The phrase "life changing" gets thrown around so often that it loses the weight of its meaning, but…read moreJo Ellen's counseling has not only changed my life in a very noticeable way, but has also given me a new way of thinking. A little over a year ago I had given up on life completely. The end of my long term relationship with my fiancé, legal troubles, bankruptcy, ongoing PTSD from decade old events, panic attacks, substance use dependence, the list went on and on. I had become completely unrecognizable. I could not see a way out anymore and living this way was too excruciating. After a long hospital stay, many of my close family members confided to me that they had to mentally prepare to say goodbye if I didn't do something to change. Jo Ellen was able to help me to see my life and my patterns of thinking clearer than I ever had before. She has a way of bringing things to your awareness that, after you understand them, you won't believe how long you lived without realizing them. I was in such a desperate place for years, and I threw everything I could at finding help. 8 different counselors, numerous psychiatrists, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, every single inpatient and outpatient program offered in my town and hundreds of self help books. I credit her with teaching me the tools to get my life back on the right track when literally nothing else could. She is unbelievably well spoken, genuinely cares about her clients, and so easy to be honest and open with. She never misses a single detail and knows how to gently guide your focus back to the issue at hand. She has also reached out by text when I've been going through a particularly hard time to offer support, which was very touching and something no other counselor has done. (I also want to add that I'm not a mother, but my own mom attended a session with me and said it gave her so much peace of mind and clarity as a mother of someone with substance use issues, and even just one session very much helped our relationship.) I truly cannot recommend Jo Ellen highly enough, and am so thankful for the way she has impacted my life.

I knew I needed a little help going through my divorce, but the transition was made so much better…read morebecause holding my hand through it (metaphorically) was Jo Ellen. She helped me make the difficult transition, with kindness, understanding, and very knowledgable and expert therapist advice. I fully and completely recommend her to anyone. It's like talking to a good friend - who also happens to be able to help you see through your patterns, and old beliefs, and walks you through to the other side.

Ella has truly changed the way I move through my life and because of my own rewarding experience I…read moream posting this in the hope that it reaches someone who has been thinking about this kind of support and has not quite taken the step yet. I want to say one thing clearly, because I think it keeps people from reaching out. You do not need to be in crisis or carrying a diagnosis to benefit from working with her. Sometimes you just need help navigating the ordinary hard parts of life, and that is where she is at her best. What makes her different is that she meets you exactly where you are. There is no script, no sense of being fit into someone else's idea of what growth should look like. She listens first, really listens, and then builds around what she hears, drawing on hypnotherapy and other methods depending on what you actually need. She creates space for you to say the hard things out loud, and then she stays right there with you. That matters more than I expected. She offers the kind of objectivity that is almost impossible to find on your own or anywhere in your own circle, and you leave with practical tools you can lean on, not just the feeling of having talked it through. My progress felt gradual, and I have come to think that is the whole point. Ella never pushed me faster than I was ready to go. She just kept quietly opening doors, and one day I looked back and realized I had walked through several of them without noticing. Five stars truly does not feel like enough!

Ella has helped my husband and I through a very difficult time. Both my husband I feel genuinely…read moreseen, cared for, and understood by her. She does her best and leads with her wisdom and her heart. We're so grateful we have her to help us through our ups and downs. She has been a gift in our life.. a saving grace that has helped me personally through one of the most challenging times in my life.. in a time where I felt I needed grace and precision in every step taken and during a time when I felt everything around me may collapse she helped me get to a place of peace and stability. We're so grateful for her.

Thank you Therapist Michelle Sherman for being my Therapist during our weekly sessions since 2021(5…read moreyears). The reason I met you was due to suicidal and homicidal ideations. And childhood trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Because of your due diligence, commitment, caring heart and therapeutic processes I prevailed and overcame the triggers from the trauma. You remained consistent in my treatment and gave me a reason to live and want to live and not just exist and encouraged me to continue using Self care routinely and consistently. Your focus of therapy has been to support my emotional well-being, coping skills that kept me focused on my purpose and destiny and not focused on the problems and pain of the past, personal growth, and overall mental health needs. You taught me not to look back, think back, or feel back. But you encouraged me to look, think and move forward to accomplish my DESTINY Thank youuuu and may God Bless you and your precious family.

