Deborah KirschbaumPh.D., Psy.D.

EDUCATION:

B.A., University of California at Los Angeles | 1983Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology | 1989Psy.D., Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute | 2005

ORGANIZATIONS:

American Psychological AssociationNew Center for Psychoanalysis

Stuart KirschbaumPh.D.

EDUCATION:

B.A., University of California at Los Angeles | 1984Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology | 1988

ORGANIZATIONS:

American Psychological AssociationNational Register of Health Care Service Psychologists

ABOUT PSYCHOTHERAPYAND PSYCHOANALYSIS

Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis allow for an in-depth look at recurring dysfunctional patterns that affect relationships, professional success, and contentment in life.

People often come to psychotherapy to relieve pain from sources such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or substance abuse. They may be struggling in their relationships. Some people are interested in psychotherapy primarily for personal growth: to learn about themselves, to improve their relationships, or to progress further in their occupations using their more creative capacities.
In brief, individual psychotherapy succeeds in addressing these problems insofar as it increases awareness of the self and others, becoming who we are really meant to be.
How does this process of discovery relieve emotional suffering or interpersonal conflict? Such problems often result from distorted images of self and other. A large part of our human subjectivity consists of unconscious dramas -- internal "scripts" that can become distorted as a result of traumatic experiences. These personal dramas are also affected by cultural, sociological, and biological factors. Competent psychotherapy fosters an in-depth exploration to elucidate these images of self and other with the ultimate aim of bringing about helpful emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal transformation.

Once self-understanding is gained and feelings flow more comfortably, the natural creativity, satisfaction with oneself, happiness, and connectedness to others occur more freely.

OUR PROCESS