Andrew Merrell LMFT
Founder & Lead Therapist
Male Psychology, Identity, Anxiety & Addiction

Andrew Merrell is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in male psychology and male-centered therapy based in California. Andrew's specialization in men's psychotherapy centers on male psychology, male identity, relationships, power/control, addiction, achievement, primal wounds, trauma, insecurity, anxiety, the shadow, the inner child, anger, sex and sexuality.

  • Since its founding in 2015, Andrew has amplified Aim Psychotherapy into a collective of mental health professionals who share a vision for collaborative, innovative and deeply personal therapeutic work that is individualized for each client’s unique needs. 

    While Andrew works exclusively with men, his clients are diverse in identity, age, life stage, clinical emphasis. A clinical areas of concentration include males facing internal and/or external challenges and changes - often executives, actors, athletes, musicians or public figures encountering issues related to managing and integrating public/private personas, relationships, sexuality, wealth, notoriety, betrayal, stress, unhealthy habits, exhaustion, and the pressures of prestige.

    Prior to receiving his Masters in Clinical Psychology, Andrew graduated with his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Sociology & Communications. Outside of the private practice setting his work has included inpatient residential and rehabilitation settings, a leading dual diagnosis PHP/IOP in Los Angeles, running mens groups in Men’s Central Jail, training elite collegiate sports teams, running male identity groups, leading customized leadership optimization (corporate), trainings and workshops (LAUSD, FBI, and the LAPD among others) and serving as a coach/mentor in some specific capacities for clients across the country and overseas.  In addition to Aim Psychotherapy, Andrew co-founded the Eos Program in 2018 at the Camden Center, a renowned dual diagnosis mental health facility in Los Angeles where he served as the Eos Program Chief. Andrew also co-founded the Prism Institute an organization devoted to identity, and Ignis an innovative men's retreat workshop.

Reed Farrer LMFT
Anxiety & OCD

Reed Farrer is Aim Psychotherapy’s leading Affiliate provider in the realm of obsession, compulsion, rumination, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, OCD, and OCPD. Reed is clear, kind and deeply compassionate in his working relationships.

  • A cut above the rest, Reed is holistic in his conceptualizations, savvy in his assessments and treatment planning, and a rigorous steward of effective client journeys toward relief and management of OCD and related behavioral and psychological symptomology. Reed is practical and tactical in his clinical approach without sacrificing a rich relationship with his clients. Highly trained and skilled in ERP, ACT, TRM – Aim Psychotherapy is very lucky to include this exceptional shepherd in our collective.

    Reed Farrer is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT #122656) and certified mindfulness teacher (CMT). Reed received a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Reed has trained in various clinical settings, including community mental health, residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, and outpatient treatment. Past employers and training sites include Sandy Segal Youth Health Center, Visions Adolescent Treatment Center, Anxiety Therapy L.A., and UCLA's Dual Diagnosis IOP. Reed has trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), mindfulness meditation, and The Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM). Reed is in private practice in West Los Angeles and is primarily interested in the treatment of anxiety disorders and OCD.

Dr Brian Hurley MD, MBA, FAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatry

Brian Hurley, MD, MBA, FAPA, DFASAM, is Aim Psychotherapy’s affiliate psychiatrist. His expertise in diagnostics, psychopharmacological medication management and holistic client conceptualization makes Brian an invaluable resource to Aim’s clients. Working with Brian is not a prerequisite, and if you already have your own external psychiatrist there’s zero pressure to work with him.

  • He works with first-timers with warmth and clear contextual conversation about psychopharmacology and any veterans of psychiatry will be impressed by his skillful, conservative approach to medication management and and easy, sincere rapport. 

    Dr. Hurley is a leader in his field. As an addiction psychiatrist with additional training in health services and policy research and implementation science, he earned an undergraduate degree with a double major in biochemistry and neuroscience and a minor in political theory from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received his medical degree and Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Brian completed the UCLA Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program implementation science research fellowship, an addiction psychiatry fellowship at New York University, and a general psychiatry residency at Harvard University's Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital.

