Lyra Barrera, Psy.D.
I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). I graduated with a BA in Psychology from Harvard University, earned a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree from the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles. My areas of emphasis included Women’s Studies; Marriage, Child, and Family Therapy; and Multicultural Community Clinical Psychology.
I provide training and supervision in both agency and private-practice settings and was on the faculty of the Southern California Counseling Center for 15 years. I have been working with individuals and couples at Larchmont Associates since 1998.
We are all trying to navigate in many different contexts every day – professional, interpersonal, spiritual (to name a few) – and problems tend to arise when our values and beliefs are not seen or supported in the contexts we are living in. To make matters worse, those contexts can also be promoting taken-for-granted ideas about how we should be living our lives. In my work, we are actively engaged in finding ways to name and contend with problems in context. I work collaboratively with people to detail their hopes for a life that is focused in the ways they would like, honor the histories that inform their current experiences and relationships, and help find ways to embody emotions in ways that can be felt, seen, and understood by others.
License no. PSY 21518 & MFT 39372
Location
252 N. Larchmont Boulevard Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 323-980-7960
e: lyrabarrera@larchmontassociates.com
Aaron Buckwalter, LMFT
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Originally from New York City, I have been in Los Angeles for over 25 years.
My practice is dedicated to helping men, women, and couples work through relational, emotional and personal problems so that they can lead a more meaningful life.
Anxiety, depression or relational conflict can feel overwhelming, but these problems do not have to define you. I can help you identify barriers, explore strengths and preferences, creating new ways of responding to old problems so that you don’t feel stuck in familiar and unfulfilling patterns. My style is collaborative, warm, authentic and direct.
Areas of particular interest include men’s issues, relationships, transitions and loss in personal or work life, and couples struggling with fertility challenges.
In addition to seeing clients since 2003 in private practice, I was a therapist for five years at the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic. During that time, I provided short and long term therapy, family therapy, crisis intervention, trauma work, and group therapy. For eight years, I supervised pre-licensed therapists in the Family Therapy Training program at the Southern California Counseling Center in Los Angeles. Additionally, I am trained in EMDR thru an EMDRIA approved training program.
Education:
- B.A. Political Science and History (Honors), Washington University in St. Louis
- M.A. Clinical Psychology (Honors), Phillips Graduate Institute
- Professional Affiliations:
- American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
- American Psychological Association’s Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity)
For additional information about my work please contact me or go to www.changethrutherapy.com
License no. LMFT 43099
Location
252 N. Larchmont Boulevard Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 323-799-4130
e: aaronmft@gmail.com
For more information see: changethrutherapy.com
Sophie de Figueiredo, Psy.D.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist with a primary specialty in adolescent, young adult and women’s mental health, as well as extensive experience treating adults and families. As a psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, I primarily treat individuals and families with various mental health issues specific to teens, young adults transitioning to adulthood, as well as chronic medical conditions. In my private practice, I provide treatment to individuals (13+), adults, and families that emphasizes increasing overall well-being, emotional health, and life satisfaction by strengthening coping skills, positive self-image, mood and overall daily functioning.
I provide gender-affirming, strength-based, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed care that takes biological, psychosocial, intergenerational, systemic and structural influences into account. I have expertise in providing treatment relating to trauma, stress, depression/anxiety, relationships, social skills, autism spectrum disorders, pregnancy/ parenting, cultural issues and immigration. I also specialize in treating work-related burnout and “compassion fatigue,” especially as these relate to clinical providers and/or family caregivers. I draw from a range of evidence-based psychological interventions to provide individualized care for each person with the ultimate goal of reducing distress and increasing ease, wellness and resilience.
As the benefits of therapy depend largely on the strength and authenticity of the therapeutic relationship, I focus on building trusting connections with my clients via empathy, warmth, humor, and honesty. Sessions with me are collaborative and respectful; together, we will develop a unique direction and pace of treatment to best suit your needs.
License no. PSY 25349
Location
252 N. Larchmont Boulevard Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 323.362.2884
e: sophiepsyd@gmail.com
Elise Gibney, Ph.D
My goal as a psychologist is to help cut through the stress, trauma, old patterning and oppressive socio-cultural forces that keep us from realizing our best possible selves. I utilize both traditional talk therapy modalities (with specialties in Narrative, Cognitive Behavioral and trauma therapies) and also somatic therapies to support people in creating meaningful and fulfilling lives that reflect their values. I believe that learning to regulate our nervous systems and listen to the wisdom of our bodies is integral to healing. I utilize a collaborative, respectful approach that centers my client as the expert in their life.
