Many partners benefit from working with a Gottman-trained therapist. The Gottman Method is a research-based modality that emphasizes three relational domains: conflict, friendship, and shared meaning. Approaching your relationship in this holistic way means that you won't just rehash your problems every week – you'll learn how to navigate conflict, proactively strengthen your partnership, and focus on creating a meaningful life together.
Read MoreIn Internal Family Systems (IFS), these protective coping mechanisms are called protectors—aspects or parts of our personalities that help us stabilize and/or soothe so that we hopefully navigate life with more ease and an increased sense of safety.
Read MoreAs a couples therapist, I borrow Bell Hook's definition of love. She defines love as "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." She emphasizes that love is an action, not a feeling. This means that maintaining emotional intimacy in a relationship requires thoughtful and consistent intention and corresponding action.
In our fast-paced world, feeling overwhelmed is, unfortunately, the norm and is even seen as a point of pride in certain circles; it's as if our tendency to work harder than our capacity is proof of our worth. But this so often leads to burnout for many and can even progress to more significant experiences of anxiety and depression when not addressed. One powerful tool that has gained significant attention in recent years is mindfulness
Read MoreHighly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) experience the world in a uniquely intense way due to processing information more deeply, becoming easily stressed by overstimulation, having increased emotional reactivity, and heightened perception of subtleties in their surroundings. While this heightened sensitivity can be a gift, it also means that HSPs may look for some relief through substance use - and sometimes this can lead to addiction.
Read MoreLiving with ADHD presents unique challenges that can impact various aspects of life. From struggling with time management to navigating social interactions, ADHDers often face a complex web of internal and external pressures. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offers a compassionate and effective approach to addressing these challenges, helping individuals with ADHD develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their experiences.
Read MoreParenthood is a beautiful and transformative journey that can bring immense joy and fulfillment to couples. However, this transition can also come with its fair share of challenges and adjustments.
Read MorePeople often come to couples therapy for premarital counseling, working through conflict, family planning, strengthening intimacy, and exploring changes in their relationship structure such as ethical non-monogamy. In the midst of this work, the inevitable may come—death, loss, and the grief that follows. This could be the death of a family or friend, pregnancy loss, the loss following a big move or an unexpected layoff, and the grief that emerges at witnessing and/or being impacted by violence and oppression that surrounds us.
Read MoreHave you wished your partner did things differently, whether that meant being more open with you or spending more time with you or something else entirely, and you kept getting hit with disappointment after disappointment because your wishes simply weren't coming true?
If so, your relationship might be impacted by resentment.
Read MoreOften, couples come into Couples Therapy in Highland Park, CA, seeking help around a pattern of relating or disconnection that has been ongoing and challenging to change. One of the more common dynamics is codependency. This is where one or both partners overly depend on another person for validation, approval, a sense of identity, and self-worth. This pattern can create a cycle of unhealthy behaviors and interactions. It causes one partner to enable the other's behavior, or both partners may feel trapped in a cycle of caretaking and seeking validation from each other.
Read MoreRelationships are a beautiful, complicated dance between two individuals. What initially brings a couple together - those very qualities that felt so magnetic - can become the sources of misattunement over time. As life evolves, external stressors, such as financial pressures or career changes, can add strain. Additionally, major life events like the transition to parenthood can shift priorities and dynamics within the relationship. Changes in sexual desires, as well as personal growth and evolving paths in life, can also contribute to feeling out of sync with your partner. Despite these challenges, couples who are willing to work on their relationship can emerge stronger and more connected. If you're experiencing these challenges, Couples Therapy in Highland Park, CA at Therapy on Fig can provide a supportive space. One that can help you explore these issues and reconnect with your partner.
Read MoreWe all seek connection and yearn to be supported and loved by our partners. But even with the best intentions, many times, we struggle to communicate in a way that leaves both partners feeling seen and understood. Effective communication can be worked on both in and out of Couples Therapy in Highland Park, CA. This can be done to assist couples in increasing their relationship satisfaction. Here, you can learn more about the importance of relationship communication. You can also learn more ways to improve communication with your partner.
Read MoreWhat happens when you experience emotional overwhelm? That moment where your natural and helpful attunement to others’ emotions feels like it’s taking on a bit too much. This can lead to compassion fatigue and a need to shut down. It might bring up a part of you that feels panicked, urgently trying to find ways to “keep it all together.” Sometimes, emotional overwhelm can bring up a self-critical mindset, where you begin to berate yourself for not feeling in control. This is where Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA comes in.
Read MoreAs an empath or highly sensitive person, your sensitivities to others and your ability to attune to yourself and the outside world can be overwhelming. This may lead you to adjust your communication style. This is done to shield others from what you sense as a vulnerability. By absorbing these fragile states in others, it makes sense for your interpersonal relationships to pose specific challenges. You may find difficulty around boundary setting or staying within a boundary.
Read MoreYou love your child so deeply, but more days than not, you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by this tiny human who seems to bring out the worst in you. You’ve read all the books and asked all the questions in your parenting communities. Yet somehow you’re still struggling to understand how to care for your child in a way that doesn’t feel so hard all of the time. You find yourself getting stuck in the guilt and shame cycle because you feel you “should” know better, but what you’re doing just isn’t working. And, at the end of the day, it’s not just your kid who’s had the meltdown, but you’re having them too.
Read MoreCompassion fatigue often used interchangeably with secondary traumatic stress or vicarious trauma, refers to a specific type of burnout. One that can occur when one is experiencing an overwhelming amount of stress. This is a result of overexposure to other people’s suffering. It is common in people working in helping professions. But it can happen to anyone who is operating in any sort of caregiving role, whether it’s emotional, physical, or spiritual. Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA with Therapy on Fig, provides specialized support to help individuals navigate the unique challenges of compassion fatigue. All While developing coping strategies to protect their emotional well-being.
Read MoreLife transitions, whether by choice or circumstance, are commonly followed by conflicting feelings. Moving to a new city may bring joy and sorrow. Advancing in one’s career can bring fear and excitement. Entering a new decade of life can unearth gratitude and worry. Divorce or a breakup can be followed by relief and sadness.
In addition to conflicting feelings, another common thread amongst all life transitions is change. For Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP), change may result in feeling shaken up and overstimulated. This is due to being highly attuned to the shifts in one’s environment. What once may have felt familiar and secure begins to feel unstable and chaotic. For HSPs going through life transitions, it is possible to be in a relationship with one’s sensitivity through change — one that feels less distressing and overwhelming.
Read MoreAs we close out January 2024, you may reflect on this first month of a new year. As an HSP or Empath, you may be keenly aware of the passing of time. Settling into a new year then brings up different emotions. Maybe this brings up feelings of being behind, grief, or anxiety about the future. It may even bring up joy and expectation, or a million things in between.
Read MoreAs an empath or a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), you possess a unique and valuable trait that presents challenges and opportunities. One area where you may face distinct considerations is your career choices. In this blog post, we will delve into how being an empath or HSP can impact your career decisions. We will also talk about how Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA can provide guidance on finding a fulfilling and balanced professional path.
Read MoreAn empath is someone who possesses extraordinary sensitivity and attunement to the emotions and inner states of those around them. This awareness also makes it more likely that empaths spend time and energy in service of helping others. But, this sensitivity can lead to porous boundaries between self and others. This, in turn, can negatively affect mental and emotional health. In Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA, empaths can learn how this quality impacts their mental/emotional health and relationships.
Read More![74 [Converted]-02.png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b2ab66e75f9ee77b85431ad/1620761682426-P4M5BQH61X4D2ZHS7A8W/74+%5BConverted%5D-02.png)
