Moving Towards Wholeness & Transformation
Hi, I’m Stella. I’m a licensed depth-oriented therapist here to help you transform into the person you want to be and empower you to to show up to life and relationships with integrity. See more about my specialties and approach to therapy, research, and information about astrology sessions in the sections below.
I place great value on equipping you with the social and psychological resources and skills necessary to thrive - whether that looks like emotion regulation, stress management, communication, or life skills (e.g., organization, decision-making, planning). It's difficult to focus on other aspects of our mental health when this is left unaddressed.
As a depth-oriented therapist, I work with you to understand how you got to this point in your story and what you've learned about yourself along the way. Together, we sit in the landscape of what makes up your personality, how and where it functions out in the world, and how you'd like to transform. In this process, we uncover the patterns and stories you are living out and the shadow aspects of your character that relentlessly ask to be seen.
When we consciously participate in our identity and personality development - the individuation process - we build a sense of responsibility, self-esteem, resilience, and a better self-concept. The quality of our relationship with ourselves and others can then change for the better.
I deeply value creating an environment where you are met with compassion, patience, honesty, respect, and an open mind to help empower you to create your unique storyline.
I have experience and enjoy working with people from diverse backgrounds, including: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, creatives, and medical and mental health professionals, and spiritually-leaning individuals who resonate with spiritual practices and languages such as astrology or tarot.
Making sense of your lived experiences and their impact on your sense of self and behavior
Uncovering your shadow - your hidden patterns and personality aspects, fostering integration and increasing your awareness
Improving your self-concept and increasing confidence
Building trust with yourself and learning how to show up with integrity and self-respect
Gaining clarity, motivation, and direction about personal, academic, and career goals
Building better relationships with your significant others, friends, and family, increasing connection and intimacy
I see clients in-person in Los Angeles, CA and via telehealth throughout CA. Expertise in the areas on which you want to focus, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship are both important factors in successful therapy. To get a sense of what it's like to speak with me, how I’d approach therapy with you, and to determine if we're the right fit, please schedule a free initial consultation. I provide a monthly receipt for clients to submit to their insurance plan for reimbursement, if their plan covers out-of-network psychotherapy.
During your free consultation, you’ll have the chance to tell me what brings you to therapy, what you'd like to work on, learn about my approach to therapy, ask questions, and see if we’re a good fit to work together.
"Looking outwards has got to be turned into looking into oneself. Discovering yourself provides you with all you are, were meant to be, and all you are living from and for".
- C.G. Jung
I am currently a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute writing my dissertation on how archetypal astrology could help support the individuation process - the process of personal transformation and identity/personality development - for those in recovery from substance use disorders.
Given the growing interest in astrology among millennials and younger generations and the existing link between spirituality and long-term recovery, exploring how astrology could serve as a valuable spiritual tool for those in recovery seemed like a natural step. It's worth mentioning that while spirituality and religion are different, spirituality can still be found within religious practices. However, more and more people today are identifying as "spiritual but not religious" and are turning towards unconventional spiritual practices instead. Plus, with the rise of astrology in popular culture, it deserves a better look from a psychosocial and spiritual point of view on how it can actually be clinically useful for people in recovery that are attracted to astrology.
“If we are altogether unconscious of these potent forces, we are like puppets of the archetypes: we then act according to unconscious motivations without any possibility of our being intelligent agents interacting with those forces. To the exact extent that we are conscious of the archetypes, we can respond with greater autonomy and self-awareness”.
- Richard Tarnas
If you are longing for a deeper understanding of yourself, or if you've been contemplating the existential question of "who am I?", this can be an affirming and eye-opening experience. Archetypal astrology primarily focuses on the planetary archetypes and their relationships to each other. We all may have the same 10 planetary archetypes in our charts, but since every person has a different organization of them, everyone is a unique expression of them, too.
Disclaimer: although astrology has often been associated with fortune telling, archetypal astrology is not literally predictive (nor does it assign your fate). I cannot tell you the specific life events that will occur in the future.
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