    Brian served as the President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) between 2023-2025, and previously served as the national president of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) from 2008-2009. He was a 2010-2013 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Public Psychiatry Fellow, where he served on the APA Board of Trustees, was a 2012 American College of Psychiatrists Laughlin Fellow, and was a 2015-2017 Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry Fellow. He has led public health programs in Los Angeles County focused on the provision of addiction medication, overdose prevention, and harm reduction services. He is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. 

Brian Shiers LMFT
Mindfulness, DBT, Somatics & Embodiment

Brian is the resident mind-body master at Aim Psych. Using a broad range of skill and experience, Brian is an attentive shepherd to men’s development of their relationship to their bodies and nervous systems, and the pursuit of a harmonizing of internal and external sense and experiences

  • He believes that everyone has within them a fundamental aspect of mind that instinctively seeks safety, clarity, autonomy, connection with others, purpose and meaning.  For many of us, this part of the mind is obscured, distorted, or in some cases has never even been recognized.  Brian is also passionate about translating mindfulness practices for people from diverse cultural and organizational backgrounds who are searching for inner balance, bridging the gap between science and experience, practice and everyday life.  

    With degrees in Kinesiology and Psychology / Interpersonal Neurobiology setting the foundation for embodied awareness, Brian also completed the year-long Certified Mindfulness Facilitator training at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center in 2011 under the direction of Diana Winston, Dr. Marvin Belzer, Dr. Susan Smalley, and Dr. Dan Siegel. 

    As a senior member of UCLA Mindful, Brian is an IMTA Certified Mindfulness Teacher - Professional Level, serving as an authorized ESRT (Enhanced Stress Resilience Training) Instructor, providing training to surgery interns at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine under the leadership of Dr. Carter LeBares, MD., ESRT creator and Director of UC San Francisco’s Center for Mindfulness in Surgery

    Brian has intensively studied embodied awareness methods since 1993, including Buddhist shamatha, vipassana, and Dzogchen practices, and has completed nine week-long retreats, acquiring over 4,000 hours of both sitting and moving meditation. He has brought mindfulness to organizations such the UCLA Bruin Women's Varsity Volleyball Teams, Disney Animation Studios, Nestle', Mattel Inc., Salesforce.com, NASA / JPL, and the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. 

    Brian also leads silent 3-day retreats for law enforcement in the Pacific Northwest, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy at Westside DBT and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy through Journey Clinical.

Arie Winograd LMFT
Body Image Issues & Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Arie brings his mastery and 25 years of experience with body image issues and Body Dysmorphic Disorder to the clients of Aim Psych that may have primary or secondary therapeutic goals relative to their relationship to their appearance, bodies and anatomy. Arie is also a talented individual clinician who values whole-self conceptualization and takes an integrated approach to his work.

  • Arie Winograd, MA, LMFT. has dedicated the vast majority of his career as a psychotherapist to the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and related body image disorders. With over twenty-five years of treating this client population, his name has become synonymous with body dysmorphic disorder treatment. In 1998, Mr. Winograd initiated the first body dysmorphic disorder studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. These seminal studies were only the beginning of his many years of working extensively with individuals with body image disorders. As the author of the book Face to Face with Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Psychotherapy and Clinical Insights, he regularly lectures and consults on the subject. 

    "Recovery from body image disorders entails creating an identity that is not founded upon shame, the primary emotion that perpetuates body related symptoms. Shame not only impedes identity development, but it also is not compatible with interpersonal and especially intimate relationships. Many individuals with body image disorders attribute a lack of intimacy to what they perceive as aesthetically defective about themselves. In turn, they focus even more on appearance, and it is this that further interferes with the development of a healthy identity and authentic attachments to people. Recovery from a body image disorder is a process of gentrifying one’s sense of self so that external physical features are no longer the epicenter of their identity."

    Arie Winograd’s formal psychotherapy background includes graduate studies completed at Pepperdine University as well as six years of clinical experience at the UCLA Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Intensive Treatment Program. He completed his undergraduate education at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Christopher Hawkey
DBT, CBT, PE/Trauma & LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy

Dr. Christopher Hawkey brings to Aim Psych his deep expertise in evidence-based treatment with particular emphasis in providing high-fidelity DBT. Christopher believes that every client has access to their own wisdom and that it is his duty to teach clients the skills to unearth and activate their own inner wise mind.

