Something brought you here.

You don't have to figure it out alone.

Something feels off.

Maybe it's been quietly building — the thoughts that loop,

the feelings that won't move,

the parts of yourself you can't quite figure out.

Maybe life shifted and you haven't yet caught up.

Therapy is a place to put down what you've been carrying.

To say the things.

To get curious about what's actually going on

with someone in your corner, focused entirely on you

so you can start to feel closer to yourself again.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Providing psychotherapy services

in Encino, Studio City and via telehealth

I'm Karen Kushell.

M.A., Registered Associate Marriage + Family Therapist

Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor

Finding the Right Fit

Many people in this search have some version of these questions running through their mind: Will this person actually get me? Is this going to seem weird or uncomfortable?

Will it actually help?

The best therapy happens in a relationship where you feel understood, comfortable enough to be honest, and open to seeing things a little differently. It's about fit. So take a look around, and see if I seem like someone you could talk to.

Sound Familiar?

You’ve been meaning to make this call. Maybe you told yourself you can handle it, things aren’t bad enough, that you’ll get to it when life settles down, or that it's too complicated to explain.

Doing nothing guarantees nothing changes. Doing something might.

Therapy is a place to bring what you've been carrying alone — with someone who understands how to meet you there.

What Can You Expect?

I'm genuinely curious about you, in a real, what's it like behind this person’s eyes way.

You'll feel heard. You should feel understood, which is different than just being agreed with. I'll validate where you are without telling you what you want to hear, and gently challenge when it may be useful.

You’ll also get the real me. I’m not performing “therapist.” I show up as warm, thoughtful, direct — occasionally funny — and authentically me.

What Does 'Meet You Where You Are' Actually Mean?

It means there’s no wrong way or right time to show up — it’s just now. And whatever you bring in, it belongs here.

Some people arrive in the middle of a crisis. Others come in when something’s just off. Some know exactly what they want to work on. Others aren’t sure where to begin—or how to put it into words at all. However much or little clarity you have, that’s enough to start.

It’s your therapy—we go from there. I want to understand what brought you in and how you want to use the space. I follow your lead, and keep us moving toward what matters most to you.

Why the "&"?

Many of us walk around with an either/or story about ourselves.

Either I'm okay or I'm not. I'm handling it or I'm falling apart. I know who I am or I'm completely lost. But that's rarely the whole picture.

And. Some things can't be fixed, undone, or made fair. There are losses, histories, circumstances and limitations that are part of what we carry. Therapy isn't about changing all of that — it's about learning to carry it differently.

Life is rarely one thing at a time — two things can be fully tru at once. You can be struggling and resilient. Stuck and moving. Shaped by your past and

not defined by it. A work in progress and already enough.

That's what the & is about. Not either/or, not in spite of. But and — and forward.

The Practical Stuff

I'm an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, practicing under the supervision of Stella Zweben-Samuel, LCSW. Learn more about Stella here.

I hold a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, I trained at Occidental College's Health and Wellness Center, and am a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UCLA.

I see individuals, families and groups in person, in our offices in Encino and Studio City, and via telehealth throughout California.

How I Got Here

I've always been curious about what shapes us — how we communicate, form relationships, adapt to change and make meaning of our lives.

That curiosity took a lot of forms before it brought me here: a career in television and film, philanthropic work in education, years raising two kids and a nightstand permanently stacked with books on human behavior, communication, and how we navigate our inner worlds. After my children finished college, I went back to graduate school, and it felt like everything clicked.

My path wasn’t straight, and I'm grateful for that. And — my goal is that it all shows up in the work.