. I am also a Certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapist. This is an extensively researched and evidence based treatment, which is recommended by the World Health Organization to resolve negative life experiences, trauma, and PTSD, to help you find faster and more lasting resolution and healing. EMDR can quickly reduce the negative effects of painful or traumatic experiences by accessing your own natural ability to heal. I also have training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. I help couples who are experiencing communication, trust, or other challenges in their relationships. As we work together, I will encourage curiosity instead of judgment, support you in finding and strengthening your inner voice, help you clearly identify and express thoughts and feelings, and foster your increased conscious awareness of your inner workings. Let's work together to understand how you learned to cope earlier in your life, and how some of those strategies may not be as helpful anymore, and then how you can make the changes that you want. My experience includes more than ten years of working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families dealing with a wide range of challenges. These include anxiety, depression, life transitions, griefloss, parenting, physical andor sexual abuse, emotional abuse, low self-esteem, and others.

My approach begins with a real conversation that builds on itself to create rapport and trust with the individual or couple so that we can feel comfortable while talking about difficult and challenging personal matters. I am curious to find out what specifically the person or couple came to therapy for? What are they curious about, wanting to explore or change or confront in themselves or their relationship? We then flesh this out, to get a fuller and more detailed picture of their issues. We formulate 1, 2 or 3 priorities to focus. My therapeutic approach involves a psycho-dynamic and emotion focused approach, that sets out to understand the source of the problem, how it developed and how it's being habitually maintained? From here we begin to develop creative strategies on how to address and interrupt these patterns and replace them with healthier ways of being? I am particularly interested in accessing the individual'scouple's habitual ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that reinforces the very problems and patterns that they want to change. This provides us with an experiential understanding and knowing of how they have come to be where they are. We are then much better equipped to address their emotional triggers and negative feedback loops (blaming communication-patterns). We work together to develop a deeper more vulnerable way for the individualcouple to talk and listen to one another, a more reliable and skillful means of relating from themselves to their loved ones. As the therapy progresses the individual or members of a couple learn to find their courage and trust in the process to confront 'old deep hurts and angers,' within themselves or their relationship, and learn how to more constructively navigate these troubled areas.

Do you get stuck in cycles of negative thinking? Does it feel like your mind is working against you? Is it tough to turn off damaging self-talk and self-blame? This perpetual self-punishment can give rise to and worsen already challenging conditions like depression and anxiety, as well as sustain the effects of trauma. Wouldn’t it be a relief to break these patterns of destructive thinking? To improve self-esteem? To feel confident and worthy of engaging with others? I can help. My therapeutic approach is collaborative, solution-focused, and designed to be short-term using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT explores how thoughts and perceptions influence mood and behaviors. Identifying and modifying unhelpful thinking patterns affords us the ability to manage our emotions more effectively. In my practice, I also emphasize the importance of mindfulness, given our tendency to be overwhelmed by today's many distractions. Breathing and mindfulness techniques help to reduce anxiety, expand awareness, build resilience, and achieve greater degrees of acceptance. I have experience in suicide prevention and teen crisis counseling, and I currently work with the military veteran population, having recently appeared on Good Day LA to discuss the importance of trauma-informed care. Feel free to reach out with any questions. There has never been a better time to focus on taking care of ourselves, and entering into therapy can be an important first step to real change.

Feeling anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, lonely, or stuck? Struggling with self-esteem, relationships, motivation, or achieving your goals? Therapy can help you develop insight, understanding, and skills to manage these stressors and grow. My hope as a therapist is to foster a safe and nurturing relationship in which together we can explore and make sense of your history and experiences. Through this process we will help you develop inner strength, increased self-awareness, and develop the ability to make meaningful changes in your life. Please feel free to reach out for a free phone consultation, I look forward to speaking with you.

If you’ve been feeling anxious, burned out, or weighed down by the past, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to keep carrying it by yourself. You may be functioning on the outside but feel stuck in old patterns, constantly on edge, or unsure how to move forward. I believe therapy should be a space where you can slow down, feel safe, and begin to make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface. My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and trauma-informed. Together, we’ll explore the experiences that have shaped you, identify what’s keeping you stuck, and work toward relief and lasting change. I integrate EMDR therapy, CBT, and mindfulness-based techniques to help calm the nervous system, process unresolved experiences, and strengthen emotional resilience. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. My role is to meet you where you are—with curiosity, respect, and care—and to help you reconnect with your capacity for balance, self-trust, and peace. Healing isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about coming home to yourself.