  • Dr. Hawkey trained at world-renowned clinical psychology programs focusing entirely on evidence-based interventions. Trained as a scientist-practitioner (also known as the Boulder model), Dr. Hawkey spent almost a decade training and conducting research at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience. Dr. Hawkey also trained at the Cognitive-Behavioral Research and Treatment Program at the Duke University School of Medicine and the Portland DBT Institute, which are both lauded for their excellence in clinical training and applied clinical research. More recently, Dr. Hawkey served as a director at CBT/DBT California prior to starting his own private practice, West Coast CBT. Dr. Hawkey also enjoys volunteering as a clinical supervisor and DBT coordinator at the LGBTQ+ Center of the Desert in Coachella Valley.

    Dr. Hawkey is certified by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification and has completed the Yale LGBTQ Mental Health Initiative Affirmative CBT training program. Dr. Hawkey is passionate about increasing accessibility to research-based treatments like CBT and DBT and provides training to other clinicians on implementing these interventions with historically-marginalized populations.

Brandon Gescheidle LMFT
Pain Reprocessing, Chronic Pain & LGBTQ+

Brandon occupies two distinct specializations within Aim Psych’s Affiliate team. Brandon is our resident pain, pain reprocessing and chronic pain specialist, and also has an area of concentration within the LGBTQ population of Aim’s clients.

  • With respect to pain reprocessing and treating chronic pain, Brandon utilizes Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Somatic Tracking, Graded Exposure and other techniques with his clients. In his individual therapy practice, Brandon calls upon an integrated approach of Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Narrative Therapy to assist clients in unlearning unhelpful, sometimes harmful, patterns and beliefs in order to co-create a template that feels more sustainable. Brandon identifies as a gay, cisgender man who is passionate about working with the queer community.

    After earning a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California, Brandon began working extensively with the chronic pain community – training with Alan Gordon at Pain Psychology Center and becoming certified in Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT). In addition to being a clinician at the practice, Brandon served as Intake Coordinator, admitting new clients and matching them with clinicians. Through this role, he had the unique privilege of absorbing thousands of mind-body stories involving a multitude of presentations. Brandon recognizes that while there are certainly common themes, each client’s relationship with pain is unique, and their treatment must be tailored to fit their individual needs and lived experience. Using PRT as a guide, Brandon assist clients through Somatic Tracking, Graded Exposure, managing fear thoughts, and other tools to help them understand their symptoms, increase self-compassion, and reprogram the brain's relationship to pain.

Amy Atwell, MPP, AACC
Executive Coach — Creativity, Neurodivergence & ADHD

Aim Psych is lucky to have specialist Amy Atwell as a member of the team. Amy is a seasoned professional specializing in supporting high-achieving adults with ADHD and other neurodivergent traits. Amy's approach enables clients to take inspired actions toward their goals, conserving energy and time by learning strategies and methods better suited to their needs rather than conforming to conventional norms.

  • Amy has successfully worked with adults aged 25 to 75, including C-level executives in entertainment,industrial art and photography, tech, finance, legal, medical, behavioral health, hospitality, andacademia. She has also supported adults studying for graduate-level entrance exams, transitioning intothe workplace upon graduation, and mid-life professionals transitioning into a new career or starting abusiness. This diverse client base is a testament to her ability to cater to unique needs and situations.

    “As a high-achieving, late-diagnosed neurodivergent individual with ADHD, I bring a unique perspective tomy coaching practice. This personal experience gives me a first-hand understanding of the challenges faced when navigating a world not tailored to us 'neuro-spicy' individuals who think and experience life differently. My passion is to guide others like myself to understand themselves through their unique brain wiring, enabling them to unmask and release shame around advocating for accommodations needed to thrive personally and professionally."

