Compassion Focused Mental Health Treatment
Based in Thousand Oaks, California 🌻. I am a licensed trauma-informed EMDR therapist.
Virtual Sessions Available
My Approach to Healing
I integrate EMDR with a variety of therapeutic approaches to support healing and growth. My work helps address challenges such as depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, addiction, and relationship difficulties.
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain process traumatic memories. This research-backed approach reduces the emotional intensity of distressing experiences, allowing for healthier integration and relief from PTSD symptoms.
Offering Mental Health Therapy for an Improved Quality of Life
Together, we’ll explore your inner world—processing thoughts, emotions, and past experiences—to uncover unhelpful patterns and replace them with healthier, more effective strategies. This process empowers you to strengthen your relationship with yourself and build more meaningful connections with others.
Trauma & PTSD Recovery
Your nervous system learned to perceive threats and activate fight, flight, or freeze responses to protect you.
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
Many clients come to me experiencing PTSD symptoms but cannot identify a single traumatic event.
Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families
Growing up in a dysfunctional family system can lead to your needs being chronically unmet.
Childhood Trauma & Family Systems Issues
Growing up in a family where developmental needs were not met can create lasting impacts.
Addictive Behaviors & Compulsions
Addictions, OCD behaviors, eating disorders, and other compulsions often serve as protective mechanisms
What is IFS?
IFS (Internal Family Systems) recognizes that we all have different "parts" within us—wounded aspects that hold pain (Exiles), protective parts that try to control situations (Managers), and reactive parts that emerge under stress (Firefighters). IFS helps you connect with your core Self to lead and heal these parts with compassion.
Notes of Kindness from My Clients
Therapy is an investment in your mental health, relationships, and overall quality of life. Many clients find that the tools and insights gained through our work together continue to benefit them long after therapy concludes.
Discover More in the EMDR & IFS Universe
Do you feel stuck and struggle with symptoms that seem related to your past? Do you find yourself caught in patterns of anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulties that feel familiar yet overwhelming? You're not alone, and healing is possible.
The Power of Integrative Therapy
When we combine approaches like EMDR and IFS, clients benefit from multiple pathways to healing. This integrative approach recognizes that healing isn't one-size-fits-all—different aspects of your experience may respond better to different therapeutic tools. Together, these modalities offer both targeted trauma processing and comprehensive internal relationship healing, creating more complete and lasting recovery.
FAQs: Common Questions, Answered
Frequently asked questions about EMDR treatment, Internal Family Systems, and integrative trauma healing approaches.
Our initial session is about getting to know you and understanding what brings you to therapy. We’ll discuss:
- Your current symptoms and concerns
- Your family and relationship history
- Previous therapy experiences
- Your goals for our work together
- Questions about my approach and methods
This is also your opportunity to see this is the right type of therapy for you. Therapy requires trust and connection, so it’s important that you feel comfortable with me and my approach.
Absolutely. Virtual EMDR incorporates multiple sensory modalities to ensure effective trauma processing.
I use secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms designed specifically for online EMDR therapy, ensuring the same therapeutic effectiveness as in-person sessions while you remain in the comfort and safety of your own space.
I work with several insurance plans and also offer sliding scale options for those who need financial assistance. Please check this page to learn more about your specific insurance coverage and payment options.
Yes, I provide secure virtual therapy sessions for clients who prefer online counseling or cannot meet in person. EMDR can be effectively conducted online using specialized technology for visual bilateral stimulation.
Online therapy is particularly helpful for:
- Clients with scheduling or transportation challenges
- Those who feel more comfortable in their own space
- People seeking continuity of care during travel or relocation
The length of therapy varies greatly depending on:
- The complexity of your trauma history
- Your current life circumstances
- Your personal goals and pace
- How your nervous system responds to treatment
Some clients experience significant relief within a few months, while others engage in deeper, longer-term work. We’ll regularly check in about your progress and adjust our approach as needed.
Absolutely. Many people experience anxiety, depression, and other symptoms without recognizing underlying trauma or developmental wounds. Sometimes what we consider “just how I am” actually reflects adaptations we made to survive difficult early experiences.
My approach looks at symptoms within the context of your whole life story. Even if you don’t identify specific trauma, we can explore:
- Family patterns and dynamics
- Early attachment experiences
- Messages you received about yourself and the world
- Parts of you that developed protective strategies
I strongly support 12-step recovery and see it as an excellent complement to therapy. Many of my clients are active in programs like Adult Children of Alcoholics, Al-Anon, AA, or other fellowships.
Therapy can deepen your 12-step work by:
- Processing trauma that underlies addictive or compulsive behaviors
- Working through family-of-origin issues
- Developing the internal loving parent that 12-step programs encourage
- Healing the wounded inner child through therapeutic techniques
Yes, I offer couples therapy using a trauma-informed approach that helps partners understand how their individual histories affect their relationship dynamics. My work with couples focuses on:
- Improving communication and emotional connection
- Addressing patterns rooted in past trauma or attachment wounds
- Building skills for healthy conflict resolution
- Creating secure attachment between partners
Yes, I provide specialized support for parents who want to break generational cycles and create healthier family dynamics. Parent counseling can help with:
- Understanding how your own childhood experiences affect your parenting
- Developing trauma-informed parenting strategies
- Managing parental anxiety, guilt, or overwhelm
- Healing your own inner child to become the parent you want to be
- Navigating challenges with children who have experienced trauma
Stay Updated with Cindy Levy, LMFT
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