Knowing the pattern is a start. CBT helps you change it.
CBT
The way we read what’s happening around us shapes how we feel and what we do. When stress builds up, or something from the past gets stirred, the mind can fall into the same loops: worrying, criticizing yourself, avoiding things. You can know better and still feel stuck.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how your thoughts, your body’s reactions, and your daily habits feed each other. Whether it’s everyday anxiety or the lasting effects of something hard you went through, CBT gives you practical tools to catch those loops, question them, and respond differently. Over time, you feel steadier and more in control.
Who this helps
Clients experiencing somatic panic & hypervigilance: A racing heart, tight muscles, panic that comes on fast. You learn ways to calm your body and question the thoughts that set it off.
Chronic overthinkers & high-pressure professionals: Your mind keeps running “what if,” and you’re worn out from it. You want practical tools to quiet it.
Individuals untangling deep-seated shame & low self-worth: Feeling like a fraud, holding on to guilt, a voice that keeps saying you’re not enough. We work on catching that voice and answering it.
Insightful adults stuck in repetitive behavioral cycles: Putting things off, avoiding what feels hard, getting in your own way when things get uncomfortable.
High-functioning individuals facing quiet burnout: Composed and capable on the outside. Anxious and exhausted underneath.
Here’s how we get there
We map what’s happening: We look at the situations, thoughts, and body reactions that set off your anxiety or stress, so you can see what’s actually going on and when.
We spot the thinking traps: All-or-nothing thinking, assuming the worst, guessing what others think. You learn to catch these as they happen, not hours later.
We check the facts: When a thought feels true, we test it. What’s really happening, and what is fear filling in?
We try something new: You practice more balanced ways of looking at things, and test them out in real life, often by facing something you’ve been avoiding.
You make it stick: The new habits and tools become part of your everyday life, so they hold up the next time stress hits.
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That's one of the most common things people say when they start CBT, and it makes sense. Insight alone doesn't change automatic thought patterns; they're often faster than conscious reasoning. CBT gives you a structured way to actually interrupt the pattern in real time, not just recognize it after the fact.
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No. CBT is not about forcing toxic positivity or repeating cheerful affirmations. It is about cognitive accuracy. When stress or trauma activates your brain's alarm system, thoughts often jump to worst-case scenarios, self-blame, or catastrophic conclusions. CBT trains you to evaluate the objective evidence behind those thoughts so you can respond with clarity and grounded reality rather than fear.
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CBT is more structured and goal-directed. We're not just discussing what's stressing you, we're identifying the specific thought patterns driving it, testing whether they hold up, and building concrete tools to shift them. You'll usually leave sessions with something practical to work with, not just something you talked about.
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Some, though it's flexible and tailored to you. CBT tends to work best when insights from session get tested in real life, so we'll often build in small, specific experiments or practices between sessions, not busywork, just enough to make the shift stick.
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A lot of people who come to CBT are highly analytical or used to thinking their way through everything, which is often exactly what's keeping the loop going. We're not trying to make you less thoughtful, we're working on directing that same sharpness somewhere more useful than a catastrophic loop.
FAQs
CBT Therapy
Session Cost
Private Individual Therapy: $225/ 50-minute session
Couples Therapy: $250/ 50-minute session
In-person in Hermosa Beach or via telehealth anywhere in California.
EMDR
$275/ 50-minute session
In-person in Hermosa Beach or via telehealth anywhere in California.
Insurance: I am an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly. I provide a monthly "superbill" that you can submit to your insurer for potential reimbursement. Check with your plan to verify your out-of-network mental health coverage.
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