I earned my BA from University of Pennsylvania, then my Masters and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from Alliant / California School of Professional Psychology. I am also a Trauma Sensitive Yoga teacher, a meditation practitioner and teacher, and have extensive experience providing clinical services, supervision and training in community mental health and academic settings. I have been practicing since 2002 and was a staff psychologist and supervisor at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine for 11 years. I also have 3 unruly dogs who keep me on my toes!
My specialties include:
- Trauma, including complex trauma, developmental trauma and intergenerational trauma
- Diversity Issues
- Women’s Issues
- Addressing effects of systemic oppression
- Caregiver fatigue / Burnout / Vicarious trauma
- Supporting people on spiritual paths
- Parenting
- Adolescence and Early Adulthood
- Depression and Anxiety
- Life Transitions
License no. PSY 19305
Location
252 N. Larchmont Boulevard Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 626.708.0030
e: elisegphd@gmail.com
Larry Zucker, LCSW
I have been working with individuals, couples, and families at Larchmont Associates since 1992, and have been in private practice for 10 years before that. I received my Masters in Social Work from Boston University in 1982, followed by three years of post-graduate training in couple and family therapy at the Kantor Family Institute in Boston.
I work from a perspective informed by Narrative and Solution-Focused Therapies. I focus pragmatically on the “how” of disentangling ourselves from problematic ways of being in our relationships to self and others, so that we can imagine and create more dreamed-of lives and relationships. I see people as full of untapped skill and knowledge for creating preferred lives despite difficulties encountered, and I see therapy as a relationship that helps bring forth that skill and knowledge.
In recent years I have become most interested in helping people escape from conflict, disengagement, and mistrust, which led to my focusing on couple therapy and family therapy with teens and young adults. In both cases it seems that people find themselves stuck in struggles that recur, escalate or divide, and do damage to the relationships despite everyone’s best intentions, dreams and wishes. My job is to help people re-engage and bring to life the dreams they had for themselves and their relationships before problems took hold.
Outside of the office I am involved with the Narrative Therapy community through a non-profit organization, Re-authoring Teaching, which hosts an international online community for study, theory and practice development, and cross-cultural collaboration. Through Re-authoring Teaching I offer a training course for couple therapists. I also run a research project at the Southern California Counseling Center where we are experimenting with using theatrical means to help those severely impacted by trauma or illness to step outside of themselves for a moment and get a hope-restoring glimpse of their own heroic struggle for life.
I’ve supervised and trained family therapists for many years in both clinic and university settings. I am a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and am an AAMFT Approved Supervisor.
License no. LCS 14596
Location
252 N. Larchmont Boulevard Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 323.962.8190
e: lmzucker@gmail.com
Ralph Bruneau Ph.D., MFT
I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. My work in this field began more than 30 years ago as a paraprofessional counselor. The profound nature of the work inspired me to go on to receive a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and then a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
I served as faculty member at Antioch University, in the Family Training Program at the Southern California Counseling Center, and have provided training to clinicians regarding chemical dependency, psychopharmacology, and sexuality/intimacy. I am a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, an AAMFT approved supervisor, and, in 2016, received one of 2 national awards from AAMFT for my contributions to the field of marriage and family therapy in the state of California. I served 6 years on AAMFT-CA Board of Directors and currently serve on the Board of Directors for the LA Gender Center, CLAW, and Avatar Los Angeles (President).
Additionally, I am EMDR Certified, a Certified Treatment Specialist for Diverse Populations (AATBS), Certified LGBT Affirmative Psychotherapy Provider (AAMFT-CA) and Certified Substance Use Disorder Provider (AAMFT-CA).
Outside my consulting room, in have been actively involved with the effort to ban licensed mental health professionals from providing Conversion Therapy to minors since AB1172 was crafted. California was the first state to ban this dangerous practice. I have been actively involved in this effort for over 8 years. In 2017, I was named International Mr. Leather. Part of my platform entailed traveling around the world raising funds and awareness for NCLR’s #BornPerfect campaign to ban Conversion Therapy in all 50 states and around the world. 18 states, DC and Puerto Rico now have bans on the practice.
