LMFT, 8 years of experience
Hello! I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) located in South Bay LA, and have been practicing for over 7 years. I received my MMFT from University of Southern California, and work primarily with teens, adults, and young adults who struggle to feel good about themselves and where they are in life.
My main goal for our first session is to create a space where you can feel comfort and safety in sharing your inner-most self. Through warmth, compassion, and curiosity, I hope to create an environment that is supportive and free of judgment. I will also begin to assist you in building awareness surrounding patterns that prevent movement, and in exploring new ways to elicit change.
My priority is to not only create a space that feels safe for you, but that also enables you to feels a sense of hope and empowerment in moving forward. With my background training in several different modalities, I am able to use those to create a framework for how to assist you in getting out of that stuck place and moving forward with intention.
I enjoy working with ages 12+. Each age group brings it's own set of challenges around family, friendships, school/work, and identity that make it tough to know how to feel good and move forward in a way that feels positive. I love to create that safe space where you can open up and explore these struggles, and to work with them in creating a greater sense of self-esteem, healthy boundaries, better communication, and coping skills that allow you to live a life that feels more authentic and joyful.
I often like to explore the impact of our formed attachment to our caregivers, as they often inform our patterns within relationships and partners we choose.
I am formally trained in CBT, which explores the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and empowers us to create small shifts that can create positive impact on our lives. CBT is considered an evidenced-based practice, and can effectively treat anxiety and depression.
I sometimes like to utilize ACT, which allows us to be curious about our emotions, rather than judge our experience. Through ACT, we can develop self-compassion, and allow ourselves to sit with those particularly challenging emotions.
I am formally trained in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), which explores how our healing is created through meaningful connection with others.
I will help you identify your motivations behind creating positive change that can lead to action.
1 rating with written reviews
April 30, 2025
I'm really thankful for Ciana. She has been very honest, warm, encouraging, open, and here for me throughout our sessions.