If you’re ready to cut through the muck and truly enjoy your life,
I might be your person.
Good therapy offers you trust and respect so you’re able to work through the discomfort that comes from self understanding and growth.
Good therapy is also about delving into the stories you’ve been telling yourself about who you are and discovering why you do the things you do.
When we work together, I’ll help you do the “detective work” to uncover and tackle your hurdles, plus explore options for today and the future.
I incorporate individualized talk therapy, with a specialty in (and passion for) EMDR—eye movement desensitization and reprocessing—with individuals, couples, and families. EMDR is a powerful therapeutic modality, and I’ve seen it help people heal from traumas big and small.
Do any of these stuck places feel familiar?
•You’re sick & tired of feeling sick & tired.
•It feels like “everything” is a trigger these days.
•You’re not as happy or fulfilled as you once were. Maybe you can't quite put your finger on it, or you might know why.
•You feel misunderstood or alone in your relationships, romantic or otherwise.
•You can’t seem to get your footing back since Covid.
•You’ve been a “good girl” or “good boy” forever and you’re ready to shed that title for something more inclusive of your needs.
•You feel like an imposter, or unworthy.
•You’re exhausted from being there for everyone else.
•You want someone who gets you.
Hi, I’m Janis.
After many years in the corporate world, I found myself searching for more personally gratifying work. Following my dream, I pursued a master's degree in clinical psychology, my lifelong interest.
Combining the wisdom and insights of my varied lived experiences with my curiosity and fascination with people, I have deep joy and satisfaction helping people move up from a state of just muddling through the muck to flourishing in joyful, hopeful lives.
To me, there’s nothing more important than that, and I’m thrilled to get to work with people like you who want help managing life’s messiness in a safe, relaxed, supportive, and honest environment where you are the top priority.
I work primarily with people who want to “show up” for life, but feel held back by childhood angst, trauma or just the general malaise that can come from our modern go-go-go world. In other words, well-functioning people with the desire to get unstuck and rev-up.
Working together, I’ll aim to help you help yourself discover insights that bring relief from those things that challenge you, while always reminding you of your many strengths, even if they feel dim right now.
My training & expertise
•EMDR training from The Institute for Creative Mindfulness
•EMDR advanced training from EMDRIA (EMDR International Association)
•Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) training from ICEEFT (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy)
•Couples Therapy Clinical Training from The Gottman Institute
•Somatic Experiencing (SE) training from SEI (Somatic Experiencing International)
•Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) training from the Trauma Research Institute
•Training therapist, school-based counselor, group facilitator and guest speaker at the Southern California Counseling Center (SCCC)
I love working with what I like to call ‘healthy, struggling people.’ They want something better than their status quo and are willing to tolerate some amount of discomfort that comes with self-discovery to get there. They want to know what they don't know. They want to go from from stuck to good, then good to great.”
“Janis is a gifted clinician who has a direct, yet curious and open approach that allows her clients to feel safe, supported, and held in good hands.”
—Shannon Algeo, author & psychotherapist
What is EMDR and why do I love it?
The brain stores normal and traumatic memories differently. Left to fester inside us, stuck traumatic memories wreak havoc on our physical and mental health. When these traumatic memories are triggered in the present, they can be accompanied by overwhelming feelings of fear, anxiety, anger or panic because the brain did not process the message that the danger is over.
EMDR is believed to help change the way “stuck” memories are stored in the brain and body, relieving the stress and the negative beliefs surrounding those memories.
The EMDR experience appears to revive clients with a feeling that “a weight has been lifted from me.”
EMDR therapy is among the most researched and utilized modalities of its kind, and my practice incorporates it with individuals, couples, and families. I’ve seen profound relief and healing happen quickly in people who’ve been struggling, sometimes for years.
“Janis is a gifted EMDR therapist. Her strong intuition, creativity, and warmth will help you transform your suffering and find new strength and joy.
—Linzie Janis, psychotherapist
How we can work together
People don’t fit neatly into boxes. That’s why I’ll follow your lead and tailor your therapy for you.
Using a relational, “let’s roll up our sleeves and figure this out” style, I offer the kind of deep attunement needed to help you feel motivated to improve your emotional, behavioral and social functioning. Working together, you’ll experience increased feelings of well-being, bringing an overall boost in the quality of your life. I love working with adults, kids/teens, and seniors.
Individualized Therapy
EMDR
Therapy
Trauma is a normal reaction to an abnormal event, whether it’s something acute, like a car accident, something from your past, like a challenging relationship with a parent, or even a difficult situation in your life now. Using EMDR, I’ll work to help you offload the pain of trauma from your being, inviting a renewed sense of safety and hope. I also use EMDR therapy with couples and families to help them heal from experiences creating perpetual negative cycles in their relationship.
Couples & Family
Therapy
Working together, you’ll have the opportunity to repair and reshape your relationships for the better. I provide a collaborative environment to explore triggers, make yourself understood, know what you're fighting for, and improve communication with each other. I especially love working with new (intimate & business) relationships, newlyweds, soon-to-be-marrieds, and families of all kinds.
“Janis is an exceptional therapist. Combining a natural empathy with keen insight and understanding, she supports and responds to her clients at whatever stage they are in their lives.”
—Tom Henning, psychotherapist
Let’s see if we’re a
good fit.
I offer a free 20-minute initial consult by phone or online so you can get a better sense of what it’s like for us to work together. I invite you to connect with me now… let’s get to work!