    Amy earned her Master of Public Policy and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Social Behavior from theUniversity of California, Irvine, and an Associate of Arts in Drama from Foothill College. She is also acertified ADHD Life Coach through ADDCA (ADD Coach Academy), the longest-standing and mostcomprehensive ADHD coaching program in the world. She has also studied under various coachingmentors and, in 2007, launched Strategy for Actors and Filmmakers, a career-focused coachingprogram in the Los Angeles area. Amy has held highly respected positions in the Behavioral Health industry for over a decade, such as Business Development & Marketing Director, Regional Trainer forTreatment Placement Specialists, and Director of Community Outreach for some of the largest and most renowned mental health treatment organizations, including ACADIA Healthcare and the Camden Center.

Dr Robert Antonacci
Dreams, Sleep, Depression & Issues of Aging

Helping clients navigate their nocturnal experience, diverse impacts and experiences of depression and contemporary issues of aging, Aim Psych is proud of have Dr Robert Antonacci’s expertise, insight and clinical sophistication. Dr Rob is passionate about dreams and dream analysis, which is informed by his depth psychology and Jungian training. He is also an expert on sleep, sleep hygiene and helps clients achieve optimal sleep experience. Additionally, Dr Rob has areas of concentration in assessing and combating depression and depressive symptoms, and working with clients around age and aging issues.

  • As a licensed depth psychologist, working with Dr Rob can often focus on tending the soul and psyche to return meaning and purpose to a client's life. This is accomplished by focusing on the rich inner world of dreams, imagination, emotional awareness, body sensations, spontaneous humor and identifying core values. In addition, emphasis is placed on integrating the dynamic outer world perspective of modern myth & story (movies, television, art and music, for example), archetypes, personal and cultural symbols, relationships, and synchronicity (meaningful coincidences). 

    The transformative healing process is stimulated by allowing what has been discarded, ignored or repressed to surface and be reclaimed in a mindful and conscientious way. The goal of the work is about moving toward balance, personal awareness and creative expression, all of which lead to inner wisdom, authenticity, and spiritual growth. 

    Areas of special focus are dreams, sleep and sleep hygiene, depression, age and aging, identity (including LGBTQIA issues), and midlife transition.

Dr Markus Rogan
Experiential & Adventure Therapy


Dr. Markus Rogan’s role within Aim Psychotherapy is in the innovative provision of experiential and performance psychology. Tailored to each client’s unique presentation, conceptualization and goals, Dr. Rogan will craft an experience that challenges, provokes, confronts and transforms an aspect of the client’s work.

  • Whether its mountaineering, race track driving, shark diving or ice swimming, Dr. Rogan will incorporate clinical savvy with the physical/natural world to awaken what’s dormant, subdue what’s raging or alter self-perception and limitation. 

    Dr. Markus Rogan is a licensed psychotherapist and holds his PhD in Performance Psychology.

    Among his many distinctions, he was the United Nations Medal of Honor for Civil Courage in 2005 and competed in the 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens), 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London) Olympic Games. Markus was the director of sport psychology for the Brazilian Olympic Team at their home Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, 2016. The team won the most medals in the history of their country. After graduating from Stanford University, Markus spent three years at UCLA’s department of psychology researching performance psychology. He was then the director of a residential depression and addiction rehab center before starting his private practice.

Liz Burns, LMFT
Partnership Therapy

Liz Burns is Aim Psych’s partnership specialist. As our leading relationship counselor, Liz is a licensed marriage & family therapist (LMFT #133078) who is passionate about working with couples, families, and other dyads, including business partners, parents, or any other impactful relationship that needs tending.

  • Liz has a warm, compassionate nature that helps her clients feel safe, secure and grounded. Liz believes intimate relationships have the power to heal, but sometimes people find themselves stuck in relational patterns that are difficult to change on their own. Liz has a keen eye for naming these patterns, and bringing them into awareness. From there, the work of change and repair can unfold. She helps clients explore the many ways in which two or more lives intersect to form a third entity. 

    While Liz works with all gender identities, she holds a special passion for men’s issues. Liz has had the unique opportunity of inhabiting many traditionally male dominated spaces and has seen first-hand how men are suffering in their relationships, emotional worlds, and with intimacy. These dynamics affect everyone, and Liz is passionate about helping men lead more authentic lives with a full range of emotionality within their relationships. 