I have written for, or been profiled in, Alphatribe, The Leather Journal, GayStarNews, Bound and Black, Box, Time Out, Advocate, Huffington Post, and most recently was one of 6 individuals (I was the only therapist) chosen for an eight-page feature in Playboy magazine (in collaboration with the Trevor Project) because of my work with #BornPerfect and activism in fighting Conversion Therapy. I was the Payasos Leatherman of the Year 2017 and the George Wong person of the Year 2018 presented by the LALC. My IML step-aside video was awarded the 2019 Best Musical Short by CineKink and is touring in festivals nationwide.
I believe the therapeutic process sits squarely within a context of heteronormative, gender, and sexual politics. These influences restrain our expression whether it be cultural, familial, relational alienation, an unwanted and unhealthy relationship with substances or maladaptive patterns, or a partially expressive sexual expression, to name a few. In this regard, I see the psychotherapeutic process as one, which attempts the collaborative release of these restraining influences returning to the innate capacity for full range of self-expression.
License no. MFT 33596
Location
143 N. Larchmont Boulevard Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 323.962.9619
e: DrRalphBruneau@gmail.com
Lynne Rosen, LCSW
“When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in service of my vision—then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” —Audre Lorde
Welcome!
Having worked in the field for almost 30 years I have come to appreciate—despite our desire and intention to create meaningful change—how relational patterns and habits of mind/body persist! I continue to feel inspired as I witness people risk their vulnerability, challenge the status quo, populate their lives with allies, and engage their creativity to find a path forward.
CONTEXT
Our dilemmas don’t occur in a vacuum. We are told how we “should” live our lives according to standards that we “should” measure up to, but these requirements may no longer fit with what we most value, or with who we want to become. We may have different hopes, hopes that have gone underground or are waiting to emerge.
COLLABORATION: WORKING WITH OUR STORIES
Together, in a safe and brave space, we will work on renegotiating your relationship with unhelpful or outdated narratives, patterns, and body experiences. We will unpack socio-political forces that may shape and keep some problems alive. Through an active process we will explore your vision for your life and relationships, and we will mine for skills, creativity, and knowledges that will empower you to take steps toward meaningful change.
BEYOND TALK
I have learned from my own journey of healing that some problems can’t be talked away.
Memories, sensations, and emotions from traumatic experiences may intrude the present in ways that don’t feel right-sized. It may feel threatening or unsafe to experience what emerges, and in response we might become highly anxious, dissociative, or shut down as a strategy to survive. These strategies deserve to be honored as they may have been life-saving in the past, but they may hold us back from thriving in the present. Integrating talk therapy with Somatic Therapies, EMDR Therapy, and Interpersonal Neurobiology into my practice has helped clients reclaim their agency, and a visceral sense of safety and aliveness.
AREAS OF INTEREST
- Helping people navigate and gain freedom from the effects of abuse and trauma
- Working with artists
- So-called Single Life After 30
- The discovery and expression of eroticism in our lives
- Helping couples (monogamous, polyamorous, or open) and communities explore ways to coordinate relationships that are mutually satisfying and meaningful
- Addressing the insidious effects of racism, heterosexism, economic inequality, and sexism in our lives
- The pressures and politics of managing the competing demands of our work, relationships, and self-care
- Dictates, joys, contradictions, and the messiness of raising and/or mentoring young people
- Constructing masculinities that support personal and relational wellbeing
- Integrating Narrative Therapy with less linear therapies (EMDR, Somatic, IPNB) both philosophically and practically
CONSTRUCTING A PLAN
Early in our work we will come up with a plan you feel will best support movement and change.
We are all in this together!
Looking forward…
Lynne
ABOUT LYNNE
Lynne is a board and faculty member of Re-Authoring Teaching, an international learning community of Narrative Therapy enthusiasts, where she teaches Em-BODY-ing conversations training and consultation groups. For many years Lynne worked as Core Faculty and Director of the Postmodern Therapy Training Program at Phillips Graduate Institute, and as Co-Founder of WPLA (Women’s Project Los Angeles). She continues to enjoy teaching, supervising, and training in many contexts. She is the proud mother of two adult sons, and loves photography, forests, lakes, crunchy leaves, and any athletic endeavor that allows her to feel wind!
