David is clinically skilled in a number of "cutting edge" therapeutic modalities and capable of utilizing his many talents creatively to best meet the individual needs of his clients. He is comfortable integrating many different and eclectic therapeutic techniques into his treatment plans, from cognitive-behavioral techniques to psychodynamic insight oriented interpretation. From hypnotherapy to play therapy. He is one of the first therapists in the South Bay to be trained in E.M.D.R. (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) and T.F.T. (Thought Field Therapy). These new "power therapies" are very effective in treating anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many people seek him out for help with quitting smoking, fear of flying, fear of bugs, claustrophobia, fear of high places, and many other common fears/phobias.
In addition to his clinical practice, David has been actively involved in teaching. He has supervised psychotherapy interns at several different clinics for the last
25 years. He was instrumental in bringing the Kid's First program (as seen on TV) to the Los Angeles area. He has taught Parenting classes, couples communication workshops, and is currently a P.A.C.T. (Parents and Children Together) instructor at the Torrance Superior Court, teaching divorcing parents how to be more sensitive to the emotional needs of their children, and teaching them the conflict resolution skills necessary to get along successfully after a divorce.
David's other clinical interests include working with clients that are depressed, anxious, phobic, victims of trauma, nervous, or stressed. He sees many adolescent clients, families, and couples with marital, pre-marital, or divorce related problems. Some of his clients have relationship problems with somebody at work, or find their work environment highly stressful and difficult to cope with.
David is the director of Associated Counselors & Therapists. He usually does the initial consultation with new clients. In this first visit he gathers important history and background information useful in "sizing up" a client's situation. He then can make specific treatment recommendations about the best approaches to use, how long it will take, how often you should come in, and who would be the best staff member to work with a particular client (sometimes it's him!). Initial consultations usually take from 1 to 1.5 hours.
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Prior to entering the mental health profession, Michael worked for twenty years in Sales and Marketing in the Computer, Incentive Marketing, and Food Service Industries, including ten years in private ownership of his own company. He is able to put this unique combination of experience to especially effective therapeutic use when counseling other men grappling with occupational and career development issues, and/or struggling to achieve a satisfactory balance between career goals and personal or relationship goals.
Michael has over five years of multifaceted clinical experience working successfully with clients of different age, gender, religion, culture, personality, and lifestyle. His clinical approach is based on Solution Focused Short Term Therapy. He believes strongly that each client comes to therapy equipped with the inherent strengths and abilities necessary to uncover and implement the steps required to resolve the difficulties facing them. He sees his role in that process as being one of assisting his clients in heightening their awareness of, and access to, those strengths. He helps his clients become aware of all the possibilities for change, and then collaborates with them in the creation of alternative solutions. You will often hear him say, "Do more of what's working, less of what's not; If it ain't broke, don’t fix it!"
In addition to his clinical practice at Associated Counselors & Therapists, Michael has worked in a variety of other clinical settings. Since 1997, he has been a therapist at the Victims of Crime Counseling Center in Cerritos,CA. Since 1996 he has worked with Managed Systems Health Care Companies of San Clemente, CA, providing Employee Assistance counseling and therapy to hospital and banking industry employees and their families. From 1996 to 1998 he was a therapist with the Employee Assistance Program for the U.S. Postal Service in Marina del Rey,CA. From 1994 to 1997 Michael was a therapist at Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos,CA where he worked with families and teens in crisis.
Michael holds an MA degree in Counseling Psychology from National University and an MA degree in Public Administration from UCLA. His specialized training includes a Certificate in Short Term Therapies from the Phillips Graduate Institute, and certification in the administration and scoring of The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI).
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Since 1995 Michael has been actively involved in teaching the new "post-modern" therapies to other clinicians. He is an adjunct faculty member at Phillips Graduate Institute (formerly known as the California Family Study Center) and teaches at other Los Angeles area universities as well. In addition to his teaching, Michael has also conducted training workshops for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Kaiser Permanente Hospitals, and Managed Health Network.
Michael specializes in using post-modern therapies because they are consistent with his philosophy that the role of the therapist is to help clients tap into their inner resources for growth and understanding. His gentle style and probing questions help clients realize new and creative approaches to solving their problems quickly.
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Fritz holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Arizona State University. He has a Master of Arts degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute, and as an adjunct to his graduate studies, a certificate of specialty in Brief Therapies. His theoretical position is Cognitive-Behavioral Psychology, augmented with an eclectic blend of other Post-Modern therapies. Fritz says, "This blending creates a scientifically rigorous, potent and direct therapy, that offers quick relief in a short time.”
At Associated Counselors & Therapists, Fritz currently performs psychotherapy across a broad range of presenting conditions, with an emphasis on couples therapy and anxiety reduction using highly effective behavioral, experiential, and skill training models, offered in a time limited setting, including Anger Management, control of addictions, OCD related behaviors, and Smoking Cessation.
The success that Fritz
achieves with his clients has attracted a lot of attention (on a
national scale) to him. He currently receives referrals from
many local therapists and clinics, including the Dr.Phil
television show, and has appeared on many television and radio
shows to demonstrate his techniques.
Around the South Bay, Fritz volunteers time to do group and
individual therapy with at-risk teens for the Beach Cities
Health District and Project Touch.
Fritz's short-term orientation offers an excellent opportunity for healthy, interested individuals to seek positive self-growth, self-improvement, change, and advancement in personal, educational, career, relationship, and life goals.
“Come in and see him for yourself, to get more of the positive things you want out of life!”
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Sarah moved to the beach cities from the Midwest in 1987. She has participated in various capacities in local elementary and secondary school activities over the past 15 years. Her experience in the field of psychotherapy includes work at a number of broad based community mental health facilities including South Bay Center for Counseling, Richstone Family Center, Jewish Family Services and South Bay Family Healthcare Center.
Sarah has worked extensively with children and teens. Her work often engages parents in the process of treatment, encouraging the development of more effective parenting skills. She emphasizes the importance of understanding parental role modeling and family context in the formation of self-esteem and self-efficacy. Her work with teens is designed to assist in the transition from a fully dependent role in the family to the formation of the autonomous and independent young adult with open and effective communication with parents and others.
Sarah’s work with couples often focuses on failures in communication as well as the presence of unresolved family of origin issues being processed in the current relationship dynamic. She encourages the development of mutual empathy, reduced defensiveness and the use of active/reflective listening skills.
In addition, Sarah enjoys working with full families, including blended families. She assists in the process of each family member taking responsibility for his or her individual part in the operation of the family dynamic. Individual developmental transitions are seen within the context of the progression of the Family System Life Cycle.
Sarah’s experience with individual clients includes a broad range of psychotherapeutic issues including depression/mood disorders, anxiety and stress, grief and loss, problems with intimacy, communication skills, self-esteem and self-image, personal growth and life transitions.
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Profiles for other staff therapists are being prepared now.
Check back to find out more about:
Francene Eguren,MFT (self esteem and women's issues)
Tanna Hoagland,PhD (hypnosis)
Colette Esparza,MFT (adolescent girls)
Mark Hurrell,MFT (our child therapy specialist)
Charlotte Bradley,M.A. (grief, solution-focused therapy)