    Liz grew up competing in the sport of Judo, and was an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team. She previously owned a CrossFit gym and consulted on Corporate Wellness programs both domestically and abroad. Nine years ago, she decided to leave the fitness world and pursue her passion for psychology and relationships with a master’s degree in Psychology from Antioch University. She completed training in community mental health and couples work at Airport Marina Counseling Service in Los Angeles, and in Private Practice under the stewardship of Aim Psychotherapy’s founder, Andrew Merrell. Liz borrows from many techniques in her work, including; Emotionally Focused Couples work, The Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Psychodynamic work.

Stephanie Pearl LCSW
Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Stephanie Pearl brings her passion for Psychedelic Psychotherapy to Aim Psych to compliment and correspond with a client’s integrative experience within the collective. A ketamine assisted experience with Stephanie can deepen, expand, enrich and harmonize work that Aim Psych clients are doing in other areas of their care.

  • Stephanie completed certificate training programs in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy & Integration, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy. Her professional education with Psychedelic Therapy has been through Fluence. Stephanie is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(TF-CBT), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Internal Family Systems. Stephanie holds a Masters in Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College. She is licensed in both New York and California and has been in practice as a therapist for 15 years. 

    Prior to her work in the Psychedelic Therapy space, Stephanie’s practice focused primarily on the treatment of adolescents, young adults, and adults in the areas of anxiety, depression, relationships, eating disorders, body image issues, and trauma. She have always taken an integrative approach to treatment. With complementary education and experience in the areas of fitness, music, nutrition and mindfulness, I take a holistic approach in my work with individuals to help create positive lifestyle changes for whole body wellness. 

Brian Garhan, MA, PsyD
Wellness Coach – Fitness, Motivation & Life Strategist

Brian Garhan specializes in customized life dynamics and coaching with an emphasis on efficiency, performance, physiology, fitness and wellness strategies. Brian is also a sober coach and often performs the function of a sober companion for unique in-the-field activities and experiences for those going through restorative mental health journeys including recovery from substance/process addiction.

  • Brian is harmonizes is accomplishments as a therapist, life/sober coach, veteran, lifelong athlete, outdoorsman, loving husband, and proud dad of two amazing kids into his tailored approach with each unique client experience. He brings his history from the military, sports, clinical, and family life into a unique approach to helping people grow and thrive. The discipline and resilience Brian learned in the military, combined with the balance and motivation he’s acquired through sports, shape how he support clients’ needs and assesses their capacities. Brian’s experiences as a father adds a unique dimension to his practice – he understands first hand the juggling act of family life and personal goals, which motivates him to help others, especially busy parents, achieve their fitness and personal goals while managing the demands of family life. 

    Whether a client is dealing with mental health issues, addiction, life transitions, or just want to level up in your personal life, Brian uses his training and experiences to offer a dynamic, personalized approach that fits each persons’ journey.

    Brian earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge, and completed both his Master’s and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis on Health and CBT at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. His extensive training encompasses addiction, mood disorders, executive coaching & motivations, sports psychology, physical health, and holistic approaches to wellness.

Dr. Joshua Gonzalez
Urology & Sexual Health

Joshua R Gonzalez, MD, is a board-certified urologist who is fellowship-trained in Sexual Medicine and specializes in the management of sexual dysfunctions including erectile and ejaculatory disorders, low testosterone, and issues involving desire, orgasm, arousal, perimenopause and menopause, and sexual and pelvic pain. 

  • Dr. Gonzalez completed his medical education at Columbia University and his urological residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in NYC.  Throughout his career, Dr. Gonzalez has focused on advocating for sexual health and providing improved healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community.

    He has appeared on The Doctors television show, has been featured in Vogue magazine, and is a medical contributor to Poosh, the New York Post, USA Today, and Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and Oprah magazines. Dr. Gonzalez continues to build a robust following on his Instagram and TikTok where he uses social media to educate the public on sexual health.

    He is co-founder of Popstar Labs, a sexual wellness brand focused on promoting the importance of sexual health for all.  Dr. Gonzalez serves as an official Sexual Health Advisor to Astroglide Lubricants.  He has served on the board of directors for the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health. 

