therapy for Adults & Teenagers

Known for my gentle, warm compassionate, and down to earth style 

When we meet I'll integrate my 17 years of experience as a certified holistic wellness coach, and trauma-informed psychotherapist into your care plan. I'll meet you where you are with compassionate listening, and encourage you to share your story, explore your beliefs, and collaborate to achieve greater self awareness and agency in your life. 

Brain-informed tools — Learn practical neuroscience strategies to help you shift out of survival mode and move towards control over your thoughts, emotions, physical responses

Empowered reframing — Move from self-criticism and stuck patterns towards self-compassion, self-awareness, new possibilities

Holistic & individualized — Every person is unique, so your sessions and treatment plan will be personalized for your mental wellness goals

Results focused — Build enduring confidence, improve emotional recognition and regulation, enhance your relationships

Active in the holistic health and lifestyle medicine community since 2008, I've provided wellness advice to Good Housekeeping, Nylon, Altadena Patch, The New York Times, The MomCo, and Lululemon. Had the honor to contribute to academic research for complementary medicine, faith, and medical anthropology at Brown University, University of Southern California, and University of California, Santa Barbara. I've also trained hundreds in meditation, lifestyle medicine, coaching, creative arts, personal growth & development, and healthy communication. My own research at Pacific Oaks College & Children's School in 2013 focused on the impact of father's on male development with my thesis, When Boys Become Fathers Who Have Sons: Examining the Importance of Fathers for Male Development

I'll connect with your teen with warmth, honesty, humor and freedom from judgment using creative approaches like art, play, music, game, eco-psychotherapy, cinema therapy, and eco-psychotherapy. I support teens struggling with anxiety (social/academic) ADHD, bullying, body-image, low self-esteem and low self-worth providing them with life skills and strategies. While always maintaining confidentiality, I collaborative with parents and teens to design straightforward, and practical action plans. Unity creates greater cohesion and enhanced relationship harmony in the family system. 

*If you and your teen prefer individual coaching or family coaching, I'm available in-person, virtually, and for eco-coaching.

As a holistic psychotherapist, I integrate evidence-based tools from neuroscience, CBT reframing, somatic awareness, and strengths-based strategies to create a completely personalized path forward — one that honors both your brain and your lived experience. 

My approach goes beyond traditional talk therapy as I'll help you understand how your nervous system and brain patterns were shaped by experiences, while gently teaching you how to cognitively rewire and reframe unhelpful thought-patterns and beliefs to experience more calm, clarity and confidence.

*Prefer holistic coaching? I'm available in-person, virtually and for eco-coaching.

A proud member of a large military family, it's my honor to support the veteran community. Supporting the mental health of veterans with issues such anxiety, adjustment disorders, sleep disturbances, acute, complex/chronic PTSD, moral injuries, depression, traumatic brain injury, cognitive distortions, substance-use/abuse, relationship distress, and other challenges I have a strengths-based approach. Implementing a trauma-informed approach I integrate neuroscience to help you understand how emotions influence the brain and physical responses. You'll learn different relaxation techniques to regulate your nervous system and I'll hold a posture of post traumatic growth to hold a vision of hope for your future. 

My family's service dates back to the War of 1812, including the recent conflicts of World War II, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. Growing up in a family of veterans and law enforcement, my life experience has provided me with first-hand knowledge of how military life, wars and law enforcement impacts family life and relationship dynamics.

*If you're a veteran that prefers coaching, I'm available in-person, virtually, and for eco-coaching.

With 17 years of experience as a holistic wellness coach combined with specialized training in holistic psychotherapy, I'm deeply honored to guide women and couples through every stage of their reproductive journey. I offer compassionate, personalized support for preconception preparation, fertility optimization, IVF cycles, unexplained or complex infertility, miscarriage recovery, pregnancy loss, and pregnancy termination. I work with individuals and couples to nurture healthy relationships amid the emotional challenges of trying to conceive.

My approach is warm, attentive, and deeply empathetic—meeting you exactly where you are with compassionate care. Whether you're seeking holistic fertility coaching to support your body, mind, and spirit, or holistic psychotherapy to process grief, stress, hope, or relationship dynamics, I’m here to walk alongside you with genuine presence and expertise. I'm here for you every step of the way.

*Prefer holistic coaching? I'm here for you.

