lisa strawn

I believe that the journey from the head to heart can be profound. Learning to feel, to allow emotions and to be connected to yourself, can be overwhelming at times. I see life as a path, or a constant exploration where the destination is not known. Life traverses many realms, love, pain, redemption, and healing. I believe we find our greatest joy in relation to others. As a therapist, I walk alongside my clients and I strive to help them identify and embody the values they wish to live their lives by. I whole-heartedly welcome the opportunity to meet you. 

I come to the therapeutic relationship through the lens of collaboration. My heart and mind are open, and I live by the core tenets of mindfulness. I aim to help clients strengthen their sense of self, have productive relationships with others and heal past traumas that hold them back from their fullest expression of themselves. 

I gravitate towards working with adolescents, couples in distress and families through a family systems lens. I believe the relationship to self and each other are linked inextricably. With adolescents I focus on family transitions such as divorce, peer issues and school, and I have a particular interest in helping children with gender identity and sexual orientation. Learning challenges for children such as ADHD and Dyslexia are other areas of therapy, I find myself drawn to. 

Counseling for couples in distress is another area of my focus. I enjoy helping couples through conflict and towards a deeper understanding of each other.  Family therapy is rewarding as it provides the opportunity for a new level of connection and functioning.  

Given that each person and situation are unique, a therapist that can utilize many different approaches is required. The underpinning of my therapeutic approach is grounded in narrative therapy, mindfulness-based practices, trauma informed and humanistic models. 

I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, with an MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. I have a B.S. In Health Science from California State Northridge. I have completed Level 1 & Level 2 Gottman Method Couples Therapy training and I am a registered alcohol and drug technician. I spent a year working in an addiction treatment center conducting group and individual therapy through a trauma informed lens. 

I am a certified somatic breath work practitioner. I am also in process with an accredited, mindfulness/meditation teacher certification program. In addition, I am currently working towards completing Dr. Gabor Mate’s program for Compassionate Inquiry.  

Contact Lisa

714-432-9856 or click here to text