Zach Resnick, LMFT
Young Adulthood

Zach Resnick LMFT specializes in guiding young men forward as they build the skills and self-esteem to navigate their late teens, 20’s and early 30's. Zach empowers clients who feel lost or stressed by life’s challenges to develop the compassion, mindfulness and fortitude to become their more fully realized selves. 

  • The late teens, 20's and early 30's are phases of life where young men are facing a breadth of potential difficulties including, but not limited to: school or career, peer relationships, sex and intimacy, dating and romantic relationships, family issues, independence, self-esteem, understanding their thoughts and feelings, trauma processing, social pressures and expectations, as well as seeking meaning and value. Zach’s passion for this work is breaking the cycle of male loneliness and disconnection by being a partner in their journey toward growth and healing. Clients can expect to be warmly seen and understood while also being championed and encouraged to adopt skills and build confidence to find their way in the world. 

     

    Zach received a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and began working in community mental health, training at Airport Marina Counseling Service where he created and led successful Navigating Your 20's and Men’s Support groups. Following clinical settings include working in a leading residential treatment center, working under Andrew Merrell’s professional guidance as AIM Psychotherapy’s first Associate Therapist, and supporting the beginning of a local clinic built on providing accessible therapy. Since completing licensure and founding his own clinical practice, Zach works primarily with men navigating their 20's and 30's by integrating approaches such as psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, Internal Family Systems and Inner Child work, as well as mindfulness to support his client’s becoming their most congruent self. 

Brandon Brissette, AMFT
Couples, Men, Anxiety & Meaning

Brandon Brissette AMFT specializes in couples therapy for those that want to rebuild or strengthen their relationship, improve/implement effective communication, and reduce reliance on the "other" to meet their internalized needs. Brandon also works with men on emotional tolerance, emotional expression, self-advocacy, vulnerability, purpose, value, and meaning, with an additional area of concentration in adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and loss of the self.

  • Brandon Brissette is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist working under the clinical supervision of Andrew Merrell, LMFT. Brandon received his B.A. in Interactive Entertainment from the University of Southern California and received his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Brandon completed his clinical training at Airport Marina Counseling Service, a well-regarded psychodynamic community mental health clinic located in West Los Angeles. During his time in training, Brandon worked with couples and individuals utilizing a psychodynamic approach to aid clients in exploring their psyche and discovering how to leverage their strengths to create meaningful change in their lives. Brandon also previously worked in both the entertainment and technology fields and uses these experiences to inform his work with clients with similar backgrounds.  

    We all face our own unique challenges in our everyday lives. These challenges can range from inspiring to overwhelming, from motivating to diminishing, and anything in between. Sometimes it can be relatively easy to get lost in the vast ocean of life, and we may not even realize anything is off until we are already lost at sea, adrift amongst the waves. Therapy can be the life boat we need when all that we see before us are rough waters. It can often be difficult to ask for help when feeling lost or stuck, and engaging in self-discovery can feel daunting, but even making an effort to search for a therapist is taking a step towards growth.

    I am a couples therapist who also works with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship distress, stage of life transitions, and loss of self. I also work with men on emotional tolerance, emotional expression, self-advocacy, and learning to be vulnerable. I have an additional, specific focus on working with men with a proximity to a personality disorder — a partner, ex-partner or family member. When working with couples, I utilize an Imago Therapy framework, which focuses on our unconscious inclination to seek relationship partners as a means of addressing and healing our wounds from childhood. While I approach therapy from a psychodynamic lens, I also tailor my work with clients to fit their needs by incorporating aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based modalities.  As a depth psychology therapist, I help clients navigate their experiences in a safe, open environment that focuses on curiosity, exploration, understanding, and growth. If you think that you might be up for doing some digging into your thoughts and experiences, please feel free to reach out and schedule a consultation with me. Be sure to bring your shovel. 

Robert McShane, AMFT
Male Psychology & Addiction

Robert McShane AMFT has an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that appeals to clients who are eager and ready for meaningful change. Robert specializes in working with men who struggle with relationship issues, anxiety, substance abuse, and process addictions. He also supports working professionals in navigating the complexities of stress and power in their lives.