Having dated some half dozen psychotherapists over the decades and having been obliged to see some…read moreother half dozen by my insane family, I distrust psychotherapist simply because most of them are nuts and the LA-based ones seem intent on legitimizing bad behavior in their patients. However, the lingering trauma Palisades Fires brought me to Michele's doorstep for EMDR which she miraculously used to lift the trauma. But so many other things were happening with my family that I continued seeing her and she is a lifesaver. Unlike all the other therapists I have found Michele to be intuitive, willing to work out of the box to come up with solutions, and personally invested in my getting better. I cannot recommend her enough...indeed she is the only therapist I've ever encountered who I would recommend.

Serious Breach of Professional Ethics - Chris Massman, LMFT…read moreI am documenting a major concern regarding professional boundaries and ethical standards with Chris Massman dating back to the 2013 era. During treatment, it was discovered that Chris Massman maintained a pre-existing, undisclosed close personal friendship with the client's family members while concurrently acting as the primary clinician. In the state of California, this is a severe violation of professional ethics regarding 'Dual Relationships.' Failing to disclose such a conflict of interest is a breach of informed consent and patient trust. It appeared that private clinical information was shared with those personal ties rather than serving the patient's therapeutic interests. I strongly advise anyone seeking an objective, ethical therapist who respects confidentiality and autonomy to look for a provider other than Chris Massman who adheres to higher professional standards.

Not a client (yet) but I did send in an inquiry to her voicemail and received a call back in a…read moreshort time frame. She was very pleasant to speak with. She was great at explaining her approach and teaching/therapy style. Leaving one star out simply because I am not a client just someone who is searching for a therapist.

My partner and I have been working with Courtney for a few years now, and she has played a…read moremeaningful role in helping our relationship continue to grow in a positive direction. She brings a wonderful balance of compassion, humor, and thoughtful guidance to every session. I've worked with several individual therapists in the past, and finding the right fit hasn't always been easy. Courtney, however, has felt like the right fit for us from the very beginning. We're truly grateful for the support, understanding, and perspective she brings to our conversations.

Courtney has helped me tremendously. Her office makes you feel very comfortable. When I first…read morestarted sessions with her, I was not in a good place emotionally & doubting if I could get back to where I was a few years ago. Courtney is a great listener, she is caring and her attention to detail is amazing. She gave me the tools I needed to get myself out of being depressed and thinking I was never going to get the jobs I was seeking. I had to take a break due to the lack of work. But a month or two after I had to pause my sessions, I was able to get a great job, move to an area and I haven't been in a better place mentally, physically & emotionally in a very long time and I am resuming my sessions with her to see where I can get to from where I am now. After my first day at my new job, I emailed her letting her know how grateful I was for her help. I highly recommend Courtney.

I highly recommend Soraya Wilder as a therapist. If you have any trauma, depression, or anxiety,…read moreshe will help you sort through life and put you back on the right track!

I have personally known Soraya, as a colleague and a friend, for quite a few years. I would happily…read moreendorse her because her high level of care and compassion is very evident to me. Furthermore, it matters to her that she's a well-informed therapist.

I had a pleasure to finally meet Dr Menije "in person" (Zoom) after I have been following her on…read moreInstagram for at least 2 years now. I have been a fan of her empowering messages about releasing self-perfectionism and embracing more self-love! So it was MY pleasure to have her as a guest on my podcast! I can tell by the way Dr Menije is sharing about her own life journey that she is definitely walking the talk of the messages that she has been disseminating. Dr Menije is warm, empathetic, has an amazing sense of humor, and really has her heart and soul in what she is doing. I am sure that the people she helps can say the same thing!

