Shant Bardakjian
Hi, I’m Shant Bardakjian, an LMFT based in Pasadena, CA, providing telehealth to adults across California. If you are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, or the chaos of major life transitions, you don't have to carry this alone. I specialize in transforming internal chaos into lasting relief. I view your challenges through a compassionate, person-centered lens, tailoring my tools to what you need in the moment:
Having worked with young adults for eleven years, my greatest strength is having my clients realize their own strengths and resources that can assist them in moving towards self actualization.
• CBT & Mindfulness: To quiet anxiety and depression and ground your mind. • Narrative Therapy: To creatively untangle past trauma and rewrite your future. • Solution-Focused Therapy: To build practical, actionable strategies for immediate relief. Finding the right therapist is about connection. With over 12 years of clinical experience and navigating my own life trials, I bring a deeply honed intuition and a calm, kind, and highly approachable presence to every session. I don't just sit back and nod. I look past the surface to track unspoken patterns. I am gentle and supportive, but also direct when it serves your growth—kindly holding up a mirror to challenge old habits. This balance ensures our sessions are safe, honest, and effective, translating insights into tangible improvements in your everyday life and relationships. Our first session is simply a low-pressure, comfortable chat. It feels a bit different from future sessions because it's a gentle, zero-pressure space to learn your history and see the big picture. We move entirely at your pace, and you only share what you are ready to tell me. My goal is for you to leave feeling deeply heard, a little lighter, and confident that you have a trusted guide.
First session
In our first session together, we’ll start with introductions and what the nature of the problem that you are facing and coming up with a goal that would assist you in reaching your goals.
Strengths
With over 12 years of clinical experience, my greatest strength is helping you uncover your own internal resources so you can step into the life you actually want. My path to becoming the therapist you need wasn't built just in a classroom. I have spent over a decade navigating the school and court systems, working alongside people from a vast canvas of diverse cultures. More importantly, my approach is shaped by my own personal journey through depression, anxiety, profound grief, and massive life transitions. I know what it feels like to sit in the other chair. Because of that, you will never find a cold, clinical echo chamber here. I don't believe in making you feel like "the sick one" in the room. Instead, our sessions are a space for true authenticity, kind inquisitiveness, and a real human connection. I bring a unique balance to our work: • Humor that heals: I use a natural sense of humor to cut through the heavy, intimidating seriousness that often shadows a therapy appointment. • Room for real life: I move gracefully with the inevitable human slip-ups we all experience, making space for imperfection. • Directness when it counts: I won't just sit back and nod; I am direct and honest when it serves your growth. Ultimately, my goal is to meet you with an approachable, deeply relatable presence that validates your past while directly empowering your future. You already have the innate capacity to heal and unstick your life—I am just here to help you remember how to use it.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use this method by having clients come up with a values driven mindset that would enable them to make decisions that is in harmony with their situation.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT within a humanistic framework whereby clients can choose to reframe and reappraise their cognitive distortions.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I use a non judgmental approach that involves a heavy amount of empathy and active listening. In a safe space, I allow a collaborative relationship to become fostered. I use interventions that are tailored to your individual and specific needs.
Location
Virtual sessions