EMDR therapy can sound intimidating, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. Here’s a trauma-informed breakdown of what really happens during EMDR.

Do you find yourself second-guessing decisions, replaying conversations in your head, or constantly preparing for the worst? Overthinking isn’t just a mental habit—it’s a nervous system on high alert, often rooted in past experiences, perfectionism, or fear of failure.

You’re accomplished—but exhausted. At Lisa Chen & Associates, we help high-achieving professionals slow down without losing their edge.

Before I expound on what I love about depth work, let me just say: therapy does not have to be deep to be good.

Anxious and avoidant partners often feel drawn to each other—only to end up stuck in the same painful cycle. One pulls close, the other pulls away. In this blog, therapist Lisa Chen explains why this pattern happens, how it forms from early attachment experiences, and what couples can do to finally break the loop and build secure connection.

You love your partner, but lately, it feels like you're reaching out into silence. Read more about why your partner might shut down.

Being in a relationship when you have avoidant attachment can feel like walking a tightrope. You care deeply—but the closer someone gets, the more you may feel the urge to pull away.

Feeling burned out or stuck in negative loops? Your brain may be craving novelty. Learn how new experiences increase dopamine, improve mood, and help break unhelpful emotional patterns—plus 5 simple ways to add novelty to your life starting today.

Not all overachievers are driven by ambition. For many, overworking is a trauma response rooted in childhood emotional neglect or unmet needs. This blog explains how trauma hides beneath high performance—and how therapy helps you feel safe enough to rest.

Most of us have heard the phrase “glass half empty or half full”—but what if that metaphor is missing the point?

Think workaholism is just about 80-hour weeks and never taking vacations? Think again. Many high-functioning professionals are caught in work addiction without realizing it—because their behavior doesn’t look like overwork.

You’re not broken—and neither is your partner. But your attachment styles might be clashing in a way that makes conflict harder and connection feel out of reach.

Anxiety isn’t just in your head—it shows up in your body, thoughts, and relationships. For many teens and young adults, it can feel like living inside a mental war zone. But those anxious parts of you aren’t broken—they’re trying to protect you. In this blog, Gabriel Gilbert Lurie, AMFT shares how therapy can help shift you out of survival mode, visualize anxiety in new ways, and reconnect with a sense of safety, support, and self-trust.

Finding a couples therapist in Los Angeles can be daunting. This guide helps you cut through the noise with expert-backed questions, red flags to avoid, and a free downloadable checklist—so you and your partner can feel confident in your next step toward connection.

For those struggling with anxiety, EMDR therapy offers an evidence-based path to healing. Learn how it works — and how working with an Anxiety and EMDR Specialist in Hermosa Beach can help you find relief.

Never ending bills. My contract’s ending soon. M is going to college soon. I don’t even want to think of the emotions that come with that right now. I’m getting old. I don’t want to die with regret.

If you’re successful but still anxious, burnt out, or disconnected—you’re not broken. Many high-functioning adults grew up with hidden trauma they’ve never named. This blog explains why.

You might not call yourself “sensitive.” And that word could even feel like an insult—like you have weak, fragile, or not man enough. People certainly use it that way all too much.