Relief first. Then the reason it started.
Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy combines psychodynamic depth with EMDR, IFS, somatic work and the Gottman Method. We bring the loudest symptoms down first, then work on what caused them, so they don’t come back. For adults, couples and teens 15 and up, in Hermosa Beach, Pasadena or by telehealth across California.
Two phases. Usually in this order.
Bring it down
Sleep, panic, the 2 a.m. spiral, the fight that keeps repeating. We start with what’s costing you most right now and give your nervous system something to work with.
Find what’s driving it
Then the blind spots: the old rules, the inner critic, what each partner learned early. Changing those is what keeps the symptoms from returning.
When one person steadies, the people around them usually do too: a partner, the kids, a team. We keep them in view.
What do you want from therapy right now?
Tap what’s true. We’ll show the methods we’d likely start with. Nothing is saved.
tiles tapped yet.
A starting point, not a diagnosis. Your clinician will tailor the plan at the first session.What we use, in plain terms.
Most people end up with a combination. Your clinician will explain why each piece is there.
Psychodynamic therapy
Finds the patterns you keep repeating and where they started, so you can stop running them on autopilot.
For: patterns that keep coming back, success that feels emptyRead more → the pastEMDR
Helps the brain file away memories that still set you off, so they stop hijacking the present.
For: trauma, panic, performance fearRead more → the criticInternal Family Systems (IFS)
Works with the inner critic, the driver and the part that wants to quit, instead of fighting them.
For: perfectionism, self-criticism, feeling splitRead more → the bodySomatic work
Practical ways to bring your nervous system down: breath, grounding, noticing what your body does before your mind catches up.
For: can’t switch off, anxiety, burnoutTry an exercise → the loopERP
Exposure and response prevention: a structured way to stop feeding repetitive thoughts and checking, one step at a time.
For: stuck on a loop, compulsions, OCD-type worryRead more → not therapyExecutive coaching, through Deepcrest
When the goal is professional (a decision, a new role, how you lead), Lisa coaches through her separate practice.
Visit Deepcrest →Gottman Method
Research-based tools for the fight you keep having: how it starts, how to repair, how to rebuild trust.
For: recurring conflict, after a betrayalRead more → the historyIntimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO)
IFS for couples. Each of you sees what gets triggered and why, so you can speak for it instead of from it.
For: distance, feeling like roommatesRead more → the dialogueImago
A structured way of talking and listening that slows things down enough for each partner to be heard.
For: talking past each otherRead more →Both partners, from the first session
We begin couples work when both of you have agreed to come. Early sessions are structured, so you know what to expect. If one partner isn’t ready, individual therapy is a good place to start.
Couples therapy →Weekly, or all at once.
Same methods, different pace.
Weekly sessions
A steady 50-minute session with one clinician, in Hermosa Beach, Pasadena or online.
- Individuals
- Couples
- Teens 15+
Intensives
A single day or several days of focused work, for a deadline, a crisis or a schedule that can’t hold weekly sessions.
In person in Hermosa Beach; online in select cases.
Executive coaching
For goals that are professional rather than clinical. Delivered by Lisa through Deepcrest Leadership.
deepcrestleadership.comWhat’s different about working here.
| Topic | Often elsewhere | At Lisa Chen & Associates |
|---|---|---|
| First sessions | Open-ended talk about the week. | A plan for whatever is loudest right now. |
| Method | One method, whichever the therapist trained in. | Methods matched to the problem, often combined. |
| Depth | Coping skills only, or years of insight without relief. | Relief first, then the cause, so it doesn’t come back. |
| The body | Mostly talk. | Nervous-system work alongside talk. |
| Couples | One partner can start alone. | Both partners agree to come; early sessions are structured. |
| Training | Varies by clinician. | Associates trained closely by Lisa and supervised; Gottman-trained. |
Before you book
Which type of therapy is right for me?
You don’t need to decide that before you call. In a free 20-minute consult we ask what’s going on and what you want to be different, then match you with a clinician and a starting approach. Most people end up with a combination, such as somatic work for relief plus psychodynamic or IFS work for the cause.
Do you combine methods?
Yes. We usually start with methods that bring symptoms down (somatic work, EMDR, Gottman structure for couples) and add depth work (psychodynamic therapy, IFS, IFIO) once things are steadier.
Can we start couples therapy if my partner isn’t ready?
We begin couples work when both partners have agreed to come, and we don’t meet with one partner alone as part of couples therapy. If your partner isn’t ready, individual therapy is a good place to start.
What does therapy cost, and do you take insurance?
Session fees range from $180 to $500 depending on the clinician. We’re out of network, and many employers’ PPO plans reimburse a portion using the superbill we provide. The first 20-minute consultation is free.
Do you offer therapy online?
Yes. We see clients in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena, and by telehealth anywhere in California.
You don’t have to pick the method. That’s our job.
Tell us what’s going on in a free 20-minute consult. We’ll suggest a clinician and a place to start.