Areas of Specialty : Los Angeles Therapist

Addiction
Adolescents
PTSD & Trauma
Fear & Anxiety
Eating Disorders
Loss & Grief

Addiction
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Addictions are usually associated with substance (alcohol, drugs, food) or a behavior (sex, gambling, shopping). The addictive behavior is often preceded by a trigger. This trigger sets in motion a variety of uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and sensations, which then leads to cravings and urges to engage in the addictive behavior.

Recovering from an addiction involves learning to recognize the triggers and understanding how cravings manifest in the body and mind. The practice of Mindfulness gives us a unique tool to slow time down and bring awareness to the thoughts, feelings, and sensations associated with the triggering event while it is occurring.

Adolescents
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Some teens have relatively minor issues, and simply need assistance getting back on track. Others may have more serious issues such as depression, anger, substance abuse, self-abuse and other challenges that require more significant intervention.

Adolescents is a profound period of transition that involves changes to both the body and mind, as well as their relationships with themselves, their peers, parents, siblings, and authority figures such as teachers and coaches.

Brian has a wide range of experience effectively treating adolescents in all of these areas, including gender-specific interventions.

PTSD and Trauma
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Post-traumatic stress disorder can be triggered by any number of events or experiences. The symptoms include "flashbacks" to the event, nightmares, panic, and hypersensitivity to normal events. Car accidents, rape, any form of abuse, witnessing or participating in violence (war veterans) can all be traumatic experiences. These experiences influence many of the decisions we make in relationships and in those we trust. Mindfulness is one component in treating PTSD.

Fear and Anxiety
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Life is filled with multiple stressors, ranging from worries about work, kids, spouses to a more general fear about what the future holds in store. Feeling some level of anxiety is normal and actually, healthy. It's when daily life becomes a constant state of worry, fear and dread that therapy can help greatly. If left untreated, anxiety can dominate a person's thinking to the point that it interferes with daily functioning, including work, school, social activities and relationships.

The good news is that excessive anxiety can be minimized to improve one’s quality of life. Using a mindfulness approach to treating anxiety, Brian helps patients become aware of themselves in the present moment and observe their experiences in a more personal and compassionate way, in order to get a more objective moment-to-moment perspective.

Eating Disorders
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According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Other Eating Disorders, eating disorders are categorized as Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorders. Eating disorders have reached epidemic levels in America and are estimated to effect 7-10 million women and approximately 1 million men. All segments of society are affected: Men and women, young and old, rich and poor, all ethnicities, all socio-economic levels.

Essentially, these disorders are characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior. Some of the underlying issues that are associated with an eating disorder include low self esteem, depression, feelings of loss of control, feelings of worthlessness, identity concerns, family communication problems and an inability to cope with emotions. There are a variety of ways people develop eating disorders. There is no one single cause, but rather a complex interaction between biology (genetics, metabolism, etc.), psychology (control, coping skills, personality factors, family issues, etc.) and social issues, such as the media and a culture that promotes thinness.

Eating Disorders and their underlying issues can be treated with Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and other specific behavioral strategies.

Please visit anad.org for detailed information relating to eating disorders.

Loss and Grief
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Grief is a natural emotion that is experienced when one is parted from whatever is dear to them. If grief is dealt with effectively, it can actually become a tool for the development of great insight. Conversely, if it is not dealt with, or dealt with poorly, grief may manifest physically, emotionally, cognitively and/or behaviorally in for form of chronic dysfunction, confusion, depression, avoidance behaviors and general unhappiness. Therapy involves understanding the grief process and then learning ways to cope with the events and situations that trigger the grief by using mindfulness and gaining acceptance.