Araksi the receptionist refused to give me their NPI number which is public information, this is so…read morethe insurance would reimburse me but will not contact them at all for anything. Problems happen, so I asked to speak to Dr. Menije who is in charge to discuss this no response at all. Attached are photos of the pathetic response from Araksi.

A good therapist is hard to find unless you happen to call Dr. Judi Bucholtz. She is By far one of…read morethe greatest mental health professionals in the LA area. Anyone living in LA can tell you that there are therapists in every corner. Everyone can get a psych degree open up a practice and reiterate textbook mumbo jumbo but not everyone can adapt to the patient's communication style and offer aid in the way that best suits that individual. I have had my fair share of disappointing therapy sessions with "therapists" who are mostly there for their own self serving purpose or sit around and just "listen" without challenging me or giving me any direction or focus. Dr. Bucholtz is a cut above the rest and is a professional in every sense of the word. Aside from being extremely skilled in the field of psychotherapy and communication, she is an empathetic, understanding and an extremely effective therapist. Her dialogue is always geared towards enhancing the experience and elevating one's understanding of the situation at hand. There must always be a delicate balance between being empathetic while giving the patient his/her space, and knowing when to be assertive in an effort to elicit forward progression (in the session). This comes naturally to Dr. Bucholtz and she moves through each session with ease. If you are looking for a person who will just sit and nod their head you may want to look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a strong dedicated individual with many years of experience and exceptional communication skills then Dr. Bucholtz is the one I would recommend. She was my therapist for over 3 years and I owe a great deal of my personal growth to her.

Dr. Bucholtz is a fabulous therapist, because she will tell it like it is. She holds people…read moreaccountable for their actions, as any good therapist should. I can imagine some parents (especially those who have issues to work out) don't like to be told they may have issues they need to work on, or that they may be contributing to the difficulties their child may be facing. Some parents expect a therapist to be more of a mechanic - a person they can drop their kid off with, get it "fixed", and then pick it up like so much dry cleaning. Judi doesn't work that way, precisely because she cares about the child. This isn't to say she's not diplomatic. She is one of the most compassionate, caring people I know, which is why I continue to work with her. But I have also witnessed interruptions first hand - unstable individuals who insist they are more important than other patients Judi may be helping at the moment. This is, after all, Los Angeles. The sense of entitlement here is breathtaking - both in some adults and some of their offspring. I certainly couldn't do what Dr. Bucholtz does, on an ongoing basis. How she keeps her cool, sees through the agitation or attitude in patients for what it really is (usually pain), and manages to calm them down, is remarkable. I have seen my share of therapists, and am well aware that they can vary greatly in quality and competence. But therapy saved my life years ago. I rely on the tools I learned over the years to keep me sane, and my children balanced. Blaming the therapist because you or your child hasn't improved is like blaming your fitness trainer because you refuse to stick to a diet or exercise regimen. It just doesn't make sense. If you're not getting the results you expect, move on to another therapist (or trainer). Or, perhaps examine why, if the therapist is so horrible, you insist on sticking with the routine you say isn't helping. (For the record, in ten years of therapy, I never received a card from my therapist. Not once. I've chosen a therapist precisely because she's NOT my mom.) Your fitness trainer can't force you to exercise or stop eating cake. That part is up to you. A therapist can't force you to confront you demons and change your behavior. That's up to you. He or she is there to guide, reassure, and offer an understanding based in pathology. I am a great believer in the healing abilities of good therapy. I also believe a truly gifted therapist has to be capable of enormous compassion, patience, and wisdom. With some very abusive patients, it can be a thankless, tormenting, even frightening endeavor. Yet therapists like Dr. Bucholtz take it on daily, eager to guide the lost, confused souls to stability and calm. That's all any of us really want, isn't it? Insight? Understanding? Peace with ourselves? No one can provide a quick fix. But at the end of the day, every day, if you're willing, Dr. Bucholtz has your back. She is on your side. And STILL, whether you like it or not, she'll tell it like it is. Deal with it, and she will help you, with truth.Tell me that isn't what you're looking for.