License no. LCS 19324
Location
143 N. Larchmont Boulevard Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: (626) 523-1482
e. lrosen@larchmontassociates.com
Robert Santos, MFT
Prior to my work as a therapist, I earned a Master’s degree in Literature from USC and received my BA from Bard College in New York. I earned my MA in Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute, training in such diverse settings as the California Family Counseling Center, Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic, and the Southern California Counseling Center (SCCC), where I also currently supervise and teach. I am a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and have extensive training in sexual issues.
As a therapist, I work to help people distinguish their preferences from their problems, understand more fully the values they care most about, and define the intentions and actions that will best express those values.
Working with relationships, I foster the development of practices which create space for each partner’s unique experience, and make these heartfelt preferences visible to everyone involved.
In all cases in my work, I strive to bring about a positive, affirming response from a person’s community, and to help people engage their personal communities as a powerful resource for change. My work is further informed by practices drawn from mindfulness meditation, which I have practiced for over 20 years.
I work mainly with adult individuals, couples and diverse partner relationships of many types. I have extensive experience working with complex partnership dynamics, including polyamory, ethical nonmonogamy, and kink, and enjoy supporting people to design their relationships more consciously and choicefully over time.
My areas of emphasis include:
- Couples navigating differences, disconnection or conflict
- People seeking alternatives to abusive behaviors in relationship
- Experiences of betrayal in intimate relationships
- Secrecy, lies and repairing relationships affected by them
- Men and the challenges of modern masculinity
- Developing a fulfilling experience of sexual desire, pleasure and behavior
- Concerns about sexual well-being and relationships
- Out of control sexual behaviors
License no. MFC #42998
Location
143 N. Larchmont Boulevard Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: (323) 205-4188
e. robsantos@larchmontassociates.com
Blair C Smith, LMFT, CGP, SEP
My practice is a collaborative endeavor where you will develop awareness & gain insight about yourself, your relationships, and the obstacles preventing you from leading a satisfying & productive life. My goal is to create a supportive, encouraging, and meaningfully challenging setting for you to process emotions, re-frame unhelpful perspectives, and regulate triggers based on past or present circumstances.
As a licensed Marriage Family Therapist (MFT), a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) my approach is holistic, emphasizing the interconnections between the mind and body, your emotions and behaviors. While working with individuals, couples, and groups, I integrate modern psychoanalysis, Somatic Experiencing, and Interpersonal Neurobiology finding this integrated approach the most effective way to treat Developmental Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, and Attachment Disorders.
After completing my MA in Clinical Psychology degree from Antioch University Los Angeles, I trained at the Pacific Gestalt Institute (PGI) for 2 years followed by the post-graduate Psychoanalytic Program at the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS). In 2009, I began Somatic Experiencing (SE) training in a private practicum, thereafter completing the 3-year program with the SE Trauma Institute. As a certified group therapist, I have advanced training in group dynamics and lead ongoing therapy groups incorporating SE principles.
Beyond my practice, I present quarterly at TEENLINE, Cedar’s Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles on the topics of Trauma and Grief and Loss, locally and nationally on the topic of Somatic Group Psychotherapy, and assist SE trainings in Southern California and Sydney, Australia.
License no. 50624
Location
143 N. Larchmont Boulevard Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 310-388-5787
e. blairsmithmft@gmail.com
Andrea Zuckerman, MFT
My approach to therapy is one of active collaboration between therapist and client. I help to clarify the unique preferences and understanding each client seeks. I am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist who works with individuals, couples and families in my private practice. Drawing from Post-Modern philosophies and holistic awareness-based approaches, I invite clients to explore possibilities, identify strengths and skills, and gain traction toward realizing the changes they seek.
As an undergraduate, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Middlebury College and then went on to receive my Master of Arts
degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. I draw from my experience as a clinical supervisor at a teen suicide hotline at Cedars Sinai Hospital and at the Southern California Counseling Center.
My private practice work focuses on couples and families, sex and intimacy, addiction, trauma, anxiety and depression. In addition, I offer specialized trauma work, including the protocol of EMDR.
License no. LMFT 46089
Location
143 N. Larchmont Boulevard Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Contact
t: 310.499.7001
e. andreazzuckerman@gmail.com