With additional training in eco-psychotherapy and healing environments, I'm proud to offer eco-psychotherapy integrating the healing effects of nature with psychotherapy. The impact of nature on mental processes supports clarity of thoughts and emotional regulation when integrated during sessions as evidenced by the following study available at NIH.gov https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12241005/

*If you prefer eco-coaching, I offer individual, and family coaching.

Medical family therapy — compassionate care for adults, families, and children navigating chronic illness, medical trauma, and caregiving distress, reproductive health

Veterans — specialized care for MST, PTSD, rebuilding life after service, complex injuries with a post-traumatic growth approach. 

Veteran spouses and partners - enhanced understanding and support for military/veteran-specific issues unique to partners of veterans; and children/adult children of veterans.

Law enforcement & first responder adults - uniquely designed care for PTSD, complex injuries, and moral injuries with a post traumatic growth approach. 

Law enforcement spouses & children. Specialized pre-marital counseling for law enforcement and first responder couples. 

Teens & emerging adults — caring support for adolescents and young adults with anxiety, depression, purpose, family conflict, academic pressure, and life transitions.

Adults & seniors — care for burnout, perfectionism, relationship dynamics, grief, life transitions, and reclaiming vitality after difficult life events

Narrative, MBCT, CBT, DBT, Person-Centered, Storytelling, Solution-Focused, Psychodynamic, Play, Somatic, Person-Centered, Art, Eco-Psychotherapy, Cinema, Music, Genograms, Games. I'll also incorporate neuroscience and psycho-education into your sessions to educate you on how your brain influences your emotions, beliefs, mindset and responses to events in life.

1. Weekend and evening availability 

2. In-person in Pasadena                

3. In-person Eco-psychotherapy is located at a local botanical garden. 

4. HIPAA-compliant telehealth available anywhere in California

The frequency of therapy is dependent upon your goals:

*50 minutes - weekly, bi-weekly, and once a month

*90 minutes - weekly, bi-weekly, once a month

*Block session 4-7 hours a day

*Weekend intensive session

*Weekly therapy intensives available - two or more sessions per week and/or weekend intensive. 

**Flexible appointments available for law enforcement, first responders, and those with active medical, surgical & fertility treatments 

• Master of Science, Marriage Family Therapy, Fuller Theological Seminary
• Medical Family Therapy Certification, Fuller Theological Seminary
• Master of Arts, Human Development, Early Childhood Education specialization, Pacific Oaks College
• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Developmental specialization, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MB-CT)
• HEAL™ Model Equine Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Eco-psychotherapy
• Group Therapy
• Career Counseling
• Suicide Prevention
• Motivational Interviewing
• Psychodynamic
• Mindfulness  Communication
• Trauma-informed psychotherapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Guided Meditation Therapy
• Psychological First Aid
• LAUSD high school psychotherapist
• California Registered Associate Marriage Family Therapist #154070
• Supervised by Stanley Rushing, LMFT #24168
• Early Childhood Education Teacher
• Veteran, Combat Veteran & First Responder individual and couples counseling

Investment - Individual Psychotherapy Adults, & Adolescents (12-17yrs) 

$200/1hr Appointment 

$300/90min Intensive Appointment

$300/1hr Eco-Psychotherapy

$300/1hr Urgent Appointment*

*Sliding scale available upon request

Your Right to Good Faith Estimate

Under the Federal No Surprises Act (H.R. 133 – effective January 1, 2022), you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services., health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. 

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. 
• Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. 
• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. 
• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. 

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises

Cancellation Policy 

Sophie understands that "life happens" and has a Cancellation Policy for those times.  Because psychotherapy requires regularly scheduled appointments for best results the time reserved for you means someone else is unable to receive mental health support at that time.  Therapy is voluntary, and you can cancel sessions at any time. But also works best when you commit to it, so I have a 48 hour cancellation policy. The full session fee will be charged for late cancellations made after 48 hours.

Telephone Accessibility Policy

If you need to contact me between sessions, please leave a voicemail message. My voicemail cannot be used as an emergency service. If I am not immediately available, I will attempt to return your call within 48hrs (excluding weekends). If a true emergency situation arises, please call 911 or any local emergency room or Urgent Care. 

I return text messages between the hours of 12pm-6pm (excluding weekends). Please note, if you text me, please do not assume I have received it and text me again or give me a call if you have not heard back from me within 72hrs. 

*Urgent Appointment 

An Urgent Appointment is an unscheduled appointment requested outside of your regularly scheduled appointment. Urgent Appointments are subject to availability at $300/hr.