  • Robert earned his Masters in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in 2019, where he received his training at Beit T’Shuvah, a renowned residential addiction treatment center in Los Angeles. Prior to his graduate work Robert managed Fortune 100 and 500 accounts in New York for a corporate governance software firm. And later co-founded and served as the former Head of Business Development at a company specializing in mobile app development for nonprofits.

    Beyond his clinical work, Robert has mentored Division 1 college athletes, aiding their transition into professional sports organizations. From 2013 to 2016, he facilitated men's addiction groups at Rikers Island jail facility in New York. Additionally, Robert volunteers his time and contributes to fundraising efforts at the Boys and Girls Club of America.

    Navigating your way into therapy for the first time or returning can feel like a challenging and exhaustive process as you search for the right fit. Establishing trust and ensuring a secure, confidential space are my top priorities. In therapy I provide a setting for self-discovery, healing, and the initiation of meaningful change.

    I specialize in working with men navigating significant personal and professional life transitions. My areas of focus encompass substance abuse and recovery, anxiety, depression, body image, sex addiction, infidelity and relationship issues. I also work with individuals employed in demanding roles who grapple with corporate fatigue, executive demands, and the toll their positions take on their identity and interpersonal relationships with family and peers. During our sessions, I integrate elements of psychodynamic, CBT, Rogerian, and mindfulness approaches to tailor the therapeutic experience to your needs.

    As a psychotherapist, my unique approach is shaped by my experience of over 15 years in the corporate world. Here I gained a deep understanding of high-stress environments and its impact on mental and emotional well-being. My own journey through this demanding setting inspired a transformative shift not only in my personal life but also in my career to become a psychotherapist.

Chris Tompkins, AMFT
Gay Men, Identity Trauma & Self-esteem

Chris Tompkins AMFT specializes in working with adult gay men and the unique challenges they face related to self-esteem, identity formation, and shame. Chris views therapy as a collaborative relationship that works to identify goals and patterns of behavior. You’re the driver and he’s in the passenger seat supporting you along the way. Chris also specializes in working with Adult Children of Alcoholics and gay men whose lives have been affected by trauma and addiction.

  • Chris Tompkins is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist based in Los Angeles, California working under the clinical supervision of Andrew Merrell, LMFT. Chris specializes in LGBTQ affirmative psychology with a primary focus on adult gay men. He has a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University with a specialization in LGBTQ Affirmative Psychology.

    Chris began his psychotherapy training at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology where he received a Certificate in Narrative Focused Trauma Care Levels I and Level II from the Allender Center. Additionally, Chris completed his clinical training at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where he developed his competency as an LGBTQ-affirming psychotherapist.

    In addition to being a therapist, Chris is a writer and author of the best-selling book, Raising LGBTQ Allies: A Parent’s Guide to Changing the Messages from the Playground. While his book aims to prevent homophobia, transphobia, and bullying before they begin, Raising LGBTQ Allies is a peace offering for members of the LGBTQ community to help heal from the effects of trauma and toxic shame.

    For more than a decade, I’ve worked to transform my past pain and to heal from conscious and unconscious dysfunctional family patterns. What got me to where I am today is my own journey of healing and personal recovery.

    I truly believe that we can only take others as far as we’ve gone ourselves and so having compassion for my own healing journey is how I’m able to offer it to my clients. I also believe that the biggest gift we can give to ourselves, to our relationships, to the planet, and to future generations is our self-actualization.

    What I’ve come to learn from my own path is that connecting with our spirituality—or the direct experience of our own essence—loving ourselves, and taking full responsibility for our lives and choices is where our strength lies at the deepest level.

    As an LGBTQ-affirmative and client-centered therapist, I look at each of my clients through an affirmative and humanistic lens. Meaning that I see the problem as the problem and not the person. My primary area of focus includes helping gay men heal past pain so that they wake up feeling a greater sense of purpose, self-acceptance, and belonging. I also specialize in working with people who specifically want spirituality to be a resource in their therapy.

    I use a combination of both Western and Eastern philosophies in my therapeutic approach, including Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Depth Psychology, Positive Psychology, Energy Psychology, and Humanistic Psychology.