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Both life and relationships can be challenging and it is easy to feel confused or hopeless as to how to make things better. You may be struggling with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. You may be longing for love and instead feeling disconnected, alone, and hurt. You may be dealing with relationship, loss, grief, health, trauma or performance troubles.
There are answers and options. I have invested in mastering well-researched, scientifically-proven approaches to counseling that will help you get back on track. I offer teletherapy. You can forward my statements to your PPO. You can at call/text me at 310-488-5292.
Individuals: You can find your way again. I can help you find and remove the obstacles that are getting in the way of achieving the life your want. You can finally understand what’s been holding you back and get on the path to feeling better and achieving your goals. You too can strengthen your self-esteem, your coping skills, and your relationships.
Couples: I am certified in research-proven approaches to Couple Counseling that create lasting change. You can understand the strengths and challenges in your relationship as well as increase communication, trust, and intimacy with your partner. Difficult topics, like money and sex, can become safe to talk about! and ISTDP applied to couple therapy. Also, if you are considering Premarital Counseling, I am a certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator: Premarital counseling studies have shown that it can reduce the likelihood of a future divorce by around 50%.
Focused, structured, goal-oriented: Once we have clarified both the problem you are facing, and the solution you want to achieve, I can employ a variety of research-based methods to support your healing. I have been practicing since 1994, so I have substantial experience and training to bring to bear on your problem.
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Therapy (ISTDP) is among the evidence-based, highly researched modalities I use. It comprises some of the most powerful aspects of psychodynamic psychotherapy, attachment trauma treatment, mind-body connection, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and neuroscientific research.
Examples of other psychotherapy methods that I call on are Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Sensorimotor Treatment of Trauma, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT).
Might we be a good fit? I encourage people who contact me for the first time to schedule a video or phone meet-and-greet at no charge. You can ask me questions about my background, my training, my approach, or anything else that is important to you. We can see what the chemistry is like between us. Chemistry is an important predictor of therapeutic outcomes. I can determine whether or not you fall within the range of what I do well.
What you can expect: You should actually feel significantly helped in the initial first therapy session. We will most likely know at the end of of that session whether or not I am going to be of help. If that is not happening, we can figure out why and what to do together. I might suggest other therapy or another therapist.
What I will be doing in our sessions: I will carefully attend to your current life and what brings you to therapy. I will also focus on what is happening in the moment between us, and between you and your partner in couples counseling. How are you conveying feelings? What is not being said or said indirectly? What is happening with your anxiety? What patterns are emerging in your interactions with me that are also prevalent in your life? To what extent and in what circumstances are you aware of your feelings? What blocks come up for you? Are certain feelings more difficult for you than others? I will share my observations in real time.
My observations could be inaccurate and you can tell me what I missed or misinterpreted. You may like what I say or be annoyed or feel sad or have mixed feelings. We can learn about you very quickly by observing together how you handle your feelings with me, which is most likely how you handle the same feelings outside of therapy.
Experiential: This focused immediate experiential component is essential to getting to the bottom of your problems and shortening the duration of therapy. If just thinking or just talking solved all our problems, I’d probably be out of business. Albert Einstein seemed to agree when he said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” So, much of our work will be in the moment and experiential.
Sometimes my therapy is not short-term. Sometimes traumas start very early in life and require a longer course of treatment, or problems can be very complex. Struggles with drugs or alcohol or eating can further complicate emotional difficulties. I may not see what is happening quickly, despite my best efforts. Sometimes smaller chunks of therapy spread over longer periods of time are more effective.
Scheduling: I will likely recommend that you set aside a three hour block for our initial session, at a discounted advance flat fee, with you being refunded for time we don’t use. After that, we can put our heads together and make a plan: You may decide to schedule weekly hour-long sessions. And longer sessions can be very fruitful, for example 90 minutes biweekly. Three-hour block sessions were more common for people who traveled some distance to see the therapist, but with Zoom, 90 minutes is usually a powerful session length. As you move closer to achieving your goals, you might schedule your sessions less frequently or for a shorter time. By the way, my hour sessions are 60 minutes long, as opposed to the usual 45 or 50 minutes, allowing time for us to handle tech issues, take bio breaks, etc.
Payment: I am often not covered by insurance. A large percentage of the people in my practice pay out-of-pocket. Reimbursement from your flexible spending account is generally not a problem. But actual insurance coverage seems to hinge on whether or not your plan has out-of-network provisions. I provide monthly statements that you can pass on to your PPO to claim the reimbursement they provide for out-of-network LMFT providers. Check with your insurer in advance so you know where you stand.
My work is my passion. I have been practicing for 29 years. I love my practice more each year. I am honored to be a trusted confidante and guide.
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My Specializations: I can help with
- Anxiety, stress, depressed mood
- Feeling stuck, blocked or confused
- Relationship problems
- Self-confidence
- Self-criticism
- Loss, Sadness, Grief, Mourning
- From Trauma
- Guilt, shame, self-sabotage, Acting out
- Medically unexplained body symptoms or disorders
- Unhelpful patterns you can’t control
- Repeating patterns that leave you in the same sort of unwanted situation..
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Goals you might have might include:
- Relief, freedom, aliveness and empowerment
- Ability to regulate anxiety and restore calm
- Safer, more open access to your feelings
- Veils lifted to see and experience reality more clearly
- Deeper connection with, and expression of, your real feelings, personality, priorities, values, and your authentic true self
- Increased awareness of powerful unconscious forces inside you and others
- More love, empathy and compassion for yourself and others
- Deeper understanding of your past and how it relates to your present problems
- Increasing availability for more authentic, connected relationships
- Increasing availability for a closer, more intimate and more fun primary romantic attachment
- Drive and resolve to make changes you deem important
- Greater self-care
- Greater awareness of and connection to your body
- Greater ability to experience pleasure
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Contact Information
Catherine Lockwood MA LMFT
1-310-488-5292
cl@catherinelockwoodmft.com
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Catherine Lockwood LMFT
California License #MFC38789
Telephone/ Secure message line: 1-310-488-5292
Email: CL@CatherineLockwoodMFT.com
Teletherapy sessions available.
- Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)-informed treatment
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Accredited Marriage & Family Therapist
- American Association of Couples & Sex Therapists (AACAST) Accredited Couple & Sex Therapist
- LGBTQIA/ GLBTQIA Friendly and Affirmative
Welcoming all cultures, colors, races, sexes, gender identities, religions and national origins
Catherine Lockwood
