I'm only available as a psychotherapist on a very part-time basis, so I'm only going to be a good bet for a relatively limited set of people. It's important for us both to be clear on who that is, so neither of us have unrealistic expectations.

I work primarily with kids, parents, families, and younger adults. To me, that means clients who are somewhere between infancy and age 25ish. If an adult older than 25 is a really good fit for what I do, I might take them on.

If your situation involves kids (especially younger kids) whose parents are willing to be strongly involved in therapy, or you're an adult with anxiety problems (panic, worry, social anxiety, OCD, etc.), I'm a good bet for you. I have a lot of training and experience in these areas. I use approaches that are rooted in strong scientific theory and large bodies of empirical evidence. Both parts of that equation are very important: I like to say that we don't just know that what I do works—we also know how it works. I can confidently say that what I do should be helpful for you. (See the "About us" page for details.) 

I'm mostly available on Mondays and Fridays. If you're consistently available on those days, then I might be a good choice for you—though, of course, that'll depend on what time slots I have available. Since I see clients at CLU's training clinic site in Westlake Village, it will also depend on whether rooms are available for a given time slot, though that's generally not a problem. 

I really do my best work in person. I'm not opposed to doing telehealth work. The pandemic taught me (and my whole profession) just how useful telehealth can be—but that way of doing therapy has some serious limitations, too. Humans are social primates. We evolved to communicate via a bunch of things that don't travel well across a couple of screens. So, if you're willing to make the hike to the clinic, that will help us do our best work. 

I'm not on any insurance panels. (I used to be, and my name could still be hanging around on a couple. But I'm not paneled anymore.) That makes me more expensive than psychologists who do take insurance. That's an important consideration for you. I really don't want to be a financial drain on you and your family. On the other hand, and I'll say more about this in the "About us" page, if you're willing to do what I recommend, you're likely to get more bang for your buck with me than you might with someone else. I might be a really good investment. 

Since I'm only available part-time, I'm not a good bet for clients who need more intensive services or more consistent availability from a clinician. Clients experiencing significant suicidality, for example, will need someone who's more available or who has a bigger team, which I don't. 

Similarly, if your situation involves high-conflict parenting, a contested divorce, custody battles, etc., I am not your guy.  (I also don't do couples therapy.) There are professionals who do great work with these problems. Courts often keep lists of folks who have done good work for them. I'd recommend looking there. 

I also don't treat primary substance use problems, eating disorders, severe trauma/victimization issues, or abuse perpetrators. Those are specialty areas that really need specialty care. If you have a history of substance use problems, disordered eating, or trauma, but I'd otherwise be a good fit, we can talk about it and figure out what makes the most sense for your care.