Services Provided

Child Therapy

Linda works with children ages 5 and up. With the younger children, she utilizes the well researched approach that allows for children to do “their work” through play. Depending on the issue, parents are asked to participate in these sessions. It has been well documented that children process traumatic or troubling events through their imaginary play. Because of this, Linda allows the younger child to direct the play. It can become very apparent what the child needs by how they direct they play. One of the goals is for the child to be able to act out the event through play in so many ways until it becomes “a part of” their inner world view, a “part of” their past experience, and ceases to be that “bigger than life” monster that shook their world. Some common issues that can be addressed this way are parents divorcing, siblings leaving for college, deaths in the family, and family violence.

With school age children who demonstrate behavioral problems, the parents are always a part of the therapeutic process. With some sessions being with the child individually, there are family sessions, and, or, parental sessions, as well. Linda believes that children that act out are doing so in response to unhealthy family dynamics, and to change the behavior, the environment in which the child lives must be improved upon, or current bad behavior will only be replaced by more maladaptive behaviors. Linda believes that by helping parents be the best they can be for their children, confidence in parenting improves, self esteem throughout the family improves, relationships improve, and the child’s sense of safety and, in turn, self esteem improves, which negates the need for disruptive behavior. When parents learn how to guide their children from a place of secure love, rather than from a place of fear and control, everyone benefits.

Older children, ages 10 and up, are helped by using a combination of art therapy, creative writing, and learning cognitive behavioral concepts, all of which helps them make sense of their world. By creating something that is “theirs” and by learning about how they can gain a sense of power in a world where perhaps they have had no control, their self esteem improves, and they walk away with tools to use in all relationships and situations. Parents are often included in the therapeutic process, as their time remaining with their older child becomes more precious, and to heal torn relationships is an important step to take before the child leaves home as a young adult.

Family Therapy

Linda knows that the emotional environment created within the family sets the stage for what children expect in life itself. Styles of relating to others, ways of communicating, sense of safety or fear, trust or mistrust, belonging, or not belonging, believing one is lovable, or not, all begin in those first years of life and are carried with that child into adulthood. Thus, she is very motivated when working with families to improve upon the good, eliminate destructive parenting styles, teach positive communication skills to all members of the family, show the value of the family as a unit, and to begin to heal what has been broken so the children can have a positive view of the world in which they live.

Individual Adults

Linda works with adults, young and old, from a belief that your mind is powerful and you create your external world based on our internal world. By learning that you have control over your thoughts, and thus your feelings, which, in combination, run your life, anyone can shift from a place of hopelessness and victimization to a place of “being in charge” of one’s present and future life.
At every age and stage of your life, there are challenges with which you are faced. Because they are new to you, you might feel lost and afraid of what the next phase will bring. Again, by working with you on what your destructive beliefs are, Linda can help ease the stress of change, help you find ways to strengthen your sense of self, and increase your confidence in what tomorrow can bring.

Office Location

Ventura, CA 93001

Office Hours

By Appointment only
Monday through Friday
8:00 AM to 7:00PM
Saturday Appointments available as needed

Current Insurance Contracts

Healthnet
Aetna
MHN
Gold Coast / Beacon

Each session is 60 minutes. Family sessions, depending on the issue, may last 85 minutes.

Session rate is $130 for 60 minutes. Sliding scale fees are available upon request.

Helping the parents, couples, families, and children of Ojai, Ventura, Camarillo, Santa Paula, Oxnard, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara for over 15 years.