Growing up in both Russian and American cultures taught me two seemingly opposing values: togetherness and individuality.
I grew up the child of two countries, both physically and emotionally. I was born in Russia and later raised in the United States by a Russian mother and an American father. In my Russian extended family, emotions were big, shared, and at the center of daily life. There was warmth and togetherness, but it often felt overwhelming, as though I was somehow responsible for managing the emotions of others. On the other hand, my American family talked about achievements, plans, and events—keeping emotions at a polite distance. While they avoided burdening each other with personal struggles, this also meant discussing feelings was rare. The question, “How are you really doing?” rarely made its way into conversations.
The blend of these cultural influences led me to develop an approach that naturally integrates warmth, closeness, autonomy, and respect for individuality.
My Work
I’m a psychodynamic, attachment-based, relational, and LGBTQ+-affirming therapist. I provide inclusive, identity-affirming care to parents, couples, teens, and children. I incorporate mindfulness with trauma-informed approaches in my work.
I graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York City, where I majored in Child Psychology. I worked at the renowned Center for Toddler Development under Dr. Tovah Klein researching attachment theory and children’s responses to trauma who were in or near the buildings on 9/11. Afterward, I went on to develop a parent-child program focused on fostering emotional closeness between parents and children. I completed my graduate studies in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles, where I currently teach graduate-level courses in child development and psychotherapy.
I have a full clinical practice serving couples, parents, and children of all ages, where I work directly with them through therapy, workshops, and parent coaching. I am passionate about educating families on building deep, meaningful relationships that cultivate emotional closeness and positively shape future generations. I co-authored the forthcoming book Raising Calm Kids in a World of Worry with Ashley Graber. As a public speaker, I provide dynamic, interactive experiences for schools and corporations. In my mission to educate clinicians, I founded Therapists of West Los Angeles, a group with 1,200 members and growing, as well as a larger nationwide network of over 10,000 clinicians seeking support.
Publishing February 2025
Maria Shriver’s Open Field; an imprint of Penguin Random House
Approach and Influences
In the field of child and family therapy, I see firsthand how much people long for connection but don’t know how to go about it.
Every day, I meet anxious kids, and parents who are desperate to help them. I speak with couples that struggled to meaningfully connect with each other and their kids in today’s world of constant distraction and never-ending to-do lists.
When one family member struggles with mental health, it’s not just an individual journey—it’s a collective one. A child’s anxiety or a parent's depression affects everyone in the household. Kindness and support from the family are not just nice to have; they’re critical for resolving many of life’s anxieties and struggles. For true recovery and emotional well-being, the family can adopt habits and practices that will make all the difference.
I believe closeness is the foundation for resolving many of life’s anxieties and struggles. My approach focuses on helping families and couples create closeness through open communication, loving boundaries, and intentional moments of connection.
My work is informed by family systems theory, attachment theory, and select values from community-oriented cultures.
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A family is an emotional ecosystem, not just a group of people sharing a house. When one person feels stress or joy, it ripples through and affects everyone around them. Understanding how people influence each other within the family system is key to resolving conflicts, reducing anxiety, and promoting healthy relationships.
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The bonds children form with the people who raise them influence how they think, act, and feel throughout their lives. When children feel safe, understood, and cared for by a parent, they carry that sense of trust and security into all other parts of their lives. Children with secure attachments are better at regulating their emotions, handling stress, and bouncing back from challenges – crucial skills for reducing anxiety, supporting mental health, and achieving long-term success.
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The nuclear family has never been more isolated. For many, becoming a parent leads to drifting even further from the friends, communities, and interests that once offered support and connection. We know from community-oriented cultures that a sense of togetherness and shared responsibility fosters mental health and well-being. These insights inform my theory of closeness, emphasizing that when families build and nurture connections outside their immediate circle, both parents and children gain meaning and a sense of belonging from being part of a larger community.
Some of the bigger questions that animate my work
What makes a family take pride in who they are?
Why is anxiety on the rise? What if the antidote is the very people around you?
Is it possible to make children feel safe and stable, regardless of what’s happening inside or outside of the home?
How can we inspire more couples to be open and attuned to each other, whether they’ve just met or spent decades together?
How do we help children enjoy and crave real-life experiences in a world that’s more and more online?
What is a parent’s role in raising kids with a strong sense of who they are? What builds self-esteem?
How can we help the modern family step out of its bubble and find a sense of belonging? How does being part of something greater lead to deeper personal fulfillment, well-being, and joy?
